Archive for the ‘lighting’ Category
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Though I certainly consider Charleston my home now, many may not know that I am a born and bred Tar Heel, raised my whole life in the lovely North Carolina!
With my entire family (when I say “entire family” I mean my parents, brothers, sister, and sisters-in-law!) all UNC-Chapel Hill alums, it has only made sense that I seek out weddings in the Chapel Hill-Raleigh-Durham area. WED loves to head up to NC for weddings and events!
This wedding in particular was a fun one for me to plan… it was my baby brother’s wedding, after all!
David and Christine met and fell in love at UNC and so it was fitting to host friends and family to come back to their alma mater for their weekend celebration. The rehearsal dinner was held in the gorgeous Morehead Planetariumon UNC’s campus, and the ceremony on Saturday evening at Chapel Hill Bible Church:
The reception venue- The Angus Barn Pavilion- was absolutely stunning and was fabulously accommodating to us in every way… and the views of the lake were stunning!
We used an enormously talented photographer from the Raleigh area- Bill Broere. He was an absolute pleasure to work with and, as you can see, was able to capture stunning photos throughout the evening. **NOTE- he travels to shoot weddings!!
Being that we were in a barn, we kept the decor rustic but clean… white blooms in tin containers and candlelight everywhere!
We incorporated blue lighting on the uncovered patio… we needed at least a little Carolina blue in the mix!
And inside, we lit the barn in amber tones to offer warmth and soft ambiance…
The fire pit was a huge hit, even on the August night! S’mores supplies were brought out when the sun went down and everyone gathered around for a DIY dessert…
I can’t believe my little brother is married… David and Christine, I love you both and it was such an honor to plan your wedding!
**THANK YOU BILL BROERE FOR SUPPLYING ALL OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THIS BLOG!! VISIT HIS WEBSITE HERE TO SEE HIS WEDDING PHOTOS AND NEW FUSION VIDEO CONCEPT**
Posted in blue, hydrangea, lighting, North Carolina, white, yellow | No Comments »
Monday, 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 blue, cake, chandeliers, lighting, lounge, orchids, Published, tent, white, William Aiken House | No Comments »
Monday, June 8th, 2009
We were fortunate to have back-to-back weddings at Lowndes Grove May 23rd and 30th (see “Eimile and Drue” for the first round!). What is so interesting to me when something like this happens is seeing how absolutely different and unique each bride really is. Eimile chose warm, bright tones, while Brooke the following weekend opted for vivid, vibrant cool blue and more casual vibe. And while both were at the same venue, you’ll see that the similarities stopped about there!
While she opted for a seated dinner (read: more “formal”), Brooke wanted to ensure that the laid-back plantation life wasn’t lost, so we threw in details such as candles and flowers in mason jars behind the bar and a menu written on a giant chalkboard:
Still, she kept her centerpieces lush in all-whites and opted for a warm amber tone to, as she said, “Make everyone look beautiful.”
And then there was the lounge tent… Brooke loved this vibrant, deep periwinkle/royal blue and wanted her lounge tent and dance area to be a completely seperate space from the dining area. Again, we used lighting to achieve what she desired and created a hip, dance club vibe for her fun crowd:
Posted in blue, chandeliers, lighting, Lowndes Grove, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
Joyful. Utterly, blissfully joyful… that’s how I would describe our bride and groom from this past weekend.
Eimile and Drue met when they both attended Dartmouth and traveled the world over before settling into our city. With Eimile busy in medical school here, it only made sense to bring in their family and friends from around the globe to experience all they loved about the lowcountry.
Gracious… that’s exactly how I would describe the family’s attitude towards their guests. It all began with a detailed packet of info and a “wine and cheese” snack- featuring what else but southern pimiento cheese!
Drue’s family hosted the rehearsal dinner at Alhambra Hall. With sweet tea vodka drinks-a-plenty and a gorgeous Charleston sunset, every person knew this weekend was going to be an unforgettable one!
(the bride’s favorite red velvet cupcakes from Village Bakery, and a sweet treat for her brother on his birthday!)
There was no question where the ceremony and reception would be held: the ever stunning Lowndes Grove Plantation:
The ceremony was on the front lawn facing the water. I love Eimile’s musical selections… she even had her string quartet play an instrumental version of Led Zepplin’s “Stairway to Heaven” as she and her father walked down the aisle. It brought tears to my eyes!
Guests were greeted to cocktail hour with a champagne and peach bellini:
An evening of dinner and dancing (LOTS of dancing) followed… the dinner tent was more subdued and featured HUGE crystal chandeliers, while the lounge and bar tents were all about the BRIGHT colors… we loved that Eimile wasn’t scared of a little color!
(gorgeous flowers by H.B. Stems of Beaufort)
(we draped the lounge tents in pure coral, and so as a contrast we found these fantastic little lamps from IKEA- gotta love the new Charlotte location!)
And for those weary, danced-out feet, a bookcase filled with flip flops. Even the men were snapping these up!
Emilie and Drue- it was truly a pleasure. We wish you the best in your new marriage… and happy honeymooning, too!!
Posted in furniture, lighting, lounge, Lowndes Grove, pink, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, March 2nd, 2009
Unfortunately I’m not talking about the (fabulously funny) show… but we did have our own “platinum” wedding this past February… platinum, black, and white to be exact.
The stormy skies may have dampened anothers day, but I love that the bride proclaimed, “Well, I asked for a gray wedding, right? The weather fits right in!”
It was a gorgeous night…. lots of sparkle, but oh, so chic. Here are a few of the details:
Creeping flowers up black birch branches in custom-tin containers…
Orchids were hung from one of the lounge tents to create an art deco-inspired “chandelier”
Sequined linens paired well with minimalist arrangements…
Silver silk draping and white leather furniture created a hip space…
And the interior rooms for dinner will all about elegance… with a little bling, of course…
We had a silver graphic print designed to meet their mod tastes and carried this throughout the night, beginning with the save-the-dates, then on to the placecards, menus, etc.
