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When we saw the details for this shoot, we knew it was going to be one of our favorites. The decor from Vintage Charlotte and Old South Vintage Rentals alone is enough to make your heart beat fast. Add in golden desserts from Wow Factor Cakes with succulents and bright tabletop arrangements by The Blossom Shop and we just flat our died. Can I get married over again, please? I obviously missed out!
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The Ritchie family (and myself) are huge fans of the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce. Patrick, Ali, Paige and Danielle have been a huge part of our grand opening and our success so far! Needless to say, when we get the opportunity to “study” with them, we jump at it! They hosted their annual Women in Business Conference & Appreciation Event last Friday. I attended the conference portion and was truly inspired by Denise Ryan, their keynote speaker, and the Women in Business panel that followed.
Denise Ryan is a “motivational pyromaniac with infectious energy and enthusiasm that will set a room ablaze” according to her bio provided by the Chamber. Boy, were they right?! Her advice on being a powerful woman and paying attention to body language and how we present ourselves was something every female in today’s world should hear! INCREDIBLE! My favorite quote of her session: “Carry yourself like a leader and you’ll be treated like a leader!”
Then the Women in Business panel discussion lead by Cyndie Mynatt, President of Ben Mynatt Family of Dealerships began. The panelists consisted of Diane Honeycutt of Allen Tate Realtors and Cabarrus County Commissioner, Patricia Horton – Regional President of Uwharrie Bank, Veleria Levy – Senior Account Executive for MedExpress/AVITA Drugs, and Dianne Synder, DHA – Chancellor of Cabarrus College of Health Sciences. Wow, what a group of powerful women!
Here are my favorite quotes from their discussion.
Fear of Public Speaking: “If you don’t speak, someone else will. You need to be heard.” –Pat Horton
Hiring & Networking with Women: “Know your worth.” –Veleria Levy
Memorable Failures: “The time I failed was when I didn’t trust my gut feeling.” –Pat Horton
Dressing for Power: “You only get one time for a first impression!” –Diane Honeycutt
Work/Life Balance: “Women want to be all things to all people. You just can’t. Prioritizing is huge but hard.” –Pat Horton
Your one “do-over:” “I put things on hold or missed time with my children. You can’t do that over. Family comes first.” –Dianne Snyder
If you ever get the opportunity to be mentored by any of these ladies, jump at the opportunity!
After the panel discussion and a delicious lunch catered by Doughgirls Catering, there was an exhibitor show, where Ritchie Hill served cheese straws and collected names for one lucky lady to win a business luncheon at Ritchie Hill, catered with boxed lunches by Queen City Catering!
We’re happy to announce that Timbs Fulghum of Carolinas Medical Center NorthEast won the luncheon. Congrats Timbs! And thank you to the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce for allowing us to be a part of their annual Women in Business Conference. As you call tell, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Also, a quick thank you to Chelish Moore Flowers for providing our beautiful tablecloth; Ritchie Hill Bakery for the yummy cheese straws and Irresistible Portraits for the gorgeous print from our Grand Opening.
XOXO
Jessica
Although we can't say this was technically the FIRST wedding on Ritchie Hill, it was the first as the "new" Ritchie Hill. We were honored to host the wedding of Kaitlin and Jarrett on April 10th, along with their rehearsal dinner on the 9th. The weather cooperated. The flowers were in bloom and it was perfect if you ask me!
Kaitlin and Jarrett decided on Ritchie Hill as their venue during the stage of serious construction but they could visualize how incredible the house would be! It was fun to see their reactions at occasional visits to see the progress. Needless to say, they were thrilled with the final outcome!
Kaitlin is an art teacher and met Jarrett's mom, who's also a teacher at the same school. Jarrett's mom said she knew before they even met that Kaitlin would be her daughter-in-law. (That's so sweet!) After some matchmaking efforts, she introduced them and now they are Mr & Mrs Bumgarner!
Take a look at our sneak peek from the talented Ron & Briana of Love Shutter...
{VENDORS} Venue: Ritchie Hill | Photographer: Love Shutter | Tent & Rentals: Classic Party Rentals | Caterer: Chef's Catering | Cake: Cook's Cakes | Florist: Midway Florist | DJ: Drew Parham of DJ America | Officiant: Rick of Mecklenburg Community Church | Bridal Gown & Bridesmaid Dresses: New York Bride & Groom | Hair: Myli of Hair Expressions | Tuxedos: Men's Warehouse.
