Today is a bittersweet day; we are so excited and sad at the same time to see Kitsie leave us and move to the Midwest. Kitsie has been with us since July running our office and front desk. She will be heading out this Wednesday to St. Louis, Missouri to do long term mission work for Atrium Church in Collinsville, Il. Atrium is a new church who will be celebrating their grand opening this Sunday. This church is striving to revitalize a community that needs a change and deep hope; an open space for those to know God.

Check out some of our favorite memories of Miss Kitsie!!!

It’s really hard for Kitsie to go because family is the most important thing, but she knows she is following the path that God has designed for her. Not to mention, moving half-way across the country is no small feat! An entire lifestyle change is in the works and we are excited to see the growth that Kitsie will endure with Him as her only focus!

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:8

“Kitsie has been such a blessing to IP and we have loved having her here. We know she will bless others as she has blessed us! We love you Kitsie!”

-Karen

IP is shaking things up in 2012! We’ve got a ton of new products, and this just in..brand new shabby chic frames!

These beautiful couture frames are handmade, locally! Not only would you be super stylish, but you are supporting your local craftsmen! There are a ton of different colors, styles and sizes available! They are the perfect addition to your nursery, children’s room,  living room, or any space in your home!

Make sure to stop in and see them or give us a call to schedule a framing appointment!

Meet Amanda:

We already knew our beautiful bride, who recently won the Grand Prize at A Wedding Experience, was a special girl. She is so kind and a joy to be around; we wanted to introduce her to you! Miss Cranford, as she is known to her students, teaches kindergarten at Forest Park Elementary School in Kannapolis. Karen and Lindsay recently dropped in on her to see what a day in the life of a teacher was like!

They had a blast, and might have even learned a thing or two! She has been teaching for five years, and her passion shows in her technique and in how much her students adore her!

Amanda and her fiance, Travis, will be getting married in July! We cannot wait to share their special day with them, they are a beautiful couple, on the inside and out! Stay tuned as we continue with the couple on their journey to matrimony!

We are so excited for all of the new and exciting things planned for 2012! Some of which include awesome new products! We couldn’t wait to share these sneak peeks with you!

Image Blocks are SO fabulous! This system allows you to chose either one image or multiple image blocks arranged as a collage floating on top of the base. The image blocks are soft, satin-based photographic prints wrapped around a wooden base which gives a contemporary look. The best part about this new type of print is that the blocks are interchangeable, which means you can easily remove the floating blocks to create a new look or update the images. There are 11 different single block sizes and 16 different collage options! These are just too awesome!

We introduced slim wraps in our February email, but check them out again! Slim wraps are extremely similar to our gallery wraps, but are mounted on a foam board instead of a wooden base. They are a more up-to-date look that are also less expensive than the gallery wraps! Ranging from 8×10 to 16×24, slim wraps are a current look that we know you will love! Also, don’t forget, we are offering 20% off on slim wraps during the month of February! Your perfect opportunity to get this hot new product at an incredible price!

The iPhone Case has landed at IP!! This has to be one of our favorite new items! The iPhone case is available for the iPhone 4 and 4s and can even be designed with one image or as a collage! Who doesn’t want another place to show off their family?!

Introducing our newest album, the Legend! This album is absolutely stunning, with full images from cover to cover! Perfect for engagement, bridal and weddings, the Legend offers a new twist on albums. Let our fabulous design team custom design your story through photography.

There are a number of options for album size, check out a few below:

4×10 Legend Album:

The 8×20 Legend Album:

The new albums are extra exciting to us because we are introducing entirely new wedding collections here at IP! From new investments to new products, don’t skip IP when looking for your wedding photographer, you can’t beat what we bring to the table! Stay tuned for even more new products and events in 2012, this is going to be a great year!

We were so excited to team up with such fabulous vendors in the area and couldn’t wait to showcase them again! A Wedding Experience would not have been so amazing without them!

Abigail’s: A Cake Affair provided us with absolutely beautiful and delicious cakes!

Audrey’s Fru Fru & Sassy Boutique has everything from gifting to cake toppers, jewelry to handbags! Perfect for finding your special wedding accessories!

BK Entertainment & Anna M Productions are so phenomenal! They provide high quality DJ service and emcees as well as professional videographers!

C.C & Co. Salon & Spa showcased their hair stylist, make- up artists, and nail technicians! As always, all of the bridal party and models looked gorgeous!

Classic Party Rentals designed our beautiful table decor in a number of different styles and colors!

Falls Jewelers displayed a number of the hot new designs in wedding jewelry, from engagement rings to wedding bands and high fashion jewelry.

