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

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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

Photography by Jess + Nate Studios

Well, fortunately for all of us, the bride was kind enough to stop by with a super do-able DIY project for the darling little confetti containers she made for her own wedding. From Sarah…

PAPER FUNNELS FOR CONFETTI OR ROSE PETALS

Materials needed:

Thickish Paper (I used the luxe fino cream cover weight paper from paper source)
Double stick tape
Xacto Knife or Paper cutter
Ink Jet printer

1. I used the creme paper from Paper-Source and printed a pattern on both sides of an 8.5″ x 11″ paper. However you could also use any two sided patterned paper (usually found in scrapbooking supplies)

2. Cut the paper down to 6″ squares.

3. Dog ear the paper on one edge about 1″ in, so that the folded part runs to a point at the corner.

4. Run double stick tape along the folded edge.

5. Take the opposite corner from the folded edge and the most folded in corner and bring them together. (then press down so the double stick tape sticks)

6. Then create your labels. I again printed on plain paper.

7. Cut the labels out. (mine say… After “I Do” Please shower the newlyweds as they walk down the aisle)

8. I used double stick tape to then adhere the labels as well.

9. Then fill them with confetti or rose petals. I had them in baskets for people to pick up at the ceremony.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ceremony, Confetti, DIY Projects, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Rose Petals
Post categories: DIY Packaging, DIY Projects

Their wedding was sent to us by the extraordinarily creative Little Black Book team (Angie, Kristin and Sarah) at AK Event Design in Dallas. The gorgeous images are from fellow Little Black Book member Andrea Polito.

from Kristin …

Taylor and Mark didn’t want a traditional wedding full of whites and pale pinks. They wanted to have a party full of color!! Taylor, a modern bride, wanted to use bold jewel tones of navy, plum and raspberry throughout her wedding, which was held at the Dallas Museum of Art in downtown Dallas, Texas.

The wedding ceremony was held outside in the Sculpture Garden, also at the Dallas Museum of Art. During the cocktail hour, the groom’s brother serenaded guests with his incredible piano playing while they enjoyed cocktails around the reflecting pond.

The invitations were bold and beautiful on navy blue iridescent paper, while the other invitation pieces had the plum and raspberry colors incorporated. (Invitations designed by Simply Personal Designs)

The colors of this wedding really made the photos pop!

The cakes were another reflection of their personalities. The bride wanted to play with geometric shapes and designs in her wedding colors, while the groom wanted a cake that reflected where he was from, Seattle. We thought this wedding was a perfect event for the DMA because so many things were like artwork. 

The design process of this wedding was exciting and different and we enjoyed every aspect!

AK Event Design … Kristin, Angie & Sarah … y’all did a fantastic job on Taylor and Mark’s wedding!

And Andrea … wow! The photos are sensational!

Thanks to ALL of you for bringing our readers such dazzling inspiration today.

{to see the full gallery, click here!}

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: AK Event Design, Andrea Polito, Confetti, Dallas, Dallas Art Museum, Geometric, Hydrangeas, Mermaid, Monogram, Navy, Plum, Rasberry, Simply Personal Designs, Special Lighting, Texas Weddings
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers