Congrats to our first featured wedding couple of 2010, Janell and Colin!

Janell and Colin were married on March 6, 2010 at one of the most beautiful ceremony locations in Charlotte:  St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  St. Patrick’s is a beautiful, historical Cathedral located in the Dilworth area.  The tall, vaulted ceilings and gorgeous stained glass windows make a wonderful backdrop for your wedding.

The reception took place at Charlotte Marriott City Center, located right in the heart of uptown.  It’s an ideal location for your reception.

Big thanks to Lem Lynch Photography for providing the images!

Learn more about St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Learn More about Charlotte Marriott City Center

Have your wedding featured on WedShops!

Are you planning a small wedding in Charlotte, and looking for appropriately sized venues?  Then look no further!  Below is a list of top wedding sites in an around the Charlotte area that cater to smaller groups.

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St. Mary’s Chapel

Capacity: 100

Located minutes from uptown Charlotte, Historical St. Mary’s Chapel is one of the most popular and affordable locations in Charlotte for your wedding. Cermonies only.

Learn more about weddings at St. Mary’s Chapel

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Duke Mansion

Capacity:

Located in historic Myers Park area of Charlotte, Duke Mansion is a beautiful location to celebrate your wedding. Available for both ceremonies and receptions.

Learn more about Duke Mansion.

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Queen’s Landing

Capacity:

Celebrate your wedding as you cruise around Lake Norman on one of two beautiful boats.  Queen’s Landing is located in Mooresville, NC.  Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about Queen’s Landing.

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The Manor House

Capacity:

Celebrate your wedding at a beautiful Southern Plantation Estate. The Manor House is located in historic Waxhaw, NC, and is available for both weddings and receptions.

Learn more about The Manor House.

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Find large wedding and reception venues in the Charlotte area.

View all Charlotte wedding and reception locations.

Planning an outdoor wedding in the Charlotte area? Outdoor weddings can be wonderful, but there are some factors you may want to consider.

Have a backup plan in case of weather.

You plan your wedding so far in advance that there is no way to determine what the weather will be like.  What if it rains?  Good venues will have an indoor area where you can move your wedding in case of inclement weather.

Alert your guests.

Make sure everyone knows that your ceremony will be outdoors.  Don’t assume everyone knows that the ceremony or reception is outside.  Guests may have allergies or other issues that you may not know about.  The polite thing to do is give them warning so they can so they can prepare appropriately.

Be aware of the sun.

If you’re having a mid-day ceremony, consider that the sun may be beating down on your guests and you may want to have a brief ceremony.  Getting married a little later in the evening might be a great idea – but keep in mind: if you have your ceremony at sunset; be sure that your guests are not staring straight into the sun.

Be aware of insects

- especially in spring, and especially if it has been rainy lately.  Setting up citronella candles or fans can clear the air of mosquitoes.  Also, some venues will spray an area for bugs before your wedding – be sure to check.

Consider the temperature.

If it is hot and you are having an outdoor reception, it’s a bad idea to have food that cannot stand up to being outdoors.  Things like fish or anything with mayonnaise should be avoided.  If your outdoor reception will last into the night, it may get colder.  Make sure your reception venue has indoor space, or be sure to let your guests know that it may get a little chilly.

Working with a good wedding director can take a lot of these hassles out of your hands.  Great venues – like the ones listed below – have taken into account all of these considerations (and many more!) and will assist you greatly in making your outdoor wedding perfect.

Check out these great outdoor wedding venues:

Read more »

Located on the campus of Queen’s University of Charlotte in the historic Myers Park section of Charlotte, Belk Chapel is both beautiful and affordable.

The chapel features hardwood pews, a balcony, a large altar, and a wide center aisle.  The rental fee includes an hour rehearsal the night before.  A baby grand piano and an organ are also included in the rental fee.

Belk Chapel can accommodate up 500 people.  Queen’s University also has venues for your reception, located on the campus, just a brief walk from the Chapel.

Find out more information about Belk Chapel – including pricing, availability, and photographs.

Planning a wedding  with a big guest list? If you need a venue that can accommodate a big group, then look no further.  Below is a list of wedding venues in and around the Charlotte area that can handle large weddings and receptions.  Click ‘Learn more about this venue’ for more information including contact information and photos.

Note:  Most of the venues listed below have several areas within their venues with different capacities to match the size of any wedding.

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Founder’s Hall

Capacity: 500-1000

Located right in the heart of downtown Charlotte at the corner of Trade and Tryon in the Bank of America Corporate Center is Founder’s Hall.  Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about weddings at Founder’s Hall.

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Belk Chapel

Capacity:  500

Located in the Myers Park area of Charlotte on the campus of Queen’s Univeristy, Belk Chapel is one of the most popular locations for your wedding ceremony.  Available for weddings only.

Learn more about Belk Chapel.