Congrats to Kaitlin & Jarrett! It was a pleasure working with you and I wish you a blessed marriage and years of happiness!
XOXO,
Jessica
James Nix \ jnix@independenttribune.com
CONCORD, N.C. – A historic house on Union Street made its debut Friday as a banquet home, the first to operate in a residential area of the city.
Ritchie Hill, the 3,791-square-foot house built in 1906, was recently renovated by the Ritchie family and will now serve as a venue for weddings, corporate events, parties and family gatherings.
"They preserved and enhanced what already was,” said Concord Mayor Scott Padgett. "They’re going to be good neighbors, and it’s a win-win. We’re very proud of it.”
Banquet homes are large, historic homes used for weddings, parties, corporate retreats and other events. They have gained popularity as a type of land use throughout North Carolina, giving families like the Ritchies a way to make the homes self-sustaining and to generate funds to help keep the homes in good repair.
Heath Ritchie and his three siblings - Robert, Ritchie, Doug Ritchie and Beth Alm, asked Concord City Council to consider allowing banquet homes in residential areas of Concord as one last chance to find a new use for their family’s historic Victorian-style home, which has been in the family for more than 100 years.
Heath Ritchie and his wife and children were the last of the Ritchies to actually live in the home. Before that, several generations have always lived in the home at once. But it’s too big for any of them now to live in and maintain.
In 2008, they placed the 3,791-square-foot house on the market for $900,000. It did not sell. So they came up with a new idea -- a wedding venue.
The Ritchie family asked Concord City Council to change an ordinance to allow banquet homes in residential areas – and to give them a way to keep the house in the family.
Concord City Council voted to allow special-use permits for banquet homes.
Original article published in Independent Tribune, Sunday, March 29, 2015. Online article here.
By: Kim Cassell
Ritchie Hill is an impressive Queen Anne Victorian home located at 391 Union Street S., in historic downtown Concord; it truly cannot be missed by the passer-by. It’s also the newest event venue in Concord. According to Peter Kaplan, author of The Historic Architecture of Cabarrus County North Carolina, the Caldwell-Ritchie house was built circa 1902. Heath Ritchie says Charles F. Ritchie purchased the home and 11 acres of adjacent land between 1906 and 1913. His additions included a deep wrap-around porch, a porte-cochere (coach gate or carriage porch) and sleeping porches for two upstairs bedrooms. Electricity and plumbing were most likely added at that time as well.
The land was farmed until Ritchie’s death in 1941 and subsequent generations of family members continued living in the home until Heath and wife Carolyn moved out in 2008. By that point, the home was in need of extensive renovations, but no one in the family was up to the task. “The family, begrudgingly, decided to list the home for sale,” Elizabeth Ritchie Sherrill says. “A few people looked at it as a possible B&B, and a few more as a home, but no one seemed to like the 4,000-square-foot house with the 1,800-square-foot porch with the four-plus acres, every inch of which needed some TLC.”
The idea of transforming the family home into a wedding venue came from the most unlikely of places. In 2011 – around the time she was, herself, getting married – Sherrill had been given the first book in The Bride Quartet series by her mother, Carolyn. The books chronicle four friends who create a wedding venue from a family estate and operate it themselves.
“A few of my friends and I read it together,” Sherrill says. “From there, I casually mentioned it to family as a ‘what-if’ idea and everyone fell in love. We began discussing it as a dream, which turned into an opportunity. We are so lucky to have a very talented family, which includes both business and artistic minds.”
Before any renovating could take place, however, legal matters had to be attended to.
“Not only is the home in a residential neighborhood, it is considered a ‘pivotal structure’ in the South Union Street Historic District, the highest level of architectural importance,” Heath Ritchie says. “We first informed the Historic Preservation Commission of our intent in hopes they would be receptive to the concept. Next step was to petition the Planning and Zoning Commission to write legal statutes to allow such a project. Public hearings were held, and laws were written and sent to City Council to be discussed. After debate and more public hearings, ordinances were enacted to allow ‘banquet homes’ as a conditional use in the city limits, with many restrictions.”
