Charleston Celebrations on The Wedding Row ~ Sarah and Mark

Check it out, we're on The Wedding Row again!

Click here to see the article on The Wedding Row!

We blogged about this one back in June (scroll down for more details)!  Sarah and Mark got married at The Sandcastle on Kiawah Island.  This one was fun and unique!  The bride wanted to use peacock feathers, shades of teals and limes, but she was afraid of it being too bright.  With our guidance, this is how it all turned out.  We think it was really stunning and fun (just like Sarah!), don't you?  And we were so excited have the amazing duo of Amelia + Dan Photography capture the day!

Enjoy, and happy planning!

Fun With Table Names

Yes, I'm sure we can all agree that the task of deciding who will sit next to whom at your reception is a daunting one. But choosing how to "name" your tables doesn't have to be!

The most important thing, is to have FUN with it and make it a reflection of you! Choose a theme that means something to the two of you, like places that you've traveled together, your favorite movies, or numbers that are significant to your relationship (the date you got engaged, your address, etc). And if you get stuck (probably because you need so many different names to accommodate your number of tables), you can always do what Travis and Katie did for their September 2011 wedding!

Travis and Katie live outside Chicago, so Charleston was a destination wedding site for them. They loved the water, and The Charleston Yacht Club was the perfect setting for this Labor Day Weekend Wedding. And since the wedding was to be at the Yacht Club, Travis and Katie decided to name their tables using nautical terms. Brilliant!

Since Charleston Celebrations was handling the printing for the table names and place cards, I loved the idea of the nautical terms, but I was afraid that guests wouldn't know what terms like "bosun" and "bollard" meant! So I asked Travis and Katie if they wanted me to put the definitions on the table cards also! At the reception, the guests really loved searching for their table and learning about the nautical terms too! I even named Travis and Katie's sweetheart table "hitch", since it's a type of knot!

Remember, it's YOUR wedding, so remember to have elements that are a reflection of you!

As always, happy planning!

~Melissa

Charleston Celebrations on The Wedding Row

Charleston Celebrations has been published!  Check out Ashley and Robert's BEAUTIFUL wedding this past April at Founder's Hall.  Ashley and Robert were SO AMAZING to work with, and we are certainly honored to have one of our events featured on The Wedding Row!

Ashley and Robert on The Wedding Row

Just the Two of Us ~ Elopement Ceremonies in Charleston

Did you know that Charleston Celebrations performs elopement ceremonies too?  We recently rolled out our "Just the Two of Us" elopement package, and Christy and Wade--our newest newlyweds--did just that yesterday!  We make eloping in Charleston super easy, especially since there is only a 24-hour waiting period for your South Carolina marriage license!

Talk about full service...that's me, Melissa, officiating Christy and Wade's customized nuptuals, and I also made their bouquet and boutonniere! So if you're searching for that perfect place as for your wedding's destination, consider beautiful Charleston, and contact Charleston Celebrations to handle all of the details, from elopement to full-service planning and coordination!

(A special thanks to Kate McKinley Photography for capturing Christy and Wade's special moment!  And we LOVE that Christy's "something blue" was her dress!  Gorgeous!!)

Happy Planning, and Happy Autumn!

~Melissa
  

Do I or Don't I?

Hello Nearlyweds!

A few weeks ago, I was chatting about etiquette rules with some friends, and I thought it might be helpful to share some things NOT to do when you're planning to say, "I DO"! We don't need Emily Post rolling in her grave, now do we? ;-) And yes, these have all actually happened, so even if you'd never think of doing any of these travesties, hopefully you'll get a chuckle that someone actually did!!

*Shower Thank You Notes: it is NOT okay to hand your guests envelopes to address their own thank you notes at your shower AND/OR write what they gave you on a card and put it in that envelope!

*Cash Bar at Your Reception: if your budget is squeezed, opt for a smaller bar package, just beer and wine, or even just a specialty cocktail. Cash bars are tacky, and chances are good that most of your guests won't have cash on them! Better to have NO bar than a cash bar!!

*Opening Gifts: Sure, open your gifts in front of your guests at your showers if you choose to, BUT NO ONE wants to watch you open presents at your reception. Seriously.

*Asking for Cash: If cash is really what you want, this is something that should be communicated verbally from your loved ones to your guests, NEVER printed on an invitation. Keep in mind also that you're going to have guests who want to actually get you something, so don't get upset. After all, it IS a gift!

*Different Entrees than Your Guests: Unless you have dietary restrictions, don't upgrade your own meal so that you're eating something different than your guests. I was a guest at a wedding recently, and the bride and groom chose to have filet and lobster tails when the guests were served stuffed chicken (which was delicious, but it wasn't surf and turf).

If you ever have etiquette questions, don't be afraid to ask your planner! We won't lead you astray, and we'd rather you ask! The only dumb question is the one that remains unasked!!

As always, Happy Planning!

~Melissa

Monday Nuptials at Kiawah ~ Sarah and Mark

Yesterday, we had our first Monday wedding, and we absolutely LOVED working with Sarah and Mark, our latest newlyweds from Tennessee! Kiawah Island is a special place for the bride's family, so The Sandcastle was a fitting location for Sarah and Mark's BIG DAY! Peacock feathers were the bride's inspiration for this teal, white, and lime wedding. Amazing ocean views were the backdrop of this 5:30pm ceremony, and the bride's sister/ bridesmaid even sang Sarah's processional--can you say goosebumps? What a sweet moment! Following the ceremony, the guests enjoyed Firefly Mojitos form Mix Charleston and a delicious spread from Newton Farms Catering. Dessert was a trio of scrumptious cakes from Sugar Bakeshop--coconut, lemon with sugared blueberries, and strawberry with sugared strawberries--which delighted the guests' (and this wedding planner's) taste buds. An amazing night for this fantastic couple! Congratulations, Sarah and Mark! Xoxo

Tip for the Summer ~ Bathroom Baskets

We've all been to swanky hotels and clubs that provide little niceties in the restroom...you know, mouthwash, tampons, hand scrub, lotion, and so on...so why not do the same thing for your wedding guests?

This is the basket Danielle Januski Couch did this May for the ladies' room at her wedding. Good call, Danielle!! Especially during these hot summer months, having things like deodorant and body spray are a great addition to this little basket of comfort. Hit the travel-sized aisle that we all love and think of what YOU might need if you were a guest, but before you do, double check the counter at your venue that it will go on to make sure it fits! And don't forget about the guys too!

Here are some suggestions for a bathroom basket...just make sure it all fits! ;-)

*deodorant

*hairspray

*kleenex

*Shout wipes or a Tide to Go stick

*tampons/ pantyliners

*bobby pins

*Band-Aids

*lotion

*mouthwash

*dental floss

*nail file/ emery board

*Q-tips

*lint roller

Happy Planning!!

~Melissa