August 26th, 2009
There are the weddings that take years to plan… countless hours to design and coordinate and dozens of staff to put together. And these are gorgeous!
But then there are also weddings in which everything just seems to fall into place naturally. Dates are open, vendors are magically available, the flowers come in more beautiful than normal, and family and friends come around to create a relaxed, gorgeous, and utterly joyful weekend.
Jim and Becky’s wedding was so much fun for WED to plan, especially since Ellen Robinson and her husband were guests themselves. After we completed the set, Ellen was able to leave her planner cap at home and enjoy the food, drinks, and dancing- whoohoo!
Leigh Webber (be sure to check out her great blog here) was able to capture these beautiful shots of the William Aiken House wedding…
Ellen and her friends relax and enjoy the party!
Posted in William Aiken House, cake, fruit, hydrangea, white, yellow | No Comments »
August 18th, 2009
Check out the new issue of Charleston Weddings Magazine for great tips and tricks… we had several brides featured (p. 4, 64, 88, 95, and 153– are they not all stunners?!) and a great feature on a budget-savvy wedding from this past fall pp. 88-89:
Find the article in the newest issue and here online:
Innovative ideas plus $25,000 equal one gorgeous Charleston wedding
“Considering the state of the economy,” says New York gal Alli Hobbs, “issue number one on most brides’ minds is saving money while maintaining beauty and not sacrificing too much.” Counting herself in that camp, she and her fiancé opted for a small, smart wedding that stretched their dollars. They chose a morning ceremony and brunch reception (less pricey than dinner) with Bloody Marys and mimosas (less expensive than an open bar). And since Alli had a clear wedding day vision, she just needed a top-notch event coordinator to polish it off and pull it together. W.E.D.’s Ellen Robinson typically tackles six-figure affairs but was happy to work with Ali and Mark since the well-thought out (and early) event didn’t call for much manpower. The result? A stunner of a fall fête.
Cost-Saving Tips
The Location
Alli and Matt booked the Confederate Home, where they hosted a garden ceremony and sit-down brunch on the same property for one rate.
The Attire
The Bride: Alli got a past-season Vera Wang gown at a sample sale, which costs less than a current release.
The Bridal Party: The couple opted for only a matron of honor and best man, who were able to select (with guidance) their own attire.
The Ushers: Male ushers wore their own suits and the couple gifted them ties, which brought the color scheme together.
The details
Décor: Elegant but simple ribbon streamers in purple and green gave a lot of bang for the couple’s buck.
Stationery: A designer pal made the invites, and Alli created programs herself with a color printer, kraft paper, and ribbon.
The Photographer: Setting a strict shooting time limit and opting for an online album (rather than an actual one) to trim photo costs.
**We wrote a post on this last year- check it out for more great photos from this chic event!**
Posted in Published, brown, cupcakes, fall, garden, green, orange, purple, ranunculus | No Comments »
August 18th, 2009
WED was out at the Rivercourse this past weekend for a lovely Friday wedding with plenty of bright, tropical colors!
Here are just a few pics we took of the bright blooms… just the kind of refreshing burst we all need during this ridiculous heat wave!
Posted in brown, green, kiawah, orchids, pink, rivercourse | No Comments »
August 17th, 2009
WED’s May 2008 wedding was just featured as Wedding of the Week on TheKnot.com!
Sara & Ben in Charleston, SC
Sara and Ben planned a spring wedding at a historic home in Charleston, South Carolina.
Years after falling in love on a graduation trip to Costa Rica, it made sense for College of Charleston alums Sara and Ben to tie the knot in the place that started it all: the storied Southern city of Charleston, South Carolina.
The Bride Sara Givler, 28, attorney
The Groom Ben DeWolf, 29, stock trader
The Date May 17
While Sara was feverishly pursuing a law degree four hours away from Charleston, the couple began a long-distance relationship. When Sara finished up her first-year exams, she and Ben hopped on the first plane to Italy for a romantic getaway. On their third night in Rome, beside the Fontana di Trevi, Ben proposed, and soon the happy to-be-weds began dreaming up plans for their wedding day back in Charleston, the bride’s hometown and the place they’d come to call home.
– Elizabeth Stadele
Posted in Published, William Aiken House, blue, cake, chandeliers, lighting, lounge, orchids, tent, white | No Comments »
August 6th, 2009
When I was a little girl I thought I was going to be a food stylist. Ok, so I didn’t know what a food stylist really was, but I loved looking at the pictures in my mom’s magazines and cookbooks and knew I wanted to recreate those photographs!
In college I worked as the store stylist at a Williams-Sonoma store. It was so much fun to take their fabulous products and display them in a way that was visually appealing and enticing. And that’s exactly what we try to do with our wedding menu items, too.
They say that you “eat with your eyes first” and I certainly agree. And why would we work so hard to perfect every detail of the decor and then not think about styling the food as well?
Jaime and Shane were self-professed “foodies” and chose the ever-delicious Mediterra Catering to create a stunning menu for their fall 2008 wedding. They wanted to use fresh, seasonal ingredients and very clean flavors that paired with the variety of wines they chose specifically to pair with each station of food. Naturally, they also wanted the food to be displayed in a way that was fitting of the season and elegantly chic.
And this is what should happen when everyone is enjoying the food– CHEERS!
(beautiful photos from Taylor Stewart Photography, and thank you again Katie Priegal and the Mediterra Catering crew for your gorgeous and delicious food!)
Posted in brown, fall, fruit, red | No Comments »
August 3rd, 2009
I absolutely ADORED working with Caroline, Kyle, and both of their families. They were just FABULOUS and I think they had the perfect wedding day due to the fact that they were so positive and uplifting of everyone around them throughout the entire planning process.
Here are just a few details from the always-talented and creative Leigh Webber:
(a sweet moment pre-ceremony)
(embroidered handkerchief served as something new and blue!)
(adorable flower girl!)
(The Voices of Deliverance were hidden in the back of the church during the ceremony… after the newlyweds were announced, we swung the doors open and the choir burst into “O Happy Day.” The looks on the guests faces were priceless!! The choir, still singing, went down the aisle and then followed the bride and groom back out. One of my favorite wedding memories of all time!)
(hooray!)
(first dance was amazing… great job with the dance lessons, Kyle)
(sweetgrass and blue hydrangea dominated the decor)
(the Daniel Island Club did a FABULOUS job with the food and service, and the setting was just stunning as the sun went down that evening…)
(for the bride, the appropriately named “Princess Caroline” rolls royce took them off to their honeymoon!)
Congratulations Caroline and Kyle!
Posted in Daniel Island Club, blue, hydrangea | No Comments »
August 3rd, 2009
Lisa and JD met in New York City and were engaged in Central Park (sigh…)
They wanted to incorporate this aspect of their courtship into their otherwise thoroughly southern wedding at Lowndes Grove Plantation, so Lisa decided to purchase vintage NYC postcards and have guests write a message on these in leiu of a traditional guest book.
We had these postcards previously calligraphed (in a more informal calligraphy to fit the “vintage” feel) and stamped, so for the past few weeks I’ve been popping a few in the mail every day so they’ll have little pieces of encouragement for their first month as newlyweds!
They were arranged in simple glass trays lined with rock salt to keep the look streamlined and chic:
Lisa, thanks so much for this fabulous idea! It was an honor to help you pull together all of your fabulous design ideas, and you (and the wedding) looked stunning. Thank you!
Posted in Guest Book ideas | No Comments »
