I told Ken he would never be able to surprise me… with anything. I always figure things out! This declaration put his mind to work on a proposal that I will never forget.

As resident physicians at the Medical University of South Carolina, we do not get much time off. And on one average Friday afternoon, I was begrudgingly preparing OR 3 for an add-on emergency case – or so I thought. Ken popped into my room and I grumbled about the day. When I stopped to look at him, I noticed a worried but excited look on his face. His hands were shaking. Both are very unlike my usually calm and serious surgeon!

That’s when Ken grabbed my hands, said the sweetest words, and got down on one knee. As he pulled a blue velvet box from his scrub pocket, my eyes welled with tears. The next thing I knew, I had the most gorgeous ring on my finger. We exited the operating room to hear a hallway full of colleagues cheering and clapping for us. Surprise! There was no add-on case, and so we left the hospital to celebrate the beginning of our beautiful engagement.

Being originally from Alabama, I knew that I needed an expert to navigate the Charleston wedding scene. Katherine Miller Events was just that company. Immediately upon meeting with Katherine I knew that I had found someone super-reliable – with great taste – who I could completely count on to put together the romantic, stylish and Anthropologie-esque wedding celebration that I had in mind. Together, Katherine, Ken and I chose Bethel Methodist Church for the ceremony and the Historic Rice Mill building for our reception venue. Located waterfront on the Ashley River, we knew the spectacular sailboat and sunset views were the perfect backdrop for our Lowcountry wedding.

Having a fabulous photographer was high on my list of priorities, so Katherine introduced me to Charlotte Zacharkiw of Charlotte Elizabeth Photography almost immediately. Her personality jived with my own and her portfolio made me swoon. From our fun and intimate downtown Charleston engagement session to our colorful getaway photos in a classic Charleston Black Cab, Charlotte made every shot unique.

And while Ken and I wanted our unique personalities to show, I also wanted to incorporate one very important tradition: my grandmother’s wedding dress, worn again by my mother and aunt on their wedding days. The team at White on Daniel Island carefully applied the lace from this vintage dress onto my veil, sewing each stitch by hand. It complemented my all-lace gown perfectly! White was the first and only store that I visited as owner Jodi Moylan presented me with “the one” soon after I walked in. To complete my vintage ensemble, Ken purchased a gorgeous antique pearl and rhinestone bracelet from Out of Hand for my wedding gift.

We decided not to see each other before the ceremony, and I’m so glad we did. Instead, I had the pleasure of reading a hand-written note expressing his happiness for the day ahead. Then my bridesmaids surprised me! They coordinated a traditional horse-drawn carriage ride for our transportation to the church. It was such a great touch and special moment to ride through historic downtown Charleston with my favorite girls.

One of my favorite memories of our wedding was the moment I saw my bouquet. Whitney Randall of Branch Design Studio used soft pink and white ranunculus, dusty miller, copper beech leaves, café au lait dahlias, lisianthus, and scabiosa pods to create a masterpiece. Throughout the day, I was absolutely blown away by the beauty and complexity of the arrangements, bouquets, and especially the copper-charmed boutonnieres.

Our flowers were set on ivory, rose and gold colored linens at the Rice Mill. At my request, Katherine incorporated ivory lace in as many places as possible – including the cake table. Our red velvet and cream cheese wedding cake was designed and made by Ken’s close family friend, and needless to say it was devoured promptly after our champagne toast! Pastel-colored French macaroons were also a hit with our guests. I fell in love with The Macaroon Boutique during the engagement and couldn’t wait to set out a variety for my friends and family to try!

I must say that I was most excited to see the whimsical, hand-painted chandeliers Katherine and Whitney made and displayed on the tall oak trees outside the Rice Mill’s entrance. Our multicolored confetti send-off combined with the soft lighting of these chandeliers to create a beautiful final scene. Ken and I were in the clouds over our day, and we still can’t think of one single thing we would have changed! We wanted our guests to leave happy and full of great memories, and I think we achieved just that.

