colorful wedding

A Colorful and Whimsical Wedding at the Mint Museum Uptown in Charlotte

Jessie + Austin met in high school, but never dated. It took a few years of persistence from Austin, with Jessie "brutally shutting him down" as she says, for her to agree to a date with Austin. It was after that first date the summer of their freshman year of college that Jessie fell head over heels for Austin! And after several months of flirting and long distance (don't worry - Austin made her sweat a bit. Unknowingly, of course!), they made their relationship official.

You'll never meet a couple more madly in love or incredibly down to Earth as Jessie + Austin. They are the life of the party and love to have fun in every situation. Their connection is unmistakeable! Just wait until you see their gorgeous images from Anchor & Veil Photography. They never shy away from adventure and new experiences. Trying new restaurants and recipes and exploring new places is one of their favorite things to do together. But as much fun as going out can be, they also love lay low by make a pallet on the floor and watch moves with some wine in tow.

Jessie came to me wanting to create a unique experience for her loved ones. She said she wanted it to feel like one big party, with an amazing atmosphere, great food and lots of dancing - not stuffy or stiff, or too formal. Our sweet bride had a vision, and she was drawing inspiration from many different color palettes and styles - from whimsical and classic to sweet and modern. She didn't quite know where to begin and how to sort through everything. As we when through my design process, we were able to get to the heart of her vision and create a cohesive design that captured our bride's gorgeous style. The end result felt fun, eclectic and most importantly, different - and that is exactly what Jessie wanted! We infused a vibrant color palette into our design, using a range of purples, burgundy, pinks, creams, and pale yellow with abundant amounts of greenery for an ultra-romantic touch. It is traditional with a twist, as we mixed aesthetics to create a detailed and color-filled day for this sweet-as-can-be couple!

Huge thanks to our talented team of vendors who made this day so perfect for Jessie + Austin!
Planning + Design: The Graceful Host
Photography: Anchor & Veil Photography
Flowers: New Creations Flower Company
Paper Goods: Elisabeth Rose Social Stationery
Videography: Brian Bunn Films
Cake: The Wow Factor Cakes
Rentals: Party Reflections
Catering: Something Classic Catering
Venue: The Mint Museum Uptown
Officiant: Rev Rebecca Nagy
Hair: Mirror Bomb Studios
Makeup: Erin Ashley Makeup
Dress: Romona Keveža
Dress Boutique: Ladies Of Lineage
Bridesmaid Dresses: Brideside
Groomsmen Attire: The Black Tux
Entertainment: Split Second Sound

Jessie + Austin, you two are such a joy to know! I loved every second of our time planning together and your perfect wedding day. Thank you for trusting myself and my team to execute your vision! Love you both!

XO,
A.

Featured: Fiesta Wedding Inspiration

I absolutely LOVED this shoot, and I was so honored to see it featured on Inspired by This on Cinco de Mayo!! Last summer, Charlotte Wedding magazine asked me to design a fiesta-inspired wedding for the summer issue. (And, brides even voted the design to win a 2013 BOW Award!) To now have one of my all-time favorite blogs feature it, is so exciting! Be sure to check out the full feature here, and scroll through some of my favorite photos - all captured  perfectly by one of my favorite photographers in Charlotte, Smitten and Hooked. These two are amazing! smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-70TheGracefulHost_Blog_FiestaInspirationShoot1smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-41smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-10smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-64smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-152smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-168smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-180smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-184smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-166smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-163smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-157smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | look2-3smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | look2-46smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | look2-19smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | look1-4smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | look1-27smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | look1-43smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | look3-52smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | look3-62smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-195smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | look5-37smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | look5-4smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-85smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-114smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-138smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-100smitten & hooked | charlotte wedding magazine | details-105

 

This whole shoot makes me want to throw a BIG party! Absolutely love how everything turned out… I couldn't have asked for more.  All the amazing vendors and talented wedding pros that participated in this shoot are nothing short of incredible! I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many amazing vendors to produce this shoot for Charlotte Wedding magazine. They helped me bring this vision to life!

Photography by Smitten and Hooked | Wedding design and styling by Ashley Culicchia Cash, The Graceful Host | Fashion styling by Laurel Bendum of Charlotte Wedding magazine | Produced by Aleigh Acerni and Kellie Duff of Charlotte Wedding magazine | Shot on location at Brakefield at Riverwalk | Floral design by Lily Greenthumb’s | Catering and cocktails by Something Classic Catering & Cafés | Cakes by Wow Factor Cakes | Mexican cookies by Suarez Bakery | Rentals and linens from Party Reflections of Charlotte | Paper goods by Three Little Birds | Makeup by Casey Lombardi, Dollface Skin & Makeup Lounge | Hair by Lindsay Pizzuti, Mirror Bomb Studios | Gowns worn by the bride: Marisa - style 898 from Hayden Olivia Bridal, Intuzuri Augustine from Poffie Girls, Watters Blanca gown from J Major’s Bridal Boutique, Modern Trousseau Marena gown from Hayden Olivia Bridal, & Tadashi Shoji dress from Neiman Marcus.

XO, A.