From the first time I met with Alexa & Kyle, I knew that this relationship would continue long after we were couple & planner. At the initial consultation, Alexa was the spitting image of Carrie Bradshaw, and Kyle was constantly cracking jokes, we instantly clicked, and honestly; thank God we did…
Alexa & Kyle dreamed of a wedding day outside of the ‘wedding norm’. They didn’t want anything like a formal, seated reception; and wanted their design to be truly something different, bold, & extravagant.
We found a quant bar that was exactly what Alexa & Kyle had in mind for their reception, and an atrium directly adjacent for their ceremony. However, the bar (and atrium by association) cancelled on this sweet couple entirely, less than 5 months out from the wedding.
We had to change everything, and essentially had to start again from scratch. Everything except their photographer had to change – their ceremony and reception venues, catering & bar vendors, entire wedding design plan including florals, linen, rentals, and furniture; the whole wedding play-book had to be thrown out the window.
But these two, their love truly stood the test. Within 3 weeks or so, we found them a new spot for their reception, Ink & Ivy, located in uptown Charlotte, and dare I say it was 10x better than the original could have ever been. For their ceremony, Midtown Park, which had the most stunning view of the Charlotte City Skyline (something that Alexa & Kyle wanted to incorporate from the very beginning).
Ink & Ivy certainly had a unique vibe when it came to their interior design, as it was filled with a mixture of the brightest chartreuse and purple in a variety of shades. I have to admit, chartreuse didn’t immediately excite me (and to be honest we initial discussed how to hide it)… But after a day of venue tours, Alexa & I got a cocktail, and at this very moment was when their new design came to life in my mind.
The brightest pinks and oranges, with hints of purple and organic greens, and now embracing & accentuating all of that bold & beautiful chartreuse – all which wouldn’t have been possible without the oh so fabulous Heatherly Event Design team.
Fast forward to the wedding weekend – Alexa & Kyle are big fans of the brewery scene in Charlotte, which meant that we had to kick off their weekend with a welcome party at the infamous Olde Mecklenburg Brewery.
Now comes wedding day! Alexa and her best gals got ready in a suite at the Marriott City Center with the help of Beauty Asylum & Veronica Pfaff (makeup team & hair stylist). Before we knew it, Mallory Paige Photography arrived to begin documenting the day.
Alexa wore a gown by Mikaela, purchased at The White Magnolia in West Palm Beach, Florida. She accessorized with multiple family heirlooms, including an emerald necklace that her grandfather had previously given her grandmother, and a diamond bracelet that her father gave her mother on their 20th anniversary.
Kyle wore a grey suite from Mens Warehouse, and also got ready at the Marriott City Center, following a morning of watching college football with his pals – and as I was reminded all morning, “Go Dawg’s!”
Affordable Town Car Service handled all of our ceremony transportation needs to Midtown Park, where guests were greeted with the musical stylings of Emily Chatham of the Charlotte Symphony on violin. I loved the idea of a crisp white wishbone chair for their ceremony, to help bring to life our garden ambiance, supplied by Party Reflections.
Before we knew it, Cameron Franklin (a close friend of the couple) was announcing Alexa & Kyle as husband and wife!
Following so, guests made their way to Ink & Ivy for cocktail hour, where Heatherly Event Designs, once again, created magic with several different installations all across the venue, making our floral garden-design-dreams come true. In addition, the couple had some of the most fabulous and extraordinary linen by BBJ Linen, tables, chairs, and pipe & drape by Party Reflections, and a true-southerner’s wedding with their cake from Publix (I mean, that buttercream frosting though…)
Split Sound Entertainment rocked the party all night with DJ Deangelo spinning and M.C. Henry on the mic.
Alexa & Kyle’s wedding day seemed like it was pulled straight out of a fairytale, and the Just Us team wishes them nothing but the most wonderful of starts to their newest adventure!
*That and Courtney will be forever thankful for the introduction to Alexa & Kyle, as they are now great friends.
~ Courtney
