Elegant, Naturally | Tara Guérard Soirée shows how magnolia leaves make the most elegant of rustic statements in this al fresco Fenwick Hall plantation wedding
Atlanta natives Mary and Reid dated seven years before swapping “I do’s,” but she’d had her eye on a Lowcountry plantation wedding even longer. “My sister got married on Pawleys Island, where we grew up going to the beach,” she explains. “I always knew I wanted a similar experience.” When her own time came, Mary borrowed elements from her sister’s Big Day—a luxuriously draped tent, elegantly rustic appointments, and Tara Guérard Soirée’s planning expertise—and entrusted Soirée to make the day uniquely hers and Reid’s. Laughs the bride, “Honestly, once we found the venue, I was just along for the ride!” The end result was a stunning day with gentle references to the season, a palette of brown, grey, and cream, and thousands of magnolia leaves lining the ceremony aisle and hanging above the dining tables. A lounge stocked with wraps upped the cozy factor, as did velvet and sueded linens and Moravian star lanterns. Says Mary, “I could never have described what I wanted in words, but Tara was dead-on.”
Tips
• Don’t get caught in the dark. Check sunset times before planning your open-air wedding timeline.
• Customize drinks with personalized swizzle sticks. Here, the “Raji” was a bourbon and muddled mint concoction Reid invented at a friend’s wedding.
• Remember envelope liners can add a burst of color. Watercolors evoking oaks and Spanish moss harkened the wedding site’s landscape.
• Pair rustic elements with delicate ones. The mix of wood slice place cards and sprigs of rosemary looked downright lovely atop intricately patterned china.
Been wondering why go the extra mile for a bridal portrait shoot? While the tradition began in Southern Europe, at a time when affluent families would hire an artist to paint the picture, we’ve come...
Like any solid relationship, Ali DuRant and Quinn Foster’s foundation began in friendship. They met at a July Fourth party on Sullivan’s Island in 2013. But it was a fated bus ride to a USC vs. UGA...
You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Or can you? The old adage implying you can’t have it both ways didn’t ring true with Lauren Margaret Snyder and Robert “Bo” William Bledsoe’s May 1st...
Need ideas for your wedding color palette? If you missed this bold and beautiful mock wedding (inspired by a to-die-for metallic rose gold Shelby Cobra convertible) in the latest installment of...
Love’s Timeline
New Yorkers Philip (Phil) and Brittany (Britt) Mcphail’s first brief meeting was at a concert. Five years later, at Britt’s cousin’s house, the two happened to...
A Charleston Rehearsal Dinner | Introductions
Laura-Brooke and Ryan both grew up in Florence, South Carolina, but they didn’t meet until a college spring break trip to Myrtle Beach in 2015. The S.C....
But What If It Rains?
Anybody who has ever planned a wedding has asked themselves this question. When you’re spending big money and planning for months, nobody wants the forecast to quite...
“Falling” In Love
Picture this. You’re in college, on your way to class. Your crush steps out of the building door two feet in front of you … and you immediately trip over your shoes. You...
Celebrate the season in sweet fashion with a feast for the eyes and palate. Gathering Events and a trio of Charleston’s top pastry chefs inspire just that with these swoon-worthy dessert tables
From new dress shops to chic stuff for your mom (and mom-in-law), and lipstick that’s so pretty you’ll pucker right up, here’s the latest in wedding style headlines