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destination wedding
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ONLY IN CHARLESTON When only a Southern Destination Wedding will do! PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN K. CRAIN WWW.BKCPHOTO.COM
Eric Wolfe & Lindsay Leonard July 14, 2007 The Francis Marion Hotel Charleston, South Carolina
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about charleston
ONLY IN CHARLESTON For the same reasons that the Charleston area is a memorable place to visit, the beautiful churches, historic buildings, cobblestone streets, and the Lowcountry cuisine, Charleston is one of the top destination wedding cities in America. The coastal beauty that has inspired notable authors and the southern ambience that has evolved through hosting a few hundred years of Saint Cecilia Society Balls, commands recognition. The calm dignity and elusive charm of the Old South has survived in Charleston making it possibly one of the most romantic cities in our country.
By Lynne Leonard
and garden tours, and Lowcountry festivals keep the hotels and bed and breakfasts busy year round. Be prepared to secure your guests rooms, reception site, and all other amenities well in advance as the demand for Charleston wedding services is very competitive. To avoid disappointments, choose several suitable vendors as your preferred resources. Not to worry, few brides leave this magical city wishing for a more elegant wedding day. Contact Charleston Convention and Visitor Bureau at www.CharlestonCVB.com to order an official visitors guide.
The visual images in this old city provide a kaleidoscope of venues for your destination wedding. From the historic churches to the antebellum plantations, the chic hotels to the quaint bed and breakfasts, the tucked away formal gardens to the pristine beaches, and the grand historic ballrooms to the intimate parlors of private mansions, Charleston offers unique diversity pleasing the most contemporary bride. The city is teaming with professionals to plan, orchestrate, and capture your Charleston wedding day. A word of advice, if a church wedding is part of your agenda, be flexible, plan early, and be advised that many of the churches are booked more than a year in advance for the prime wedding seasons, the spring and the fall. High summer temperatures and humidity should be considered before planning outdoor wedding events in June, July, and August. Beach and plantation garden weddings are often planned here. For a more formal affair, consider the hotel ballrooms, the Historic District land marks or The Carolina Yacht Club. For all your guests that join you in Charleston, the welcome bags should include brochures for walking tours, bus tours, and self-guided tours through the streets, alleyways, waterways and neighborhoods of historic Charleston. Listening to the guide’s captivating tales, seeing the beautiful architecture adorned with foliage, and discovering the wealth and culture of the local citizens make these city tours enjoyable for all ages. The classic Charleston experience includes horse and carriage or antique trolley rides through the streets. These leisurely trips usually begin and end at the Straw Market, located at the intersection of Church and Market Streets. Here, you can watch the famous Sweet Grass Baskets being hand-weaved by local artists and stroll through the two-block open air market. Charleston’s Historic District is a great venue for the shoppers on your guest list. From antiques to designer clothing, the shops on King, Market, and East Bay Streets are easy walks from the most popular hotels and award-winning restaurants. Charleston hosts many annual events drawing visitors from all over the world. Art, music, sporting events, home Romantic Destinations Spring/Summer 2008
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Bridal Parties
KIAWAH ISLAND By Sarah Christine Bolton THE PROPOSAL Eric proposed to Lindsay in one of the most romantic spots in Memphis, Tennessee, the Peabody Hotel, but when it came time to choose a wedding location, they knew they wanted to have a destination wedding. “Eric and I love to travel,” Lindsay says, “and Charleston was perfect because it is not too far away.” Still, Charleston was far enough away that Lindsay decided to hire a wedding planner to coordinate everything. “I could have never planned the wedding without Sara Cavallon from Something to Celebrate!” Lindsay says.
IN CHARLESTON As family and friends started to arrive, members of the bridal party found time to unwind before the festivities of the weekend began. Eric and his groomsmen played some golf at Kiawah Island Golf Resort while Lindsay and her bridesmaids enjoyed an elegant brunch at Poogan’s Porch, one of Charleston’s oldest and most reputable restaurants. Eric and Lindsay showered their attendants with gifts to show their appreciation for the distance traveled.
