Wednesday, November 20, 2013

INTRODUCING: Wine Shoe Weddings



Earlier this year I announced the new website debut for Wine Shoe Atlanta, a high-end boutique wine shop in the Castleberry Hill district.  Wine Shoe also own an art gallery that makes for a stunning event venue, including for weddings.  Wine Shoe Weddings is a companion to that site.

Like its companion the site is a showcase for the venue:  all of the features and real, candid images of weddings and receptions that have been hosted there.

The audience for this site are age 30 and under, mostly women.   The presentation has to be both technologically interesting and easy to update.  We decided to use an interactive slideshow to scroll through the site's pages horizontally.  There are two mobile variations, one intended for tablets, the other for smartphones to further customize the experience.  Throw "weddings" into the mix and all thoughts go to the traditional.  So you'll see a frame of white satin, lots of gowns and flowers, and a feminine script for the headers.

Wine Shoe Weddings variation, intended for tablets


Smartphone variation of Wine Shoe Weddings.  Each is modified to be viewed comfortably, but the elements like the script and header images are all consistent.
The site structure is much simpler than its counterpart:  the showcase includes a slideshow of actual weddings and receptions at the Wiley Gallery, downloadable brochures and sample contracts, contact form and link to Google Maps for driving directions, and a calendar showing date availability.

The site will grow with entries on the "Currents" blog.  The owner, Nora Wiley is constantly finding new features to enhance the space and the experience and you're likely to seem them promoted on the blog.  As more weddings are held, more slideshow albums will debut.

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I finally got to meet my client in person at her shop a couple of weeks ago.  Both the wine shop and the gallery are the ultimate hipster, ITP experiences and it makes you feel really cool knowing where these places are.  Castleberry Hill and Wine Shoe are not hard to find:  only two blocks from the new Falcons stadium site.

(I am soooooo going to get shot for this....)

My tour of the Wiley, featuring new reclaimed pews toward the front of the chapel setup.

A new chandelier is temporarily stored in the old freight elevator shaft.

Across the street, the Fulton Dry Goods company.
This is where the cotton mill/warehouse/office scenes from "Driving Miss Daisy" were filmed.


The best part about working for a wine and special events establishment?  Drinking on the job is not only allowed, its practically a requirement. 

ENJOY!!

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Bye Bye Blockbuster Building


The closed Blockbuster/UPS Store site that was the focus of so much contention over area zoning and business development is reduced to rubble.  Watch for another bank coming soon.

The new City of Brookhaven does not believe that home businesses decrease quality of residential life


Brookhaven Chamber focuses on quality of life

(full article in link above)


From the article, emphases added.
Executive Director Arthur Freeman discovered nearly half the business community in Brookhaven work from home, and there is little executive activity in the city.

“So we opted for the livability of the city to become a primary focus of the chamber,” he said.

The chamber staff wants all segments of business to get involved, but has seen a high percentage of entrepreneurs or small business owners who work from home join. The chamber reached out to homeowners associations to collaborate with the home-based businesses.


So the accusation that home business owners reduce quality of life has turned out to be crappola.

Brookhaven is like Roswell and Marietta that also have high rates of home business ownership.

So what's wrong with Dunwoody? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Heneghan? Deutsch? Shortal?