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# 50 Shades of Overwhelmed

February 14, 2015 Jessica Eudy

You’re engaged! (Congrats!) You thought attending the area bridal shows would be the perfect solution to help kick start your wedding planning. You and your groom (or if your groom was lucky enough to get a pass, then your maid of honor…) geared up to hit the big show in our area and you set out to find the PERFECT wedding vendors.

You attended the show with almost 200 vendors, where I’m assuming you had a blast! You tasted caterers’ food, bakers’ cakes, watched a runway show with fabulous dresses, and got some great design ideas. You arrived home with a 10 pound (cute) bag from the show, stuffed with business cards, handouts and goodies. You sat on the floor, dumped the bag.., and the anxiety set in. You pulled out the goodies, including our Ritchie Hill koozie with delicious Ritchie Hill Bakery cheese straws (wink), and then realize there is a massive amount of information lying on your floor.

What do you do now? How are you going to organize all this info? Should you end the anxiety by just throwing it all away? No. There is hope. Below are just a few tips to help you organize your bridal show material…

1 – Get sticky notes, a pen and a trash can.

2 – Write a sticky note for each category of vendors: photographers, cakes, caterer, DJ, venue, dress, etc.

3 – Sift through the pile and stack them according to the categories.

4 – If you’ve already decided on a vendor for any of the categories, throw that pile away.

5 – Go through a pile, one category at a time and mark any card of vendors you remember talking to. (If you recall a conversation, amongst the hundreds you probably had, then you may have “clicked” with that vendor, which is a huge part of the planning process.)

6 – Check out the websites of each card in that pile and their reviews on WeddingWire. Only keep 1-3 of your favorites. This will give you options in case one is already booked on your date. Throw away the rest.

Now that you have smaller piles, you can start your planning! I hope this helps.

Happy (less stressful) planning!

Jessica

# Our First Appearance at the Carolina Bridal Fair

January 26, 2015 Jessica Eudy

Last Sunday, Ritchie Hill made its first appearance at the Carolina Bridal Fair. Liz and I have both attended the fair as brides, but were especially exciting to attend as a new vendor. The tables have turned! Here’s a quick recap from the show:

First, we’d like to say a big congratulations to the winners of our drawing: Jamie and Antwaine, who will be saying their vows up on Ritchie Hill this August! The lucky couple won a free two-hour event complimenting their other wedding festivities. Jamie and Antwaine, we can’t wait to celebrate with you!

In addition, we’d like to say a special thanks to to Chelish Moore flowers for providing linens, flowers, props and furniture for our booth; as well as Karen Goforth of Irresistible Portraits for providing furniture. The biggest challenge of exhibiting this year was showing a home that’s undergoing renovation. Even though we’re nearing completion, we weren’t quite ready to make the big reveal. Instead, we wanted to give couples a feeling for the style and atmosphere of the home. These wonderful vendors helped us assemble a booth that perfectly portrayed our vision of Ritchie Hill!

We chose old, white furniture paired with a modern rug and pillows and touches of flowers in antique tea pitchers to show our formula of mixing old with new. Ritchie Hill may be an antique home, but the clean, modern interior mixed with the original architecture, fireplaces, and doors is what makes it such a special, fresh, and beautiful place.

Ritchie Hill also has a long family history that we wanted to share. To do that, we filled the panes of an antique window with all of the original wallpaper. The colors and textures made for an interesting display and great conversation. We also had a few Ritchie family pictures on display – like one of Margaret Ritchie enjoying her wrap around porch years ago. I think it’s neat to make the connection between upcoming events, and the history of the home.

In closing, the show was a huge success. We’ve had a great time this past week giving couples a tour of the property, and our fall dates are disappearing fast - with Spring 2016 not far behind. I hope you were able to stop by our booth and get a Ritchie Hill koozie and some delicious cheese straws (courtesy of Ritchie Hill Bakery)!

If you’re like me, you probably came home, picked out the goodies from the cute bag they gave you and ignored the massive pile of business cards you received at the show. Overwhelmed, to say the least! Not to worry, over the next couple weeks, we’ll be sending along some tips and tricks for finding the right vendors, and planning the perfect day. Stay tuned for our next bit of news from up on Ritchie Hill.

Happy Planning!

Jessica