POOGAN’S PORCH
BRIDESMAID GIFTS
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GROOMSMEN GIFTS
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Rehearsal Dinner
LOWNDES GROVE
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REHEARSAL DINNER
GROOMS CAKE:
The rehearsal dinner was at the historically beautiful Lowndes Grove sprawled on the banks of the Ashley River. The property’s first owner bought the plantation in 1701 and it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978.
The cake was custom designed by Ashley Bakery and featured a monogrammed TCB (Taking Care of Business) and lightning bolts, in honor of one of Eric’s favorite artist Elvis Presley.
As guests arrived by bus, they were greeted by sounds of bluegrass music provided by Common Ground. Tents were lit with hanging lanterns and a dance floor was set up with a gorgeous view of the river. The menu had a Southern flair with Lowcountry boil, fried chicken and lemonade served in mason jars.
To celebrate in style, a cigar tent was set up by the riverbank allowing guests to watch the final stages of cigar creation and pick out their own cigar to smoke as the sun went down over the river. Coastal Cigars teamed up with Other Brother Entertainment and Duvall Décor to present the tent.
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CIGAR TENT
CIGAR TENT:
GROOMS CAKE
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GETTING READY The morning of Lindsay and Eric’s wedding dawned bright and a bit damp, as a slight drizzle came down outside. Lindsay and her bridesmaids prepared at the Francis Marion Hotel while the flower girls got ready at the salon Whispers on Wentworth. BRIDAL ATTIRE: Lindsay wore a strapless silk satin A-line gown made by Enzoani. Her cathedral length veil was custom-designed by weddingveil.com to match the beading on the dress neckline. She wore hand-strung pearls by Aphrodite pearls. As her something old, Lindsay wore the shoes her mother wore at her wedding ceremony. BRIDESMAID ATTIRE: The bridesmaid dresses were strapless cross-dye dupioni dresses with matching shoes from Ann Taylor’s Celebration Line. They also wore custom-designed pearls created by Aphrodite Pearls. FLOWER GIRLS: The flower girls wore custom dresses from The Briar Patch and carried Sweetgrass baskets. 32
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Getting Ready
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The Wedding
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
THE CEREMONY The wedding ceremony was at First Baptist Church, the oldest Baptist Church in the South circa 1682. When decorating the church, Lindsay and Eric tried to embrace the historic beauty of the church.
THE FLOWERS The baptistery had a romantic arrangement of white hydrangeas, large calla lilies, peonies and orchids. Fragrant gardenia blooms lined the windows, and the historic pew boxes were emphasized by candelabras tied with white hydrangeas and calla lilies. The bridesmaids carried hand tied bouquets of assorted peonies and mini calla lilies. Lindsay carried a bouquet of cattleya orchids, mini calla lilies, phalaenopsis orchids and peonies hand tied with a monogrammed ribbon. The bridal party flowers were created by Charleston Flower Market.
