Uptown Indigo holding bridal fest
A local wedding and event venue is hosting a bridal fest this weekend in its historic uptown Shelby location.
Uptown Indigo is holding its first bridal fest since COVID ground celebrations to a halt and has invited not only prospective couples, but the community to come out and see its event space.
Located in the historic former Campbell’s Department Store at 112 N. Lafayette St., the bridal fest will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
After COVID-19 stopped large weddings, Angela Franklin, owner of Uptown Indigo, said they are getting back to celebrating big and they had the idea to host a wedding fest. She said they had one shortly after they opened in 2018 and hope to revive it and make it an annual event.
Franklin said in addition to being an opportunity for couples interested in wedding venues, it is also serving as an open house to the community and interested people can tour the building and see what they have to offer.
Crystal Gibson, venue director, said Uptown Indigo hopes to offer a different venue than other rustic or barn venues available in the county, combing modern elegance with historic charm.
“It’s a hidden gem,” she said.
Located between Charlotte, Asheville and Greenville, she said it’s the perfect central hub.
The 2024 Bridal Fest will benefit both vendors and prospective couples. She said the venue is also LGBQT friendly and welcomes everyone.
In addition to 22 vendors, which include Carolina Bridal, Tin Kitchen, CMA Bakery, G7 Media, Halcyon Salon, Carolina Roses and more, there will be caterers, DJs, a guitar player and cocktails. The bar will be open, and there will be something going on on each of the three floors of the event venue.
Kayla Evans, coordinating assistant and bar manager, said they will also be unveiling the basement suite, which is the new space where grooms can get ready, have a few drinks and hang out on their big day.
“Not a lot of people have seen it yet,” she said.
Franklin said anyone who books a wedding the day of the bridal fest will be given a free mimosa or beer bucket package for the suites. and vendors will also be doing giveaways and raffles.
She said in addition to weddings, which are their bread and butter, they also do birthday, graduation and anniversary parties and other celebrations.
The venue has a large ballroom, bars and original touches throughout the building. The original floors and tin ceilings were kept and restored, and Franklin said she wanted to incorporate as much of the original pieces of the building as she could. Some of the original wood was used in the creation of the bar, and a collection of doors was used to create a wall in the underground groom’s suite.
The building started out as Campbell’s Department Store nearly 100 years ago and sold everything from horseshoes and hats to furniture and caskets.
“If these walls could talk, they have experienced the most beautiful moments,” Evans said.
“I've had a few ladies tell me they would come in here as little girls,” Franklin said. “I fell in love with this building.”
She said they opened Uptown Indigo in 2018.
Initially she and her husband thought they would divide up the space and create condos or apartments but when they saw the beautiful open space she said they couldn’t bear to chop it up, and it seemed perfectly suited as an event space.
Franklin, who was working as a hospice nurse, said she wanted to create a place of joy and celebration for life’s best moments.
The slogan for Uptown Indigo, created by Franklin’s son, Duncan Blount, is crafting lifelong memories, and Franklin said that is what they hope to accomplish with each wedding and event.
The venue also offers a rooftop space that can accommodate up to 29 people.
Franklin said it is perfect for small, intimate weddings or a place for cocktails after a bigger wedding in the ballroom.
For more information on Uptown Indigo, visit the website, uptownindigo.com or find them on Instagram and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Uptown Indigo holding bridal fest
