Learn More About Heart of NC Weddings
Heart of NC Weddings has a dual mission of helping couples plan their perfect wedding and supporting the local community of small businesses, artists and entrepreneurs who work in the event industry. We feature a roster of vetted, high-quality vendors, along with NC-focused inspiration and planning tips. Click here to read Publisher Jenna Parks’ statement on inclusivity.
Our Team
The Story of Heart of NC Weddings Magazine
While we’re a wedding magazine and trusted wedding planning resource, we’re also a family business. Weddings are about bringing families together, and that’s so much of what we do.
In 1986, Donna Parks founded this planning guide as Southern Bride and Groom. It was the first regional wedding magazine for North Carolina. Donna’s only daughter, Jenna Parks, grew up watching Donna in her labor of love. She admired how her mom worked to connect engaged couples with everything they needed. And she loved the local artists and entrepreneurs who are part of the event industry.
Jenna officially joined the business in 2010 to usher in a new chapter and bring even more support, resources and inspiration to NC couples. This mother-daughter team ran the business for the next decade. We also came to believe our name must reflect the fact that we’re here to represent everyone who is planning NC weddings. That’s why we relaunched with our new name, Heart of NC Weddings, in 2019.
Triangle Media Partners: A New Chapter; Still a Family Affair
In 2020, Heart of NC Weddings began a new chapter. We became part of Triangle Media Partners. There couldn’t have been a better marriage of businesses. (Yes, I’m going with the puns!) First of all, we were already friends – office neighbors and event partners. But more importantly, this company shares our longstanding values of being a community resource. Additionally, TMP embodies our values of inclusivity.
Even more fitting is that TMP is also a family business. It was founded by a husband-and-wife team, Ellen Shannon and the late Dan Shannon. Now a delightful team produces multiple city magazines, events and digital marketing, and we are thrilled to be a part of it!
From Our Family to Yours, Let’s Plan Your NC Wedding
You may have heard that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, we believe it takes a village to get married, too! Our magazine began as an idea to connect North Carolina couples with the best services and venues in our community. From the very beginning, we’ve wanted you to have the team you need to make your wedding dreams a reality.
Today we work together, along with our dedicated staff, to make Heart of NC Weddings better, more personal and more helpful to you in your wedding planning process. We’re here to bring the village to you, because that’s what family does.
Best,
Heart of NC Weddings Magazine – Your Wedding Planning Website and Guide for the Best Local Vendors in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill
Your Wedding, Your Way
Planning a wedding is exciting – but it can also be overwhelming. That’s where we come in! Through our annual print magazine, online guides, real wedding features and curated vendor directory, we bring you the best of North Carolina’s wedding scene.
Every vendor we feature is handpicked for their talent, reliability, and passion for making wedding dreams come true. Whether you’re looking for a dreamy venue, a top-notch photographer, or the perfect floral designer, we’ve got you covered.
Our complimentary wedding magazine is available for free around town, or a digital magazine can be read online. All of the vendors you see on our Local Vendors Resource Guide are ones who we have gotten to know, who have great reputations and who we collaborate with on local projects. In other words, they are personal recommendations from our team.
Feel free to email us with any questions you have regarding any of the vendors on our site. We also love to receive real engagement and wedding feature submissions.
We wish you the best during your planning period, and stay in touch!
We are your local planning experts
Our team is composed of creative problem solvers, storytellers, wedding experts and digital marketers who understand the Triangle, NC wedding industry inside and out.
Ask us your toughest questions, tag us in your engagement photos and let us celebrate with you!
We wish you the best during your planning period!
Internships
Heart of NC Weddings is seeking editorial and digital interns who will gain experience executing social media strategy across Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, creating video content and writing for web. Interns need to be proactive, organized and meticulous, and ideal interns would have experience with the wedding industry, WordPress and writing or editing for a student publication. If you’d like to apply for the internship, please email a resume, writing samples or links to IG reels or TikToks to renee.ambroso@trianglemediapartners.com.
Internships are in-person at our Chapel Hill office where interns choose their days/hours and some hours/days can be remote.
- Spring (early January through last week of April) & fall (mid-August through first week in December) internships are 10 hours a week
- Summer (May through August) & winter (December/January) internships are 20-30 hours a week.
- The internship is unpaid but we will work with students to get school credit, and a select few interns will be invited back for another semester for a paid internship.