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The Point Lake Club

Capacity: 500/Reception  230/Ceremony

Located just north of Charlotte in Mooresville on the shores of Lake Norman, The Point Lake and Golf Club is a beautiful location for your wedding and reception.  Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about The Point Lake Club.

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Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Capacity:  300

Located in Belmont, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a beautiful Botanical Garden that hosts both weddings and receptions.  A truly unique location for your wedding.  Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

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Carrigan Farms

Capacity: 300

Located Mooresville, Carrigan Farms features a beautiful rock quarry and a sandy beach.  Carrigan Farms can host your outdoor wedding and reception from March through November.  Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about Carrigan Farms

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Birkdale Golf Club

Capacity: 250

Located in Huntersville, Birkdale Golf Club is a fantastic location for your wedding.  Have your ceremony outdoors on the lawn, then celebrate your reception inside the Palmer Pavilion.  Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about Birkdale Golf Club

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Rumbling Bald Resort

Capacity: 200-300

If your looking to get a little farther outside of Charlotte, Rumbling Bald Resort on scenic Lake Lure may be perfect for you.  Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about Rumbling Bald Resort.

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These are just a handful of the wonderful Charlotte area wedding venues that can handle large groups of people.  Find more Charlotte are wedding venues on WedShops.com!

Located on Lake Norman just minutes north of Charlotte, The Point Lake Club is one of the area’s premiere locations for weddings.

Arrive by boat for your ceremony at the Lake Club with beautiful Lake Norman in the background – or get married in one of the Point’s other lovely facilities.

The point has several facilities for ceremonies of different sizes and layouts, ensuring that you can get the perfect venue to match the size and scale of your wedding.

The Point also has a chef on staff that can help you create a custom menu for your reception.  Anything from hors d’ouvres to fully plated meals can be made to your specifications.

Want to learn more about The Point Lake Club?

For more information about the Point, including photos and contact information, click here.

Located just outside the loop and  minutes from uptown, St. Mary’s Chapel is one of the best  places in the Charlotte area to get married.  Its quaint, beautiful and – since its owned by the city – relatively inexpensive.

For $400, Mecklenburg Country residents ($500 for non-residents) can rent the Chapel for a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes.  This includes a 1 hour rehearsal and a 1 hour and 45 minute ceremony.  Additional hours can be added for $125.   There is one dressing room available for guests and an organ.  The Chapel is open on Friday afternoons 12:00-4:00 for anyone who wants to visit and check out the location. Read more »

1)  LL Bean Signature Canvas Tote Bag

What bridesmaid couldn’t use a multi-functional bag that is great for overnights and ideal for the beach?  The bags range in price and size.
Check them out at LLBean’s website:  www.LLBean.com.

2) Diamond Initial Charm

The perfect token to show your appreciation for your bridesmaid.  Come on, we all know a diamond is a woman’s best friend.
Available at ArnoldsJewelry.com.

Read more »

Get Married in the Off-Season

Wedding vendors tend to charge less money in the off-season because they are not as likely to book weddings for those times of year. The off season for weddings is late fall, and winter. November, December, January, and February are considered off-season, but dates in December that are near Christmas and New Years are still considered ‘hot’ by many vendors.

Get Married on a Friday or a Sunday

The vast majority of weddings take place on Saturdays. Weddings vendors are not as likely to get booked on a Friday or a Sunday, so they tend to give you discounts on those days. The great thing about a Friday or a Sunday wedding is that you can often get high-end services from top vendors for a reduced price. For instance, your ideal venue is not only less likely to be booked, but it can also potentially be much less expensive.

The same is true for many of the other vendors who provide wedding-day products or services.  Check with your vendors to see if they offer a Friday or Sunday discount.

Get Married Earlier in the Day

Earlier in the day guests are more accustomed to eating a lighter meal, and wont be dissapointed if you provide a smaller (and less expensive) spread. Also, if you have an open bar at your reception, your guests will drink less at an afternoon event than they will at a night event. Read more »

When to Book a Venue

The venue should be the first element of your wedding that you book.  The number of venues in the Charlotte area are limited, and the great ones get booked well in advance. Its best to book your venue 9 months to one year prior to your wedding.

Seperate Wedding and Reception Venues?

Booking one venue for both the wedding and reception can potentially save money and reduce hassle – but a lof of venues are not equipped to handle both.

If you need two venues, you should consider the distance between them and how easy it will be for your guests to be transported between the two.
You certainly don’t want to get two venues that are a long distance apart as travel can be tedious and expensive for both you and your guests.

Venue Size – Will it be big enough for your party?

Think about the size of your wedding party, and how much room they will need to be comfortable. Remember that once chairs and tables are added, and caterers and DJs set up their stations, the area will seem quite a bit smaller. Venues will inform you of how many people can fit comfortably within their space – be sure to keep this in mind when booking.

And remember that a lot of venues have several different sections, each with different capacities – and different prices. This gives you a lot more options within any given venue. Read more »