FAVORS FOR THE GUESTS: Guests were handed Sweetgrass fans and a program as they entered the church. Sweetgrass weaving is a craft that was brought to the Charleston area by descendants of African artisans and is now a part of Charleston culture. Even Gone With The Wind's Scarlett O'Hara had Sweetgrass baskets on her shopping list as she visited the Charleston Market! The baskets for Lindsay and Eric’s wedding were made by Mary Waterman. 34
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FRANCIS MARION HOTEL THE RECEPTION The monogram of Lindsay and Eric’s soon-to-be shared name, Wolfe, was incorporated throughout many details of the reception and was even projected on the dance floor. “Lindsay was looking for a modern, romantic look for the reception lighting,” says Todd St. Onge, Project Manager at PDA Lighting and Sound. “We chose a warm color palette and lit it in accent color, so the décor wasn’t overstated. To give the room a soft, diffused glow, we lit the ceiling and brass chandeliers.” Cascading orchid arrangements designed by Charleston Flower Market lined the tables dressed in signature linens from BBJ. The couple chose the Mike Veal Band from Lindsay’s home town of Atlanta for the entertainment. TRANSPORTATION: The wedding party was transported in a historic 1920’s bus and the wedding guests were transported in trackless trolleys provided by Absolutely Charleston. The couple exited by horse and carriage. FOOD: The food had a strong Charleston flair and featured items like crab cakes, a shrimp and grits station, and fried green tomatoes. 36
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CAKE: The wedding cake was designed by Ashley Bakery and matched the design of Lindsay’s gown. JAZZ HOUR: Before the reception, guests were served the signature drink, Mojitos, and passed appetizers. GUEST BOOK: Instead of signing a traditional guest book, guests signed “wish notes” and dropped them into glass bowls. FAVORS FOR THE GUESTS: Guests were given a Godiva Couture miniature chocolate wedding cake with a monogrammed tag tied to it. FAVORITE MOMENTS: Lindsay: “Giving Eric a high five after we signed our marriage license!” Eric: “When I saw Lindsay coming through the doors for the first time.” FUNNY MOMENTS: Real “wedding crashers” came into the reception from another wedding, but since they were all wearing matching tuxedos, it was easy for wedding planner Sara Cavallon to notice they didn’t belong and quickly escort them out.
The Reception
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planning guide
WORKING WITH EXPERTS LONG DISTANCE IS ESSENTIAL Planning a wedding can be so much fun but it can also be so stressful, especially when you are trying to make the plans for a destination wedding. When you have your event at home it is so much easier to research your vendors and get references on all of them from friends and family, but when you are doing it from a distance where do you start. It is so important that you get vendors that are efficient and reliable. So how do you find those vendors to take away your fears and make your event the one of your dreams?
1ST STEP: RESEARCH. Contact the local Convention and Visitors Bureau or Chamber to see if they have a preferred vendor list for the area. Do internet and magazine research but beware if a website is beautiful and tells you exactly what you want to hear it may not be the perfect person for the job.
2ND STEP: GET REFERRALS FROM VENDORS. Request contacts for past clients that had positive and negative experiences so you can get a real feel for their work. Also ask other vendors about each other to get a feel for those that have worked together in the past.
3RD STEP: SETUP INTERVIEWS, EITHER BY PHONE OR FACE TO FACE. It is so important that you feel comfortable with the people that you choose to work on your event. I always say that you have to make sure that you really get along well with your wedding planner and your photographer because you are going to spend the most time with them.
4TH STEP: FIND SOMEONE TO REPRESENT YOU LOCALLY. You can ask family or friends or you can hire a wedding planner. They are there to represent you when you can not be in town. They will direct you to the best vendors that the area provides that are going to fit in with your budget and that will help you achieve the look and feel of your event. Sara Cavallon www.MySomethingToCelebrate.com 38