Event Design & Planning: Katherine Miller events / Photography: Charlotte Elizabeth Photographer / Flowers: Branch Design Studio / Boutonniere Tags: Etsy / Ceremony Location: Bethel Methodist Church / Reception Location: The Historic Rice Mill / Caterer: Good Food Catering / Dress: White / Veil: Family heirloom / Cake: Family friend / Macarons: Macaroon Boutique / Band: New South Players

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Post tags: Anthropologie, Bethel Methodist Church, Branch Design Studio, Charleston, Charlotte Elizabeth Photographer, Confetti, Copper, EastCoast Entertainment, Etsy, Flower Girs, Good Food Catering, Katherine Miller events, Lace Gown, Macaron Boutique, macarons, Neutral Color Palette, New South Players, Pastels, Roses, South Carolina, The Historic Rice Mill, Traditional Elegance, Vintage, Vintage Lace, Wedding Planners & Designers, White
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

From the Bride… I love opposites. When jewelry making, I love to mix things that clash and don’t go together to create a big statement. When it comes to decorating my home, I love mixing antiques with modern furniture.  This style was reflected in our wedding.

Picking the venue was easy.  I wanted a historic venue that really showed the old Southern character and charm of Charleston. Lowndes Grove is a gorgeous mansion in downtown Charleston with breathtaking views of the Ashley River. Considering the majority of our guest list was out of town, I thought it was a great place for people to see the beauty of the city.

Decor wasn’t difficult, as well. Because we had a great historic venue, I wanted the decor to be super clean and modern. When you walk into the tent, I wanted it to be completely white with a pops of hot pink flowers.  Something I was very strong about was having minimalistic flower arrangements. Every table arrangement were bunches of the same flowers. There weren’t any arrangements that had mixed flowers in them. I think my favorite flower arrangements were the ones in the lounge area. A simple frost fast with one dahlia flower or one banana leaf  – clean and simple.

Being in the jewelry business, I love fashion. The dress had to be something unique and different. As soon as I saw the Diana dress by Vera Wang, it was love at first sight.  The skirt had a whimsical look to it that fit an outdoor setting. My favorite part of the dress was the belt. I had actually seen other brides in the dress before, but they looked like a completely different dress because no one ever wore the belt! It was the best part of the dress.

The bridesmaids all wore simple Shoshanna champagne colored dresses. I made unique necklaces for each bridesmaid, so they were a little different, but still looked like a collection. I wanted them to look like a runway show walking down the aisle!

My old and borrowed were an antique diamond broach from my grandmother and a pair of unique earrings from Bradley’s grandmother. My grandmother has passed and Bradley’s couldn’t travel for the occasion, so it was extremely important to me to wear something that represented them. With my antique jewelry, engagement ring and band and new modern wedding dress and shoes, i was ready to walk down the aisle.

Our ceremony was very special and romantic. We walked down the aisle to traditional wedding music and then left as a couple to “All You Need is Love” by the Beatles. Our chuppah was very simple. You don’t need much with the amazing backdrop of the river.

Having a seated dinner was really important to me because it made the wedding a lot more intimate. We had a total of 170 people and its safe to say that we love and care about all of them. It was really cool to see my friends and family mixed in with Bradley’s friends and family.

The most important thing throughout the wedding planning process was that the wedding had to represent us as a couple. And I think the whole night from the decor, to the guest list and music, we really hit home. It was truly a special night full of love and happiness.

Wedding Planning: Lindsey Shanks of Tiger Lily Weddings / Floral Design: Tiger Lily Weddings / Wedding Photography: Sean Money + Elizabeth Fay / Wedding Venue: Lowndes Grove / Catering: Fish / Wedding Ceremony Music: Peter Kiral with Charleston Virtuosi / Wedding Reception Band: Super T / Bridal Gown: Diana by Vera Wang / Bridesmaid Gowns: Shoshanna / Rentals: Snyder Rentals + Duvall + All Occassions / Wedding Invitations: Irving by Bella Figura

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Post tags: All Occassions, Bella Figura, Charleston, Charleston Virtuosi, Duvall, Elizabeth Fay + Sean Money, Fish, Lowndes Grove, Modern Wedding, Outdoor Wedding, Pink, Shoshanna, Snyder Rentals, South Carolina, Super T, Tiger Lily Weddings, Vera Wang
Post categories: Contemporary, The Blog

We had a few visions for our wedding: a venue on the water, modern cocktail style reception, and a boat departure. We were lucky to have over a year to plan the wedding; it was so much fun to be creative and put our own personal spin on everything.

