Lisa Jeffries Nobling – Raleigh, NC

Category: Always a Bridesmaid

  • Royal Wedding?

    Move over, William and Kate – this weekend is all about Drew and Brianne!

    Another love of my life is marrying the love of her life this weekend and I’m so excited to be making my way to Ocean Isle Beach in just a few short hours (after a Friday morning full of work) for a weekend full of rehearsals, dinner, doing my girlfriend duty once more of lookin’ good in a bridesmaid dress, a ceremony, and a rockin’ coastal reception!

    Congrats, Bri and Drew!!! I loooooove you two! :-*

    (Yes, B*Money is one of the few people in this world that I’d miss the TBMF for – and yes, I do expect texts, calls, and pictures from those of you dancing on a cooler in a field in Garner on Saturday!)

  • Bridal Parties & the Like: Downtown Raleigh

    I have been been bouncing around the idea of starting a website or blog dedicated to being the most awesome bridesmaid you can be… ever. You know, something to the tune of “winggirls.com”.

    Why? Because I get asked questions like this on a weekly, if not daily, basis.

    “Hey Lisa – Where should I plan a bridal party in Raleigh for about 20-30 guests?“
    Here are a few of my recommendations:
    Amra’s {http://amrasraleigh.com/}
    Super trendy upscale decor, great wine selection, and catering available from Tobacco Road.
    On Glenwood

    Tobacco Road {http://tobaccoroadsportscafe.com/about/index.html}
    Dining room or private room reservation. Great food, full bar, and a very attentive and friendly staff.
    On Glenwood

    Metro Café {http://www.wix.com/metrocafeandlounge/metrocoffee}
    The girls from the E. Riley-soon-to-be-Dorn team and I hosted one here recently. They let us bring in our own food (great budget saver) and were SO nice.
    City Market

    Peche de Chocolat {http://www.pechechocolat.com/}
    A chocolate and wine bar that has just relocated from City Market to Glenwood, too. Laura is the owner, she’s awesome.
    On Glenwood

    The Oxford – {http://oxfordraleigh.com/}
    For a large party, you can likely reserve the area “under the stars” that stayed after the conversion from Yancey’s to The Oxford. Great food, full bar.
    Fayetteville Street


    All of these suggestions are in Downtown Raleigh. Each website should have an email address or a contact page for you or whoever is planning your party to contact each venue about hosting the event there.

    If anyone reading wants some options in Cary or any other parts of town, just shoot me an email or leave a comment!

    Any other Downtown suggestions from my fellow Raleigh kids?

  • Viva Las Vegas!

    The girls and I had a blast!


    (Click to enlarge)    Here’s my list of don’t miss places and sights (note: it’s mostly bars – which I figure is ok, because since there are so many, you’ll need to know which are worth going to).

    Sigfried & Roy’s Secret Garden
    Located at Mirage
    Only $15 and some very, very cool creatures. Lions, tigers, dolphins… all in a non-performing environment.

    Forty-Deuce
    Located at Mandalay Bay
    A hidden gem in the nightlife scene. Literally – hidden. Luckily, the Director of VIP Services found us wandering Mandalay and offered us a round of champagne. I wish we had started the night at this place!

    Stack
    Located at Mirage
    A very cool steak house with lots of delicious choices for people like me who don’t want steak all the time. Also had some affordable $30 three-course options, etc. which is important in a town where you could easily spend $100 on dinner for one.

    Mix
    Located at Mandalay Bay… on the 64th floor.
    One of the best views in town – period. And not painfully over-crowded like super-trendy Pure and Tao bars/clubs.

    Playboy Club / Moon
    Located at Palms
    Fun bars, personable bartenders. I was shocked how many people in the service industry who were working for tips just sucked in this town. Not at the Playboy club, though! The Bunnies are dealers, but the male bartenders were cool, too! Moon would have been awesome had the retractable roof been open.

    Minus 5 (-5) Lounge
    Located at Mandalay Bay
    There are a few located around the world. I didn’t get to go there, but walked past it enough to want to. The front is very lodge bar looking and the other part is surrounded by ice. I hate the cold, so the free drink passes that were being passed out by the promoter and PENGUIN that Lisa S. and I walked by would have to hook up a lot of anti-freeze (drinks) for me to stay long.