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BRIDESMAID / GROOMSMEN DAY OUT LOCATIONS Kiawah Island Charleston, SC 800- 654-2924. www.kiawahresort.com Poogan’s Porch Charleston, SC 843-577-2337 www.poogansporch.com GIFTS Pina Colada Co* (towel wraps) 410-252-5198 www.pinacoladaco.com Wedding Belle Favors* (mirror, flip flop cards, nail kit, travel bag) 1-888-91-BELLE www.weddingbellefavors.com Pamela’s Parasols* (parasols pictured) 888-333-0733 x 4 www.pamelasparasols.com Coastal Cigars* (cigar boxes) 843-225-5233 www.coastalcigars.com Robert Redd* (golf shirt) 877-696-7333 www.robertredd.com
REHERSAL DINNER EVENT PLANNER Something to Celebrate* Charleston, SC 843-697-7008 www.mysomethingtocelebrate.com
CIGAR ROLLING TENT Coastal Cigars* Charleston, SC 843-225-5233 www.coastalcigars.com Duvall Catering & Event Design* Charleston, SC 843-766-9164 www.eventsbyDuvall.com Other Brother Entertainment* Charleston, SC 843-225-5621 www.otherbrotherentertainment.com FLOWERS & DÉCOR Charleston Flower Market Charleston, SC 843-795-0015 www.CharlestonFlowerMarket.com GROOMS CAKE Ashley Bakery Charleston, SC 843-763-4125 www.ashleybakery.com
WEDDING CEREMONY LOCATION First Baptist Church Charleston, SC (843) 722-3896 www.fbcharleston.org SANCTUARY FLOWERS Lisa Ferguson Charleston, SC 843-722-3896 / 843-571-3084 BRIDAL/ BRIDESMAID BOUQUETS Charleston Flower Market Charleston, SC 843-795-0015 www.CharlestonFlowerMarket.com
REHEARSAL DINNER LOCATION Lowndes Grove Charleston, SC 843.723.8438 www.lowndesgrove.com
TRANSPORTATION Absolutely Charleston* Charleston, SC 843-747-4448 www.absolutelycharleston.com
ENTERTAINMENT Other Brother Entertainment* (Band: Common Ground) Charleston, SC 843-225-5621 www.OtherBrotherEntertainment.com
PALM LEAF FANS / MONOGRAM Bliss! Wedding Market* 866-445-4405 www.blissweddingmarket.com
TRANSPORTATION Capitol Bus Lines* 803-794-9661 / 800-777-9766 www.capitol-tours.com
RECEPTION EVENT PLANNER Something to Celebrate* Charleston, SC 843-697-7008 www.mysomethingtocelebrate.com
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destination wedding RECEPTION LOCATION / ACCOMENDATIONS / CATERING Francis Marion Hotel Charleston, SC 843-722-0600 www.FrancisMarionCharleston.com WEDDING CAKE Ashley Bakery Charleston, SC 843-763-4125 www.ashleybakery.com FLOWERS & DÉCOR Charleston Flower Market Charleston, SC 843-795-0015 www.CharlestonFlowerMarket.com ENTERTAINMENT Mike Veal Band* Atlanta, GA 770-451-7764 www.mikeveal.com VIDEOGRAPHER Hart to Heart Media, Inc.* 843.278.2667/ 843.828.4188 www.harttoheartmedia.com CARRIAGE COMPANY Charleston Coach Charleston, SC 843-709-0988 www.charlestoncoach.com LINENS BBJ Linen* Atlanta, GA 404-875-8788 / 800-995-7415 www.bbjlinen.com LIGHTING DESIGN / EFFECTS PDA* Charleston, SC 843-554-3466 www.pdastage.com INVITATIONS Shara’s Paperie www.sharaspaperie.com FAVORS Godvia* www.godiva.com
planning guide cont. VEIL Wedding Veil* www.weddingveil.com FLOWERGIRL DRESSES The Briar Patch* www.shopbriarpatch.com BRIDESMAID DRESSES Ann Taylor* Celebrations Collection www.anntaylor.com BRIDAL/BRIDESMAID JEWELRY Aphrodite Pearls 901-491-0624 www.aphroditepearls.com MOTHER OF THE BRIDE GOWN Amanda’s Collection Pawleys Island, SC www.amandascollection.com TUXES Men’s Warehouse* MW Tux www.menswearhouse.com HAIR & MAKE-UP Misfit Hair PJ Suttle Charleston, SC 843-813-2058 www.misfithair.com Christopher Rickett Charleston, SC 843-875-9190 Whispers on Wentworth Charleston, SC 843-577-6516 www.whispersonwentworth.com
Disclaimer: The bride and groom and/or third party supplied all vendor information to Romantic Destinations. Romantic Destinations cannot take responsibility for misinformation that was provided. This is not a paid adverisement but a courtesy to share as a resource to Romantic Destinations readers.
FASHION BRIDAL GOWN Enzoani* www.enzoani.com
*Notes a vendor whose products are available nationwide or whose services are available for travel. Romantic Destinations Spring/Summer 2008
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