Hopes Bridal provided the wedding party with beautiful gowns as well as hosting a fashion show featuring the latest in wedding gowns and bridesmaid fashions!

Midway Florist supplied us with elegant floral designs as well as bouquets and boutineers for the bridal party.

Pampered Chef: Kim Barbee joined us to display the awesome products Pampered Chef has to offer! They also have a national bridal registry that every new bride should sign up for to stock her kitchen!

Plain or Fancy Catering created a fabulous display of classic favorites, from artichoke dip to a carving station! His food is the best!!

Sweet Art by Jessica displayed some yummy goodies that are perfect for wedding favors!

Sweetest Beginnings is the place to go for custom invitations, announcements and bridal stationary!

The Bride’s Choice offers wedding consulting like none other! Owner, Kim McIlwaine, will help you plain your wedding down to the last detail!

The Loft at 14th is a gorgeous venue for engagement parties, luncheons or rehearsal dinners!

Thirty-One Gifts: Amy Bost joined us to display all of the goodies Thirty-One has to offer! Perfect for bridal gifting or helping you stay organized while you plan your wedding day!

Vintage Motor Club is an absolutely fabulous venue! With the rustic charm of an old mill this is the perfect place to hold your wedding reception!

Of course we can’t forget Irresistible Portraits with all the fabulous photography! A big thank you to Karen on her vision for such an exciting and new type of wedding show!

Each of these vendors worked so hard, from BK Entertainment providing fabulous music with DJ services to the Vintage Motor Club providing the space! We feel so honored to have worked with such amazing local area vendors! Make sure to check out the AWE website for full contact information, we highly recommend adding these to your list of vendors for you next event! If you attended and had a blast leave a comment to let us know what you thought!

A Wedding Experience was an experience to remember! We were so excited to see Karen’s creative vision for a new type of wedding show bloom before our eyes! This show was different than your average show because it was presented as an actual wedding reception. Our bride, Lindsay, was able to join her family for her real wedding reception in which our vendors were able to showcase their talents!

Hope’s Bridal hosted a fashion show where they featured a number of the bridal and bridesmaid gowns. We were extremely appreciative of Hope’s for not only hosting the fashion show, but for also providing dresses to our wedding party!

Of course the food provided by Plain or Fancy Catering was beyond fabulous! Gary and his team never cease to amaze us with all their yummy food!

Each new bride that joined us for the show had the opportunity to chat with vendors and witness firsthand the services they provide in an actual reception atmosphere. They also had the opportunity to take home the grand prize, which totaled over $13,000 in services & prizes!

AWE was such a success and we can’t wait to do it again! This show was especially exciting for us because we were able to re-introduce ourselves into the world of wedding photography. With entirely new wedding collections being offered we are super excited about 2012 and all that it is sure to bring to IP! We’ve reinvented ourselves and know that any new bride will be excited with what we have to offer!

We are also thrilled about the opportunities to create a network in savings with the vendors showcased at AWE. IP is collaborating with a number of vendors to offer you savings towards services when you book with us! We can’t wait to announce these exciting new options available with the premier vendors in our area!

Of course we have to announce our Grand Prize winner, Miss Amanda Cranford! She was so excited to take home this unbelievable prize! We cannot wait to work with her and fiance Travis! Karen is already brainstorming creative and new ideas for the couple!

A special “Thank You” to our beautiful bride and groom, Lindsay & Jason as well as their family. (Don’t you just love their fun photobooth  portrait?!)

We also want to say Thank You to each vendor that ventured out with us on this new idea, you each really put your all into it and it was fabulous!!

Make sure to continue to check out our website and Facebook page, we will still be posting exciting wedding announcements!

AWE is almost here! Check out a few more of our incredible vendors that will be hosting with us!

Classic Party Rentals, the nation’s leading event rental company, now has Charlotte’s event and party rental needs covered. At Classic Party Rentals – Charlotte, we provide event rental expertise, unmatched inventory and passionate dedication to our customer’s everyday. The best events take on a life of their own, on the outside and inside. No matter what your event rental needs……from tent top to tabletop…..the Classic Party Rentals Charlotte Team will make your party their passion.

