Written By Melissa Reardon
Photographs By Lucy Cuneo
A transplant from Virginia, Weston “Wes” McAfee vividly remembers the first time he saw his future bride-to-be. Charleston native Dana Elaine...
“It looked like something out of a Pinterest board,” says newlywed Katie Berry of walking into her bridal shower at friend Andrea Krause’s marshfront home on James Island. With a chicken and waffle bar, blooming garlands, selfie station, and, the pièce de résistance, a flower bar with an instructor from Fetes de Fleurs to walk the gals through making their own take-home floral crowns, she’s not exaggerating. (And, admittedly Andrea says she got most of the ideas from stalking the bride-to-be’s idea boards.) Because Katie and her then-fiancé, Chris, were exchanging vows solo in Hawaii, the gathering was a way to celebrate with the women who would have been her bridesmaids.
As for Fetes de Fleurs? The group offers two-hour workshops with one-on-one instruction in everything from crowns ($50 per guest) to floral jewelry ($45), bouquets ($60 to $100), and arrangements (up to $65). Rates are per guest and include flowers in the palette of your choice, setup, and cleanup. Blooms kept refrigerated overnight should be picture-perfect the next day, should you want your creations for portraits—or for your wedding.
Check out the how-to below for making an easy flower crown, and flip through the images in the gallery for more tips.
Step-by-Step Flower Crown
Photographer: Ava Moore Photography, www.AvaMoorePhotography.com
Stationery: www.VistaPrint.com
Signage: www.Letterfolk.com; www.Smartbox.com
Venue: Private home
Florists: Charleston Flower Market (decorative), www.CharlestonFlowerMarket.com; Fetes de Fleurs (flower crown), www.FetesDeFleurs.com
Baker: So Sweet, www.SoSweetCo.com
Caterer: Sweet Belgium, www.Sweet-Belgium.com
Linens: www.Amazon.com