What followed? A trip back to the Historic Preservation Commission to apply for a certificate of approp-riateness; another public hearing and debate; approval from the Historic Preservation Commission; and back to Planning and Zoning for a conditional use permit under the new laws.
“The process takes time, but between Commission meetings we completed designs, arranged financing, selected our contractor, etc., so we would be ready to start,” Ritchie says.
The Ritchies’ plan from the very beginning was to bring their home back to its original glory. “The house had two kitchens, so we combined them to form a large catering kitchen and prep area,” Sherrill says. “We graded a portion of the back yard to form a 60-foot by 80-foot grass pad for tenting or overflow parking. The majority of the house and porch have just been brought to new again with fresh paint, refinished floors, new crown molding, etc.”
“The home has, for over 100 years, proven itself to be a welcoming place for extended family and friends,” Heath Ritchie adds. “Very few changes were necessary or desired to allow us to share it with others. Floor supports were added to allow for larger groups of guests, electrical wiring – some 90 years old – was replaced to meet code, new paint inside and out, handicapped bathroom and accessibility were added, and wider driveways and more formal landscaping were required for wedding options.”
Potential clients are being given tours of the facility, projected to be completed by the 15th of this month. “The first floor of the home has a music room, living room, library and formal dining room, all of which are open for interior event space,” Sherrill explains. “For brides and grooms who rent the space, the home features a groom’s lounge, bridal suite with private bath, separate upstairs changing room, two interior guest restrooms, a fire pit and a butler’s pantry bar.”
The Ritchies have developed a pricing structure, with various packages available. “For Friday and Saturday events, we do include a table and chair rental package,” Sherrill says. “While we plan to acquire many décor items and additional perks as we go along, our main purpose is to provide a classic, timeless location for a Southern wedding. We want our brides and grooms to add their own touch as they see fit. We allow outside caterers, DJs, coordinators, etc.”
Depending on how much of the facility one needs to rent, prices vary from $250 per hour (minimum of two hours) for the first floor of the house and front porch on a Friday morning, to $6,500 for use of the whole estate for a full-on Friday and Saturday wedding event.
“Whether it’s spending a relaxing afternoon on the front porch for a book club or sitting conference-style at our family’s dining room table reviewing a presentation, we are ready for it all! Since the home has been empty for so long, we can’t wait to have it used as much as possible,” Sherrill adds.
What has made this endeavor a little easier is that every family member has jumped in with both feet, taking on tasks and managing projects. “The only missing link was our director of operations to run the venue. We could not have asked for anyone better than Jessica Eudy (704-975-5088 or Jessica@ritchiehill.com), who is a recent bride herself and has years of experience in various aspects of the wedding and event industry,” Sherrill says.
She adds, “As a family member who has personally lived in the house, I know first-hand that we could not be more blessed to have the neighbors and community that we do. Everyone has been so positive and receptive to our dream. We are so excited for the relationships we have already formed with local vendors in downtown Concord and around Cabarrus County, and cannot wait to see what our first year of events holds!”
Original article published in Cabarrus Magazine, February 2015. Online article here.
I am lucky enough to have grown up on Ritchie Hill. It started out as my grandmother’s house: a holiday destination, the go-to for family gatherings, and the beholder of my great childhood memories. Then, in my teenage years, my family moved to Concord and lived in the home. I spent summers on the front porch and winters by the fireplace. Now, not only will the Ritchie family continue making memories in this home we love so much, but we have opened our doors to other families who will write their own stories on Ritchie Hill.
I love Ritchie Hill for many reasons, most of which are from memories shared in the house. But what I love most is something new. Across state lines and phone lines, our immediate family has been intensively involved in this project from start to finish. We have watched the home be stripped down and then picked back up again. We feel as if this were meant to be, each a piece of the puzzle in bringing the home back to life. Watching the reaction across generations of family members as they see the home’s transformation has created memories I will always cherish.
As our renovation comes to an end, our grand opening weekend grows ever closer. Boxes are arriving daily and finishing details are being put in place. We wanted to recreate photos taken at the start of construction and come full circle to document the end of renovation. Thanks to Concord NC Wedding Photographer Carolina Portrait Designs for making this happen! We emerged with some wonderful images, and cannot wait to FINALLY reveal the home at our grand opening weekend, March 27th-29th! Another big thank you to Reliable Woodworks and their crew for the blood, sweat, and tears poured into this revitalization.
