It was so wonderful and refreshing to see so many of my very best friends from college that weekend – I can’t say enough how grateful I am for each and every one of these ladies! They are amazing, and I love that we’ve been best friends for almost ten years now. I also got to meet some of Christy’s closest friends from both high school & grad school, too. It was fun to spend so much time in uptown Charlotte, as I’m typically more out in the ‘burbs when I visit home!

We started out Saturday morning by trekking north of Charlotte to Raffaldini Vineyards, a beautiful vineyard oasis surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains… and not much else! Raffaldini made many of us feel like we were back in Italy with the gorgeous Tuscan villa/wine tasting rooms and the beautiful views of the rolling countryside, vineyards, and mountains in the distance. We had a wonderful private wine tasting in which we were able to try all of their delicious wines and learn more about each one. In case you couldn’t remember, winery afternoons are pretty much one of my favorite ways to spend the day… good wine, good food, and even better friends. I think we were all in heaven as we sipped our wines, enjoyed our lunch spread, and took in the warm sunshine on the balcony. I’d definitely come back here & bring my family with me!

When we planned this bachelorette weekend for Charlotte, we didn’t really consider that it was St. Patrick’s Day weekend and apparently the world’s largest pub crawl… so needless to say, uptown Charlotte was swimming with St. Patrick’s Day revelers in green tshirts. It made the weekend that much more entertaining! We enjoyed games, presents, a photo booth, and fun time with friends upon our return to the hotel, and we showered Christy with lots of love, laughter, and fun gifts. And since her bachelorette party was “traveling” themed, we definitely took that into consideration. We had a delicious Italian dinner at La Tagliatta, and then we got ready to go out for the evening. Christy had a passport that listed an array of fun/funny activities for her to complete (or ‘stamp’) throughout the evening, and we all had a very fun time out at the bars! Nights like this also remind me that I’m not 21 anymore – ha!

The next morning, we ventured to the adorable and delectable Amelie’s French Bakery for breakfast. I think we all enjoyed the decor and the food – I know I loved my infamous salted caramel brownie. And then we got to visit our friend Jennifer’s baby girl, which was icing on the cake of a fabulous weekend. I hadn’t seen Jen’s baby since she was three weeks old, and she is six months old now – and oh so precious! Before embarking on a eight hour drive back to DC, I met my parents at the gas station to give them a quick hug – how thankful am I that my parents would do that for me?!

Can’t wait for your wedding in Charleston, Christy!!