The lighting in the dance tent was gorgeous!
Flowers were simple and elegant…
And of course the martini bar was a huge hit…
Beautiful!
Posted in blue, chandeliers, crystals, furniture, hydrangea, lighting, lounge, orchids, Silver, tent, William Aiken House | No Comments »
Monday, February 9th, 2009
This past weekend the weather turned warm just in time for our wedding at Charleston’s most gorgeous new event venue, Pepper Plantation:
The exposed beams, concrete floors and huge mantles screamed “Ralph Lauren” to me- it was an understated kind of chic:
The bride loved an eggplant and green dot overlay we had and really was drawn to the purples… we used various shades from aubergine to smoky lavendar and accented with rich wood tones to highlight the barn-inspired Pavilion.
LOVE these linens– they didn’t compete with the casual-ness of the space yet somehow dressed it up…
The “dot” theme came down even to the vases on the cocktail tables…
And all the printed materials…
And the cake was stunning, designed by Jim Smeal.
Everyone flocked to the tent out back- here’s to 70-degree weather in February- cheers!
Tags: chandeliers, pink, polka dots, purple, tent
Posted in cake, chandeliers, lighting, Pepper Plantation, pink, purple, tent, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
I always call the hour before sunset “the Golden Hour” at The River Course Club on Kiawah Island because it always seems that the setting sun hits everything with the perfect glow. This fall 2008 bride wanted to bring out that natural gold light in her decor and a fabulous event resulted…
Rattan furniture created comfortable nooks around the porch, perfectly juxtaposed to the lush tent:
Gold tones shone throughout…
What a stunning view (note to golfers- this is on an award-winning course)!
Tags: furniture, gold, kiawah, lounge, rattan, rivercourse, roses, white
Posted in brown, cake, chandeliers, furniture, gold, kiawah, lighting, lounge, rivercourse, roses, tent | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008
“Budget.” No bride likes to hear it. But truly having a budget under which to operate and being organized within it can be the BEST thing for a beautiful wedding that doesn’t leave you feeling like your pockets have been emptied. And no matter what it is, we all have a “budget” we must stick within… the question becomes HOW to spend within that budget.
As planners we look for the VALUE of every product we buy and service we obtain. Is it worth the money… does it fulfill the need… to us “budget” does not mean the wedding has to look anything less than exactly what our brides envision. It just means we have to be very creative and efficient in getting there!!
Take our Osprey Point wedding on Kiawah Island. Her budget priorities were the location (Kiawah Island), her band and her food. She was willing to spend a large portion of her budget on these things because she knew that’s what would matter most to her guests.
But what bride doesn’t want her wedding to look fabulous, too?! Here are a few ways we managed to create chic decor without breaking the bank…
1.) We used a standard lamour linen but in a a rich copper tone. A great colored linen in any fabric can make a HUGE difference!
2.) Multiple budvases were filled with single blooms and spread down the table. Less flowers= money saved.
3.) Interesting Glassware– to fill in the space, our florist purchased inexpensive glassware from CB2 for the budvases and candlesticks. The various shapes added MUCH visual interest to the tables!
4.) Candlelight played a major role in “richening” up the space– on the square tables, glass budvases with single blooms surrounded a series of pillar candles in hurricane shades.
5.) Spend money on “impact pieces”– by putting more money into several large pieces, you’ll get the “wow” factor without having to overdo it everywhere…
By saving money in on the seated tables, she was able to have the very dramatic placecard table she wanted… it was a gorgeous way to greet their guests!
At the end of the day, Michelle and Earl were a fantastic couple with lovely families… the wedding was perfect!
Tags: asian, brown, kiawah, lilies, orange, orchids, osprey point, red
Posted in kiawah, lighting, orange, orchids, osprey point, red | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008
Seeing blue…
Sara received her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and her law degree from Duke, so was it any wonder her wedding ended up a chic combination of pale Carolina blue, deep Duke blue and crisp. clean white?!
Custom pillows matched the poppy motif from her printing and looked chic on the white leather furniture. The minimalist aesthetic was carried throughout from the white cymbidium stems in clear glass cylinders to the art deco crystal chandeliers…
No detail was spared from the orchid strands on the lanterns to the pale blue rendering of the bridal gown lace on the wedding cake….
AND– just to throw in a little “girly” into the mix, the pergola was lit in a hot pink that deepened as the night went on, ending in a simply stunning display as the bride and groom cut their cake and toasted each other as new husband and wife. Cheers!
Tags: blue, lighting, orchids, William Aiken House
Posted in black, blue, cake, chandeliers, furniture, lighting, lounge, orchids, Silver, white, William Aiken House | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008
One of the most difficult things we face as wedding designers is helping clients “see” their wedding before it happens! We have to try to show bits and pieces and paint a picture of the potential as, after all, it’s impossible to put all the elements together and show a client exactly what their wedding will look like on the day of. Storyboards like these are fantastic, but can only take the mind so far…
But here’s a great example of what design elements carefully pulled together can do to a space… Ginny wanted the convenience of a downtown Charleston hotel wedding for her guests, but wanted the space to look like a South Beach nightclub… without any mod hotels in downtown we had to really use lighting, furniture, linen, and decor to transform the space!
Here’s the “before” shot of the Carolina Ballroom at the Francis Marion Hotel:
And now what we created for the reception:
Tags: francis marion hotel, hotel, orange, orchids, pink, white leather furniture
Posted in cake, Francis Marion, furniture, gold, lighting, lounge, orchids | No Comments »
