New Summer Intern

Hi my name is Connor Smith, I am the new summer intern for Knot Your Average Events. I really want to get as much experience as possible for planning and coordinating events. I want to know every aspect of the planning process. I feel like this internship will provide me with the perfect opportunity to jump start my career in the event planning world.

            I chose to pursue a career in event planning after deciding on a major in art studies with a concentration in visual arts at North Carolina State University. It was here that my love for art and design grew, but I also enjoyed working with people and knew that I somehow wanted to combine the two. It was after I took a class in Park Recreation and Tourism that I found out exactly how to do this. I realized I would be able to branch into the event world and this caught my attention. After doing research on event planning and all that it had to offer I realized this was career path that I wanted. I saw that with this career that I would get to be a part of transforming people’s visions into a reality. I would get to help make people’s dreams come true and this is what I am most excited for.

           

Getting To And From Your Wedding

So you’ve got your hair and makeup scheduled, your photographer contracted and paid for, and the exact time you let your guests know when to be at the venue. Have you thought about how YOU were planning on getting to and from your wedding? There are many different types of transportation that will fit you and your style for your big day.  There are numerous ways you can do this. I see it as there being 3 categories to transportation: local, unique and classy. The difference in the three categories depends on the location of your wedding site, your style, and your budget.

Some classic ways to make an entrance or a getaway to the honeymoon is by a stretch limo, a Rolls Royce, any classic car or a stretch hummer for example.  These options are best if you are going for glamour, a sleek and stylish car or limo is perfect.  

Unique travel options can definitely vary from horse drawn carriages and hot air balloons to vintage buses and Italian Gondola’s.  If you are trying to be budget friendly you can still have a unique way to get to and from your wedding. An old truck with a vintage “just married” sign up on the back is really unique and can be borrowed from a friend or family member. Also, riding away on bicycles is super cute and will surprise your guests.

Depending on where your venue is located can also give you great ideas on what transportation to use. Let’s say you are getting married by water, try making your getaway or entrance by a boat! Depending on how big the boat is you can fit your whole wedding party on there to join you as well. If you get married at a country club or on a golf course, take advantage of their golf carts. Renting them for the getaway or entrance should be easy and inexpensive. Another great idea is to use the local transportation if your venue is downtown. Rent a trolley or call a taxi. If your style has a very urban vibe these two will make for cute getaways and great pictures. 

These are just a few ideas of how to make your getaway or entrance spectacular! Visit our website for more ideas and our contact information.

 http://www.knotyouraverageevents.com

 -The Intern

The Intern: Two Chicks and a Venue

Country clubs, museums, scenic outdoor spaces, wineries, event centers, restaurants,  mansions and more are all different venues a bride and groom can say there "I do's" at.  Choosing a venue for your event sets the tone and theme for your wedding. As a bride you should be able to walk into a venue and know that those little butterflies in your stomach mean that this place is special. There is around 40 or so venues that Knot Your Average Events and Michelle Robinson Photography will be visiting. My job: call and make appointments. I'm pretty sure I've never used my phone to call people as much as I have in the past month, let alone have tried to set appointments up with random venues. Needless to say I definitely learned how to talk professionally to these vendors.

So far we have visited 11 different venues. I picked 5 that I found really caught my eye.

Burlington Royals Stadium: This beautiful 3,500 seat baseball stadium was built in Danville, VA and was dismantled, moved and reconstructed in Burlington, NC in 1958. It's an up and coming hotspot to tons of events as well as games. They are working to do more renovations and would love for a couple to take the next chapter of their lives starting on home plate. 

Bella Collina: Ok so when I say this place is private, I mean we drove like a mile into the woods and up some hills before we got to the actual mansion. This beautiful mansion sits right on the lake and provides a very Tuscan style feel. They have great packages already set up to provide you with a caterer, photographer, DJ, florist, linens, table and chairs, china, silverware and more.  What they are missing is a wedding planner so you might need one of those... wink, wink. 

Mill Creek Golf Clubhouse: I'm a big fan of golf, well miniature golf to be more specific, so you can see why I was excited about touring this venue. It's newly renovated and looks awesome. It has a small eating area fit for 50 people, a covered porch with patio furniture, a fire pit, and a beautiful white arch outside for ceremonies. The view from the patio is absolutely breath taking. They can provide catering and you don't have to be a member to host an event! 

The Longhouse: This charming venue is situation on the top of a hill looking down at a nearby lake. With the fire place on one side I found this venue to be warm and inviting. I also got super excited about their spiral staircase, it's great for bridal pictures. 

White Horse Plantation: Former Deep Creek Plantation, this enormous house is being renovated to be a perfect fit for your wedding. The really cool thing about this place is that it provides several different areas you can have your ceremony and reception. Get married under a stunning magnolia tree and have your reception in their one of a kind ballroom or put up a tent in there pasture out front.By the way this pasture is huge! It can fit up to 1,100 SUV's, so no need to worry about parking! 

The other places we looked at were the Quarry Hills Golf Course, the Children's Museum in Alamance, Captain White's House, The Cutting Board, Occasions, and the Palladium Event Center. All of these venues were really cool to check out and we have information on each of them if you are interested. Very excited about our upcoming venue tours, so stay tuned for more blogs by the Intern! 

Check out Knot Your Average Events website: http://www.knotyouraverageevents.com/ 

The Intern: Where it all began

Hi! My name is Annika. I’m a super senior at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and I’m finally about to graduate! A super senior is what we call someone who has dedicated over 4 years of their college life to the wonderful world of tuition and books. I personally see it as an honor ;). I originally started out with an International Business major but realized at the end of my sophomore year that it wasn’t the right path for me. All of my friends were so passionate about what they were studying and I wanted to feel that same way about my major. I had the pleasure of attending my cousins wedding in Florida during the fall semester of my sophomore year. I fell in love with this special day where two families come together to celebrate the love between two people. I gawked over the centerpieces, the wedding favors, the food and the cake! The following summer was my parent’s 25^th anniversary and I sure wasn’t going to let it pass by without a party. My grandmother and I worked together to send out the invitations, buy silver themed decorations and purchase a cake that was identical to the one at my parent’s wedding (only smaller, let’s be real, cake is expensive). I had such a great time planning their anniversary, I immediately checked out UNCG’s website and found a major that included a concentration in event planning. The next day I sent in my request to change majors and finally for the first time I got excited about buying books and going to class (I know, weird right?)

Before I am able to graduate, I needed to complete 480 hours at an internship related to my concentration. Where would I even begin to look? What agency would take me in as an intern? I have so little experience, would they even be willing to mentor me? My last event planning class was taught by an event planner based out of Burlington (no idea where that was), but she had a great personality and awesome hair. So, before anyone else in my class could, I emailed her about an internship. Lo and behold she needed a spring intern and hired me a few weeks later. So here I am, eager, willing and ready to get started spending my time learning to be an event planner. I found my passion and now I won't ever have to work another day in my life :)