skip to main content
The Kimpton Brice Hotel wedding ceremony

Allison + Jay

Charlotte Wedding Reception Inspiration

A professional planner ups her own wedding game

Jay grew up with Allison’s cousin (and best friend) in Winston Salem, and one night Alex introduced the two. Jay arrived late and sat across from Allison; they started talking about hockey, discovered how much they had in common and—voila—the rest is history! Since the couple began their lives together in Charlotte, there was nowhere they’d rather celebrate their love. Tryon Park Hotel wasn’t even open yet, though they sensed this was “the” place for their wedding. Not only was it beautiful, they say, but everything from the guest rooms, in-house restaurants and amenities to the banquet spaces felt like a perfect fit. From the moment they left for the church, it became very clear how crazy and wonderful the day would be.

Memorable Details

The ladies spent the wedding morning in the Presidential Suite, jamming out to music and relaxing while getting ready. The guys were in a suite watching football, much like any typical Saturday. The bride wore an Essence of Australia gown, while the groom’s designer was The Black Tux.

"I would recommend the Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel to anyone looking for nothing less than a perfect venue."

Allison says she really didn't know what to expect. The final verdict? “THE. KIMPTON. DID. NOT. DISAPPOINT.”

They summarize their reception with one word: FLAWLESS. It was very important to do something different than any wedding Allison had planned before (for work), and Brianna along with Carolina Event Design creatively collaborated to make it beautiful and comfortable for each and every guest. Jay got surprised by Sir Purr from the Carolina Panthers; other details included a long, romantic table for the bridal party with velvet linen and custom-made, wooden name plates.

The wedding reception featured a plated dinner for about 185 guests. The couple raves about their event’s “incredible” food and drinks, thanking Chef for the time he took time to customize their tasting and to listen to all of their feedback. They so appreciated his recommendations and all the personal touches he wove into the final menu.