Erin L Taylor Photography
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ABOUT MELISSA BURTON:OWNER + PRINCIPAL EVENT PLANNERI'm Melissa Burton and I was born and raised in the nearby coastal town, Southport, NC. I feel blessed to have grown up there when it was still a sleepy, fishing town with live oaks sprailing over the roads and only a couple blinking lights. But after high school, I was also ready to explore. At 18, I decided to get out of the small town and solo travel to New Zealand on a gap year, which gave me the opportunity to meet and work with all different types of people in a whole new surrounding. I jumped into a new life and culture, which taught me to adapt quickly and adjust to each situation. Upon returning from my trip, I attended and gratuated from Appalachian State University with a major in Communications Advertising and a Business Marketing Minor. I was going to work in an ad agency and that was my future. Until I moved back to Wilmington and didn't get that advertising job. So I took a bartending gig and ended up waiting on some folks in the wedding and events industy. They had a venue and they were looking for a venue manager. I'm a people person and organized. I could do that. It was perfect!
I was the Event Manager at The River Room in downtown Wilmington for over 4 years so that's where I started planning and coordinating weddings. I got to know all of the vendors and expanded my network and fell in love with weddings. After a while, I realized all of my OCD ways, meticulous party planning and organizational skills could create a career that I was actually passionate about so I started Knot Too Shabby Events in 2014.
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Fast-forward to today, all of my friends and family say this all makes sense and they're not surprised I'm doing what I'm doing. I've always been the party planner among them. With every homecoming reunion, bachelorette, baby shower, birthday party, spring break trip, family vacation, or whatever, I was planning something. I even got my entire 5th grade class to work together to plan a surprise party for our teacher and the principal even was in on the plan. If I can get 10-year-olds to convince their parents to go out and buy snacks (I made a list and assigned people), I can handle your rowdy wedding party. I once had an elementary teacher recognize just how meticulous I am that she felt a desire to write a sweet letter home about it to inform my parents. Oh, they already knew! I may have just found my calling because it was only natural that I became an event planner! We're a special breed.
So, what's my favorite part of it, you ask?
It usually happens around 8:00/9:00pm once all the formalities are over and everyone is just having a good time. I get to sit back (for a quick sec) and watch everyone dance, laugh and play, all while thinking I had a big part to do with that and it's super rewarding. I take in the centerpieces, the candlelight and all the little things that went in to get us there. When our couples are having the time of their life, without worrying about the details because they know we're handling it, we're happiest. Holler at me when you're ready to plan one hell of a party!
It usually happens around 8:00/9:00pm once all the formalities are over and everyone is just having a good time. I get to sit back (for a quick sec) and watch everyone dance, laugh and play, all while thinking I had a big part to do with that and it's super rewarding. I take in the centerpieces, the candlelight and all the little things that went in to get us there. When our couples are having the time of their life, without worrying about the details because they know we're handling it, we're happiest. Holler at me when you're ready to plan one hell of a party!
To schedule a consultation or inquire about any of our event planning services, fill out our Contact Form.
Photos: Erin L Taylor Photography