We hope to see you all up on Ritchie Hill!
XOXO,
Liz
You’re engaged! (Congrats!) You thought attending the area bridal shows would be the perfect solution to help kick start your wedding planning. You and your groom (or if your groom was lucky enough to get a pass, then your maid of honor…) geared up to hit the big show in our area and you set out to find the PERFECT wedding vendors.
You attended the show with almost 200 vendors, where I’m assuming you had a blast! You tasted caterers’ food, bakers’ cakes, watched a runway show with fabulous dresses, and got some great design ideas. You arrived home with a 10 pound (cute) bag from the show, stuffed with business cards, handouts and goodies. You sat on the floor, dumped the bag.., and the anxiety set in. You pulled out the goodies, including our Ritchie Hill koozie with delicious Ritchie Hill Bakery cheese straws (wink), and then realize there is a massive amount of information lying on your floor.
What do you do now? How are you going to organize all this info? Should you end the anxiety by just throwing it all away? No. There is hope. Below are just a few tips to help you organize your bridal show material…
1 – Get sticky notes, a pen and a trash can.
2 – Write a sticky note for each category of vendors: photographers, cakes, caterer, DJ, venue, dress, etc.
3 – Sift through the pile and stack them according to the categories.
4 – If you’ve already decided on a vendor for any of the categories, throw that pile away.
5 – Go through a pile, one category at a time and mark any card of vendors you remember talking to. (If you recall a conversation, amongst the hundreds you probably had, then you may have “clicked” with that vendor, which is a huge part of the planning process.)
6 – Check out the websites of each card in that pile and their reviews on WeddingWire. Only keep 1-3 of your favorites. This will give you options in case one is already booked on your date. Throw away the rest.
Now that you have smaller piles, you can start your planning! I hope this helps.
Happy (less stressful) planning!
Jessica
Last Sunday, Ritchie Hill made its first appearance at the Carolina Bridal Fair. Liz and I have both attended the fair as brides, but were especially exciting to attend as a new vendor. The tables have turned! Here’s a quick recap from the show:
First, we’d like to say a big congratulations to the winners of our drawing: Jamie and Antwaine, who will be saying their vows up on Ritchie Hill this August! The lucky couple won a free two-hour event complimenting their other wedding festivities. Jamie and Antwaine, we can’t wait to celebrate with you!
In addition, we’d like to say a special thanks to to Chelish Moore flowers for providing linens, flowers, props and furniture for our booth; as well as Karen Goforth of Irresistible Portraits for providing furniture. The biggest challenge of exhibiting this year was showing a home that’s undergoing renovation. Even though we’re nearing completion, we weren’t quite ready to make the big reveal. Instead, we wanted to give couples a feeling for the style and atmosphere of the home. These wonderful vendors helped us assemble a booth that perfectly portrayed our vision of Ritchie Hill!
We chose old, white furniture paired with a modern rug and pillows and touches of flowers in antique tea pitchers to show our formula of mixing old with new. Ritchie Hill may be an antique home, but the clean, modern interior mixed with the original architecture, fireplaces, and doors is what makes it such a special, fresh, and beautiful place.
Ritchie Hill also has a long family history that we wanted to share. To do that, we filled the panes of an antique window with all of the original wallpaper. The colors and textures made for an interesting display and great conversation. We also had a few Ritchie family pictures on display – like one of Margaret Ritchie enjoying her wrap around porch years ago. I think it’s neat to make the connection between upcoming events, and the history of the home.
In closing, the show was a huge success. We’ve had a great time this past week giving couples a tour of the property, and our fall dates are disappearing fast - with Spring 2016 not far behind. I hope you were able to stop by our booth and get a Ritchie Hill koozie and some delicious cheese straws (courtesy of Ritchie Hill Bakery)!
If you’re like me, you probably came home, picked out the goodies from the cute bag they gave you and ignored the massive pile of business cards you received at the show. Overwhelmed, to say the least! Not to worry, over the next couple weeks, we’ll be sending along some tips and tricks for finding the right vendors, and planning the perfect day. Stay tuned for our next bit of news from up on Ritchie Hill.
Happy Planning!
Jessica
