About Heart of NC Weddings Magazine | formerly Southern Bride & Groom (2024)

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Heart of NC Weddings has a dual mission of helping couples plan their perfect wedding and supporting the local community of small businesses, artists and entrepreneurs who work in the event industry. We feature a roster of vetted, high-quality vendors, along with NC-focused inspiration and planning tips. Clickhere to read Publisher Jenna Parks’ statement on inclusivity.

Jenna Parks

Publisher

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Renee Ambroso

Managing Editor

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Meagan Culkin

Account Executive

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Amy Plant-Perdue

Editorial Shoot Creative Director

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The Story of Heart of NC Weddings Magazine

While we’re a wedding magazine and trusted wedding planning resource, we’re also a family business. Weddings are about bringing families together, and that’s so much of what we do.

In 1986,Donna Parksfounded this planning guide asSouthern Bride and Groom. It was the first regional wedding magazine for North Carolina. Donna’s only daughter,Jenna Parks, grew up watching Donna in her labor of love. She admired how her mom worked to connect engaged couples with everything they needed. And she loved the local artists and entrepreneurs who are part of the event industry.

Jenna officially joined the business in 2010 to usher in a new chapter and bring even more support, resources and inspiration to NC couples. This mother-daughter team ran the business for the next decade. We grew along the way – from Raleigh and Durham to the entire Triangle area, and beyond to the Triad and nearby destination wedding cities across the state. We also came to believe our name must reflect the fact that we’re here to represent everyone who is planning NC weddings. That’s why we relaunched with our new name,Heart of NC Weddings, in 2019.

Triangle Media Partners: A New Chapter; Still a Family Affair

In 2020,Heart of NC Weddingsbegan a new chapter. We became part ofTriangle Media Partners. There couldn’t have been a better marriage of businesses. (Yes, I’m going with the puns!) First of all, we were already friends – office neighbors and event partners. But more importantly, this company shares our longstanding values of being a community resource. Additionally, TMP embodies our values of inclusivity.

But even more fitting is that TMP is also a family business. It was founded by a husband-and-wife team,Dan ShannonandEllen Shannon. Now there is a delightfulteamproducing multiple city magazines, events and digital marketing. And we are thrilled to be a part of it!

From Our Family to Yours, Let’s Plan Your NC Wedding

You may have heard that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, we believe it takes a village to get married, too! Our magazine began as an idea to connect North Carolina couples with the best services and venues in our community. From the very beginning, we’ve wanted you to have the team you need to make your wedding dreams a reality.

Today we work together, along with our dedicated staff, to makeHeart of NC Weddingsbetter, more personal and more helpful to you in your wedding planning process. We’re here to bring the village to you, because that’s what family does.

Best,

jenna.parks@heartofncweddings.com

Heart of NC Weddings Magazine– Your Wedding Planning Website and Guide for the Best Local Vendors in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill

Thank you again for visitingHeart of NC Weddings, the Triangle’s leading wedding planning publication for the past 37 years. We hope that from here, you’ll explore our magazine and website.

Each year, we feature dozens of real North Carolina weddings, styled shoots and planning tips. The extensive resource guide covers every detail of planning a local wedding. You’ll meet the folks behind the top venues, the best wedding dress and suit shops, photographers, florists and more. We offer a curated collection of the top-tier, most reliable and talented vendors in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill wedding industry. We always feature a variety of styles, so no matter what you like, you’re sure to connect with one of our venues or vendors.

Our complimentary wedding magazine is available for free around town, or adigital magazinecan be read online. All of the vendors you see on ourLocal Vendors Resource Guideare ones who we have gotten to know, who have great reputations and who we collaborate with on local projects. In other words, they are personal recommendations from our team.

The goal ofHeart of NC Weddingsis to provide all of the best resources in one location, to help guide the way to the big day! This has been the case since we began in 1986 asSouthern Bride and Groom. Feel free to email us with any questions you have regarding any of the vendors on our site. We also love to receive real engagement andwedding feature submissions.

We wish you the best during your planning period, and stay in touch!

• Click hereto read a statement on inclusivity from Jenna Parks
• Heart of NC Weddings 2024 Letter from the Publisherby Jenna Parks
• The Top 5 Impacts From COVID-19 in the World of Weddings
  ADurham Magazine2020 feature by Jenna Parks
• I Do’s, Durham Style
  ADurham Magazine 2017 feature by Jenna Parks

• Spring(early January through last week of April) &fall(mid-August through first week in December) internships are 10 hours a week
• Summer(May through August) &winter(December/January) internships are 20-30 hours a week.
• The internship is unpaid but we will work with students to get school credit, and a select few interns will be invited back for another semester for a paid internship.