The Bride’s Choice: Kim McIlwaine-  The wedding planning industry has been shaped by the growing needs to reduce the bride’s time and effort in preparing for the most pivotal day of her life – her wedding.  Wedding planning in and around the Charlotte area has also been shaped by the customers’ desire to have a perfectly planned and executed event with as little stress as possible. Most individuals live on a budget and have come to the realization that they cannot effectively make the preparations by themselves, therefore, such bride’s seek professional advice (A Wedding Planner) to ensure that all important aspects of the event meet and exceed their perceived expectations.  The Bride’s Choice is a full service bridal boutique which states our motto as , “The best choice is The Bride’s Choice – A place where your dreams can become a reality”.  I received my “Registered Bridal Consultant (RBC)” title in 2005, to expand my knowledge of this ever changing industry.  This knowledge allows us to begin our planning with a budget, knowledge of their hopes for their wedding day, setting themes, colors and choosing vendors that will meet their expectations.  Knowledge of different cultures, religions and family traditions is incorporated to distinctively create unique weddings.

Having this type of knowledge in the wedding industry, professional skills, resources, up to date research, reliability and respect is what makes us unique – your first and lasting impressions are foremost important at The Bride’s Choice – you are my product and you matter.

Vintage Motor Club- Nestled within the historic Gibson Mill complex of Concord lays the Vintage Motor Club Conference and Events Center. We now occupy what was once an historic Cannon textile mill. For a number of years, the mill sat vacant until 2007 when four gentlemen sharing common interests decided to restore the complex from literally the ground up. The entire reclamation and restoration process was a huge undertaking – and from the owner’s perspectives, it was paramount to retain as much of the mill’s original heritage as possible while at the same time incorporating the necessary modern amenities and luxuries required in a full-service venue.

Offering up to 15,000 square feet of celebration and meeting space, the Vintage Motor Club provides an ambiance second-to-none. We offer you value, affordability and features unheard of in many other venues. We understand how stressful planning and implementing an event can be – and we’re here to minimize that stress as much as possible. We’re available at all times to assist you in every way – from the initial planning of your event, to managing it once it’s underway. In addition, we have an impressive list of Special Event vendors (caterers, floral designers, DJ services, limousine services, wedding/formal wear boutiques and event planners) to whom we can direct you. And… we even work with a new area hotel that will provide HUGE discounted rates for your out-of-town guests.

BK Entertainment & Anna M Productions- Our entertainment team has over 21 years of experience in over 3,000 weddings and events. If you are planning your wedding, we will provide you with personal assistance in selecting your Ceremony music, Rehearsal Dinner and Reception Entertainment so that your wedding reflects your individual personality, taste and style. Our goal is to assist you in planning a successful event that allows you to relax and truly enjoy your special day.

Our professional Deejays, Masters of Ceremonies and Directors specialize in mobile DJ entertainment, Ceremony directing, Reception coordinating and up lighting enhancement.

In 2006, we formed our Video production Company under the name of Anna “M” Productions. Included on our team are very qualified and professional associates who specialize in their particular areas. Our videography team sets each and every wedding into a beautiful love story. Members of the video production team have traveled extensively shooting destination weddings. They are available for travel worldwide. They are professional full-time video producers.

Our Event Planners can refer great contacts in other fields from cakes to the choreography of your first dance by a professional. The performance and satisfaction you will receive when you choose BK Event Production and Anna M Productions is unique to our company and you will not find it anywhere else. We promise to give you our best to make your event a special one. Our focus will remain on you throughout your entire day. If you and your guests are not relaxed and having fun, then we are not doing our jobs. We would consider it a privilege to be invited to be a part of one of the most important days of your life.

A Wedding Experience is this Sunday, January 22 from 1-5 p.m at the Vintage Motor Club in Concord. Tickets are available to purchase at IP or a number of our other fabulous vendors. Give us a call for locations or more information! We can’t wait to see you there!

A Wedding Experience is fast approaching! We are so excited about this show, it’s going to be like none other! Take the time to check out a couple of our vendors:

Sweetest Beginnings {invitations} allows brides to participate in a true wedding experience!  Working one-on-one in the creation of their own custom wedding  stationery, Sweetest Beginnings focuses on Save-the-dates, invitations, programs and thank you notes!  Accessorize with custom napkins, guest signature books, escort cards, menus and more!  Custom can be affordable!! Free consultations available!  Studio is located in Historic Downtown Concord and is by appointment only!

Falls Jewelers, formally in Cannon Village, is a full service, third generation jeweler that sells diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, all types of semi-precious color, Citizen watches, and pearls.They also sell four major bridal lines. A.Jaffe, Simon G, Gabriel, and Gemsone are four of the top bridal manufacturers in the U.S. Falls Jewelers also specializes in custom design and are experts in designing your engagement ring or creating a matching band for your existing engagement ring. They are also proficient in jewelry repair.

These are just two of our fabulous vendors that are joining us Sunday, January 22 for AWE. For more information make sure to check out the AWE website and “Like” us on Facebook!  Stay tuned for more exciting vendor showcases to come!