    Hard Rock Hotel
    Very cool music industry displays… everywhere. Kenny Chesney will be having a concert in their in-house concert hall (The Joint) at the end of April – I bet it will be awesome.

    Christian Audigier
    Located at TI (Treasure Island)
    Fashionable rock n’ roll-themed bar . This was in our hotel and we didn’t get a chance to go, but based on seeing it in passing and it’s branding/image… I will for sure next time. I’ll also be dropping my business card for Buckhead because they apparently have an awesome service industry night.

    All in all, Forty Deuce and Mix were my favorites for bars.

    PS – We HAD to go to Coyote Ugly because as all 80’s babies, we love the movie. Everyone who told me it sucked… was right. It was one of those “Cool, I’ve been there. Once was enough.”

    PS #2 – I can’t believe I forgot the crowd favorite. O’Sheas. Count on my friends to find the beer pong in Vegas!

    (All images linked to sources.)

  • Local Rave: Alter Ego Salon

    I’m in love.

    A second story Downtown location (with a view that many would kill for) and prices that make it possible to keep you looking good without having to take out a loan.

    Alter Ego Salon – Mary-Taylor did my recent cut and rocked it out.

    Video courtesy of the Triangle Blvd boys:

    Sign up for their email newsletter (just create an account on their site), that’s how I found out about their January special which snagged me a free manicure with my haircut.

    One of my favorite things about this salon may not have been the cut at all but the fact that they emailed me an appointment reminder that also included my upcoming scheduled events, including bridal updos for a friends wedding. Apparently, they speak my language (email-based and organized) 🙂

  • Guess What Just Crossed the Mason-Dixon…


    (Firefly Distillery)

    Oh yes, that’s right. All of you who hail from (or have moved) north of NC can now enjoy what we’ve been raving about all summer and fall: Firefly’s sweet tea vodka!

    Via text message from one of my favorite bride-to-be sisters, E. Riley (soon to be E. Riley-Dorn):

    They’re selling sweet tea vodka up here now!!!

    (To which I replied – “Yes!!! Now I can come visit again!”)

    Haha yeah they sell it by the half gallon so come on!

    By “up here”, she means near Baltimore. And by half gallon, she means Little Lisa-sized (which she totally agrees is true, too).

    Looking SO forward to some DC/MD visits!

    PS – Yes, I know where wiki defines the Mason-Dixon line, but who are we kidding?

  • Obligatory Wedding Post

    I think know the South has a very awesome way of making weddings better than any other geographic region, so I read a few wedding blogs. Read: a few, not hundreds of the thousands that are out there – mostly scanning for looks and pictures I just like.

    I can’t even tell you why I enjoy a great inspiration board, especially since I constantly tell the BF we’re just going to pack up and head to Jamaica and tell everyone to meet us there for the weekend, but I just do.

    Anyway, I digress – we are in the height of wedding season and I would like to remind everyone of one thing before I throw a few fab links out there: please do not get married during football season and if you must, please do not schedule your wedding the same date as NCSU vs. UNC… I’m sorry, but I will not be able to attend. Thankfully, the BFF is marrying the biggest State fan I know – so we’re good in that department. (I don’t think he’d show up if the wedding date was November 22nd, either.)

    Anyway, here’s a few posts from the very few wedding blogs I subscribe to that were too awesome not to share:

    I hope you brides-to-be who read this blog enjoy those links (and anyone else who just down-right appreciates a great Southern wedding)!

  • 27 Dresses Now on DVD!

    Luckily, every bride that I’ve had the honor of being a part of her wedding day has FABULOUS taste and I’ve never been subjected me to some of the horrors featured in 27 Dresses. And I love each and every one of my girls for it!

    I’m guessing that 99% of my readers have had their fair share of time served as a bridesmaid.

    I’d even venture another guess that a good portion of those readers are probably booked through the next few years (I’ve got quite a few dresses on order now for my girls’ upcoming shindigs). If that’s the case, I highly suggest all of you see this movie with your teammates if you haven’t already.

    Part of the E. Riley-Dorn bridesmaids’ team took a Sunday to go see this together and now I can’t listen to “Benny & the Jets” without thinking fondly of my sisters and fellow bridesmaids.

    (So how’d I know that 27 Dresses is on DVD now? When I was heading over to photobucket to post the S&tC photo in my previous post… 27 Dresses had taken over pb and it’s adorable! It reminded me how much I loved the advertising for that movie, too!)