The biggest decision for us was location. Being born and raised in Charleston, I really wanted to showcase its beauty and my favorite aspect, the water. We decided on The Island House, a relatively new but up and coming reception venue on John’s Island. It is a beautiful property on the Stono River with a beautiful low country view. This venue is truly a best kept secret in Charleston. Once the location was booked, everything else started falling into place. We chose our vendors based on personal experiences from family and friends. They were all so wonderful to work with and did such an amazing job bringing our visions to reality.

At first the wedding seemed so far away, but once we got to six months out, time just flew by. I could never have imagined a more perfect day. We decided to have the bridesmaids get ready at my parents’ house and do all of our pictures there before the ceremony. All of the pictures are filled with scenery from a place that is so special to us. We even got a few shots with my favorite pup, JJ, a white lab! One of our favorite memories is our “first look”. There were so many exciting, anxious, and happy emotions, but once we finally looked into each other eyes we were calm and ready to take on the day. It was so awesome to be surrounded by all of our friends and family, it just would not have be the same without them. We have so many fabulous memories from that day, it was better than anything we ever imagined.

Ceremony Venue: The Citadel Summerall Chapel / Reception Venue: The Island House / Caterer: Cru Catering / Cake: D’lish Discriminating Desserts / Bar: Cru Catering / Florist & Rentals: Out of Hand Events / Music: Two 3 Ways & DJ Mahanes, Other Brother Entertainment / Photography: Virgil Bunao Fine Arts Photography / Transportation: Absolutely Charleston / Hair & Makeup: Ash & Co. / Wedding Dress: Martina Liana, Bella Vista / Bride’s Short Wedding Dress: BCBG / Wedding Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Invitations (Save the Dates): MagnetStreet / Sparklers: Sparkle / Bar Tents & Lights: Atlantic Tents / Misters: All Mist/ Film Work: Richard Photo

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Absolutely Charleston, All Mist, Ash & Co., Atlantic Tents, Badgley Mischka, BCBG, Bella Vista, Bouquets, Centerpieces, Charleston, Color Palette Purple, Cru Catering, Cupcakes, D'lish Discriminating Desserts, DJ Mahanes, Dogs, Flower girls, Johns Island, MagnetStreet, Martina Liana, Men's Wearhouse, Other Brother Entertainment, Out Of Hand Events, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, South Carolina, Sparklers, Tented Reception, The Citadel Summerall Chapel, The Island House, Traditional Elegance, Two 3 Ways, Virgil Bunao Fine Arts Photography, Water, Water Weddings, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Joseph and I met while he was in Law school and I was in graduate school. We met in passing on a sidewalk. He was wearing a West Virginia hat, so I stopped to ask him if he was from WV. I am originally from WV and it turned out he was too. The conversation ended with him asking for my phone number so we could get together and watch some WVU football games together. A week later he asked me out on our first date. I surprised him with a grooms cake that was a WV hat, since his hat was the whole reason we met. We were together three years before we were engaged and were engaged for year before we got married. He proposed while we were on a bike ride on Kiawah Island. 

I fell in love with the Governor Thomas Bennett House for a few reasons. It’s courtyard and gardens were perfect for the outdoor ceremony we dreamed of and for a dance tent. I loved that my guests could enjoy dinner on the piazza and inside the beautiful Charleston style mansion.

The hardest part of planning the wedding for me was choosing colors. I fell in love with a fabric pattern that was green so we planned the entire wedding theme based on that fabric. Cindy did an awesome job at taking my vision of a wedding with a vintage feel and incorporating the pattern into so many details. Every detail and event of the day was even more beautiful than I had imagined. My favorite part of the day was walking with my dad down the aisle to meet Joseph in front of the fountain in the courtyard to exchange our vows.

