Simple Stylings & Diet Coke End of Summer Bash Recap

Simple Stylings & Diet Coke End of Summer Bash Recap

Good morning friends! I hope you’re having a great week! I’ve got to warn you this post is picture heavy but I’m SO excited to share the recap of our #DietCokeinCLT End of Summer Bash that I had the honor of planning and hosting last week with my friends at Diet Coke! It turned out to be an amazingly stylish celebration of Charlotte area bloggers and creatives!

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The Charlotte skyline view from City Lights Rooftop at the Le Meridien hotel uptown was the perfect backdrop for a magical evening. One of the most exciting parts of the whole event was to watch the little idea we had come to life after weeks of planning and hammering out details. And by the way if you live in or near Charlotte and have never visited City Lights you should definitely put it on your must-visit list!

Jess, my partner-in-crime from Diet Coke (above), and I had the same vision for the party when we first began preparations. We both saw sparkly silver sequins, red and silver balloons, our hashtag (#DietCokeinCLT) scripted in delicate calligraphy and yummy food and drinks to top it off.

The classic and stylish look of the aluminum Diet Coke bottle was our inspiration for the decor and the party itself. We carried the colors and sleek look throughout the decor, flowers and even down to the swag bags! Guests received bags filled with a cute T-shirt, a USB flash drive in the shape of red lipstick and a mirrored notebook.

We had a bit of a problem with the wind on the rooftop and the balloons…oops…but I love them all the same! In case you can’t tell those crazy awesome balloons spell out Diet Coke :)

I’ve planned a few parties in my day but this one was by far the most exciting! Tables were topped with Diet Coke bottles filled with white roses and hydrangeas. Ice buckets were overflowing with ice cold bottles.

The staff at City Lights carried plate after plate of delicious food to our guests and the feast ended with an incredible chocolate desert bar. Lobster mac and cheese fritters, herbed goat cheese and tomato jam and spiced Sriracha tuna shooters were just a few of the delicious bites guests enjoyed.

Nothing went untouched, even the napkins were all dolled up!

The rooftop deck at City Lights is breathtaking! It’s full of modern conversational sofas and chairs that made mingling and meeting fellow creatives fun and relaxed. The only regret we had was that the party wasn’t longer, but friends stayed and chatted long after our allotted time had come to an end. Always a sign of a great party, right?!

We couldn’t have asked for better weather. It’s still hot here in NC but the breeze from the rooftop was all we needed to cool off! I think I enjoyed watching everyone else talk, eat, drink and snap pictures the most!

Shop my look by scrolling and clicking below:

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The light was fading and the night was ending and I was finally able to breathe and take it all in. There was community in the air up there. Support, collaboration and just a good time with friends, new and old.

The lights from the rooftop and the city behind us were incredible. I was so happy to be in such wonderful company for the evening after weeks of hard work.

The #DietCokeinCLT night was a great way to wrap up the long summer we’ve had here in Charlotte. As much as I don’t want to say goodbye to the relaxed schedules and endless pool days, I’m walking with open arms toward fall weather and festivities and of course a pumpkin spice latte!

{Photos by Paige Winn Photo}

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Cristin of The Southern Style Guide (2nd from the left), Lauren from LC Steele (3rd from the left) and Kristen of Every Chic Way (2nd from the right) graciously helped us spread the word about the event as well as share their undying love for Diet Coke! We couldn’t have done it without these fabulous ladies (i.e. moms, creatives, biz owners, bloggers)!

Dress Your Guests // The Southern Style Guide // LC Steele // Me // Every Chic Way // Coffee Beans & Bobby Pins

Cristin // Me // Kristen

This truly was a celebration of a city – a creative community from bloggers to photographers, artists, etc., that is flourishing and thriving here and across our country. I’m not going to lie, it’s hard work being a small business owner in this field while juggling everyday life. But when your creative juices are allowed to flow and you can connect with other people who feel and do the same it makes all the difference in the world.

I’m so thankful for this community of makers and that our culture is coming back to valuing small businesses, products and services that people put so much love into! The union of Diet Coke and the makers of Charlotte was a dream come true and I’m so grateful for having been able to participate in this wonderful night.

Thank you Diet Coke and Charlotte for making this all possible! You are both classic in style and taste! xoxo

Also a huge thank you Paige Winn Photo for the capturing every detail of the event beautifully!

Cheers!

{Thank you Diet Coke for sponsoring this post and thank YOU for supporting the brands that make Simple Stylings possible.}