Why Does a Wedding Officiant Hang out with Wedding Planners?

While most people consider the wedding officiant to only be concerned with the time period when they are doing the ceremony, we believe we should be more informed than that. That has lead us to be members of the Association of Bridal Consultants. No, we are not going to plan your wedding day! By being a part of this professional association, we are able to learn from some of the top planners in our state! When we get the opportunity to spend a day with them, we jump at the chance.

The first part of May Tracey Baxter, Aisle Do Weddings, arranged for the group to meet in Concord, NC to tour that area's venues. I took advantage of the chance to spend time traveling with Jennifer Ball, Knot Your Average Event, and Veronica Hunter, Serenity Weddings 2 Events, to Concord. Once we arrived in Concord, we joined the professionals from the Greater Charlotte area. After a delicious lunch at the Bistro on Union, we took a walking tour of downtown Concord.

This small town just north of Charlotte and just over an hour south of Greensboro offers incredible charm. The main street is filled with locally owned and operated shops. I wish I had been able to spend hours exploring them. Gift shops, chocolatiers, ice cream shops, book stores, jewelry stores, shoe shops, and many others line the streets and are very inviting.

Our first stop was at The Loft at 14. This venue is the smallest of those we visited. Their occupancy is limited to 70 when both levels are used. There is a nice small kitchen available which allows caterers to prepare and properly store food. The Loft allows for self-catering as well. Tables and chairs are included in the rental agreement. There is also a built in sound system. I could easily see a really sweet small ceremony followed by an intimate meal in this venue. The atmosphere is one of small town charm mixed with an urban chic feel. This space would be perfect for very small intimate weddings, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers as well as birthday parties and baby showers. Visit their website to see the venue

The next stop on the tour was The Hotel Concord. When you enter the front of this venue, you know you are stepping back in history. The hotel was originally built in 1926. There are beautiful details everywhere you look. The crystal chandeliers and the art deco details kept my attention. I loved how they incorporated the original hotel desk as the bar for cocktail hour! It felt like we had stepped back to Great Gatsby when we entered this venue! This space was the largest we toured, with over 6,000 sq ft of space for your wedding day. They can accommodate up to 450 You can learn more about this venue here

Our final stop on the tour was at the Piedmont Renaissance Center. This venue is located in a bank which was originally built in 1923. The original vault door is visible and can be a beautiful back drop for a ceremony. I could see an incredible Steampunk Wedding Ceremony held in front of that vault door! The actual vault is currently used for storage in some very creative ways. The main ballroom is in the original bank lobby with beautiful columns. The marble floor Is perfect for dancing. This venue has several options for many different size groups from 50 to about 200. Visit this venue’s website to learn more.

It was obvious from all of the venue managers that they all work well together and have great respect for one another. We could tell, they held the best interest of the couple in high regard and worked with the other area venues to meet the needs of the couple.

It was not only fun to spend the day with so many great professionals, it was incredible to learn about the benefits of a small town many of us drive right past on our way to the big city. Contact us to see how we can help you have the ceremony of your dream in the venue of your dream. Call us at 336-259-736 or email us