Photography: Liz Duren Photography & Setup Shots By Collette Mruk Photography / Flowers: Judy Johnston, Engaging Events / Event Planning & Design: Engaging Events / Ceremony & Reception Location: The Governor Thomas Bennett House / Cake: Elaine’s Events / Catering: Good Food Catering / Band: Soul Fish / Linens: Connie Duglin Linens & BBJ Linens

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BBJ Linens, Charleston, Collette Mruk Photography, Color Palette Green Pink, Connie Duglin Linens, Elaine's Events, Engaging Events, Good Food Catering, Liz Duran Photography, milk glass, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Plantation Wedding, Preppy, Preppy Chic, Preppy Wedding, Soul Fish, South Carolina, Southern Weddings, Succulents, The Governor Thomas Bennett House, Vintage Chic, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic

After spending months searching for the perfect ring, I set out in route for Charleston on Friday, November 5th. Kate new that we were planning to go to Charleston for the weekend, but she thought we were going to celebrate homecoming at The Citadel with friends. Once we got there, we spent time together walking the streets of Charleston and reminiscing on all of the fun times we spent there. When it was time for dinner, I surprised her by driving outside of town to Middleton Place Plantation where we had reservations at their restaurant. Kate and I have always had a special place in our heart for Middleton Place, and we spent many a nights walking the grounds, sipping wine until the sun went down before heading over for dinner at the restaurant. At one point, this was a date we would have together on almost a weekly basis. Dinner was outstanding, and afterward I proposed to Kate on the plantation. It was beautiful, and she said yes!

The inspiration for our wedding was the venue itself! The simplicity of Middleton Place was really the inspiration behind all wedding colors and style. The bridesmaid’s dresses were sable to compliment the greenery around the plantation. I chose lime green, poppy, and gold as colors for the ceremony and reception.   We incorporated moss in the big S hanging behind the wedding cake and also had moss covered pots with floral arrangements on many of the tables. We had poppy colored linens on almost all tables and had a poppy and gold striped stage skirt. That was one of my favorite touches.

It is a Citadel tradition to have the Sword detail consisting 6 Citadel Cadets creating an archway of swords for us to walk under as we exit the ceremony aisle.

Stacey, Missy and the entire crew at Red Letter Events made the entire evening truly magical.They were right by my side if I ever needed them and made the evening seem effortless! Throughout the planning, Stacey listened to my thoughts and dreams and helped to make them a reality.  It was perfect!

Planner: Red Letter Events / Ceremony: Butterfly Lakes at Middleton Place / Reception: Pavilion at Middleton Place / Caterer: Duvall Catering / Bar: Duvall / Ceremony Music: Classical Charleston / Reception Music: Gentlemen & Their Lady / Photographer: Captured by Kate / Florist: Lotus / Pastry: Ashley Bakery / Rentals: Duvall, Eventworks, PDA Lighting, & BBJ Linens / Bride Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bridesmaid Dress: Badgley Mischka

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ashley Bakery, Badgley Mischka, BBJ Linens, Black Tie, Captured by Kate, Charleston, Classic, Classical Charleston, Duvall, Duvall Catering, EventWorks, Gentlemen & Their Lady, Lotus, Middleton Place, Military Wedding, Monique Lhuillier, Neutral Color Palette, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, PDA Lighting, Plantation Wedding, Red Letter Events, South Carolina, Southern Weddings, Sparklers, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

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From A Charleston Bride … This Florida couple chose Charleston for it’s laid back charm. The Groom is a professional wakeboarder (hence the sign in “board”) while the Bride is in corporate real estate.  She has a very glamorous appeal and loves the finer things in life.  He’s your sweet, fun-loving “surfer dude” who is madly in love with her.  Her love of chandeleirs marked most of the decor along with custom up lighting that completely transformed the ballroom.

Photography: A Bryan Photo / Cinematography: A Bryan Photo / Flowers: A Charleston Bride / Event Design: A Charleston Bride / Event Planning: Melissa Barton, A Charleston Bride / Lighting: Technical Event Company / Ceremony Location: French Huguenot Church / Reception Location: Hibernian Hall / Invitations: Studio R Design / Film Work: Richard Photo

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Bryan Photo, A Charleston Bride, Baby's Breath, Black and White Photography, Chandeliers, Charleston, French Huguenot Church, glamorous, Glamour, Hibernian Hall, South Carolina, Studio R Design, Technical Event Company, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Glamour
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Tiger Lily Weddings…We wanted to find a way to bring a juxtaposition of an industrial, raw flare to something elegant and important like a wedding or couples shower. We used a mix of homemade projects with an elegant presentation. The bud vases in the trees made from 60 watt bulbs, the appetizer pairings outlined in packing paper, the table runner of doilies sewn together, and the parting gifts of cactus and fried pickle recipes are all in-expensive and adorable.

Guests were greeted with Poptails (popsicle paired with cocktail) and the perfect dusk evening. The event was set around a block farm table lit up by vintage string bulb lights where everyone enjoyed a colorful mixed beet salad, lobster pot pie, and bit sized sweet treats at the gorgeous Thomas Bennett House in downtown Charleston.

The floral arrangements were designed to be whimsical and fun using teddy bear sunflowers, godetia, billy balls and various tins and containers to make for a comfortable view. The color scheme was set to show the end of summer and beginning of fall with coral, oyster, and camel as the center design and used throughout all the paper goods. The only thing that could make this night any more beautiful was the glowing couple.

Wedding Photography: MCG Photography / Event + Floral Design: Tiger Lily Weddings / Invitations: Mac & Murphy / Poptails: King of Pops + ICE BOX / Catering: Caviar & Bananas / Lighting: Technical Event Company / Location: Thomas Bennett House / Rentals: Snyder Rentals

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Caviar & Bananas, Charleston, Ice Box, King of Pops, mac & murphy, MCG Photography, Snyder Rentals, South Carolina, Technical Event Company, Thomas Bennett House, Tiger Lily Weddings
Post categories: The Blog

Matt and I aren’t very conventional people. We wanted to have a very laid back wedding without too much formality, which ruled out a lot of  the usual venues in Charleston – plantations, historic homes, churches, etc. Nothing we looked at seemed to match our vision. Finally we found what we’d been looking for, and it was right under our noses – the James Island County Park! It’s only a mile from our house. In addition to the perfect venue for a casual wedding, they also have 1o awesome cabins that we rented for our friends and family.  It is such a beautiful park, they gave us a lot of latitude to choose our own vendors, and it was really affordable to boot!

Once we decided on the park for our venue, we really wanted our wedding style to “embrace the park”. We chose greens and yellows for our colors to compliment spring time in the park. The lovely ladies at Red Letter Events made sure everything turned out perfectly.

Matt and I put together our own little ceremony, using parts of a lot of different traditions. My favorite part was planting a tree together in place of lighting a unity candle. I also wore two garters that day. One of them was made by my great aunt out of the bridesmaid dress she wore for my grandparents’ wedding. Since both of them have since passed, it was so special to have that piece of family history with me.

Matt and I love plants, so our florist, Thuy, came up with the great idea of giving away some little ferns as favors. She wrapped them in burlap and tied them with pretty green ribbons. Not only were they cute as table decorations, but our guests will get to continue to enjoy them at home (hopefully) for a long time!

Photography: Amelia + Dan Photography / Flowers: Jade Water Designs / Event Design: Red Letter Events / Event Planning: Red Letter Events / Ceremony Location: Edisto Hall at James Island County Park / Reception Location: Edisto Hall at James Island County Park / Rentals: Snyder Event Rentals & Red Letter Events / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: David’s Bridal / Entertainment: DJ Ric Rush / Catering: Granvilles Cafe & Catering / Wedding Cakes: Bride

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amelia + Dan Photography, Butterflies, Casual Elegance, Charleston, Chinese Lanterns, Color Palette Green yellow, David's Bridal, DIY Cakes, DJ Ric Rush, Edisto Hall, Granvilles Cafe & Catering, Jade Water Designs, James Island County Park, James Island Wedding, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Pearls, Picnic Tables, Picnic-Style Wedding, Red Letter Events, Snyder Event Rentals, South Carolina, Trees
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog