Happy at Home

WRITER CREDIT:

PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT:

Happy at Home | Host a reception where you grew up? Sure! This Charleston bride shares how she squeezed 300-plus guests into her parent’s Ansonborough abode

Charleston Wedding Croghan’s Jewel Box Lashes and Lace Anne Barge wedding Big Day bow Daniel Island White Cru Catering calligraphy Nüage Design food ooh! events Yoj Events EventWorks gown Garden Shoes

Photographs by:

Clay Austin Photography

Coleman Short and Tom Hawkins

Summer 2017

“The thought of having my wedding at home was so incredibly special to me that every other venue I looked at, no matter how beautiful, never felt right,” says Charleston-native Coleman Short, who tied the knot with Tom Hawkins last summer. “Home is where all of my memories had been made, so when my parents gave me the option to have the reception there, it was a no-brainer.” The bride, whose family has resided in the same Hasell Street house for 30-some years, and Yoj Events went to great lengths to pull off the impossible: a seamless, massive yet personal party downtown. Read on for tips.

Coleman’s Can-do Approach to Hosting at Home

Be a good neighbor. Coleman’s family invited their block to a cocktail party to ask for approval to host the wedding at home, and then invited attendees to the Big Day. On the weekend-of, neighbors on outlying streets received champagne, ear plugs, and thank-you notes. The couple got permits to shut down the street and abided by the neighborhood association’s 10:30 p.m. noise ordinance.

Spread out. Caterers set up in a next-door driveway, while the guests roamed from the garden to the piazzas, home, and beyond thanks to seating, food tables, and bars that were placed to create party flow.

Stretch your space. In lieu of traditional seats for all, cocktail and lounge setups, small tables and chairs, joggling boards, and more provided respite. Virtually invisible ghost chairs placed on the lawn kept clutter at a minimum; draping masked an upscale outdoor rental restroom.

Plan for parking. Guests were encouraged to Uber or hire pedicabs, while those who drove were given parking maps.

Vendors

Design, coordination, draping: Yoj Events

Photography: Clay Austin Photography

Venues: The Parsonage House (bridal party preparation venue); The Charleston Place (groom’s party); First Scots Presbyterian Church (ceremony); private home (reception) 5Church (wedding after party)

Florals: Stephanie Gibbs Events

Catering, bar service: Cru Catering

Cake: Ashley Bakery

Rentals: Ooh! Events (chandeliers, tables, bar stools, keg bar); EventWorks (tables, ghost chairs, linens, china, glassware, flatware, tents, dancefloor, fans); Production Design Associates (stage, cafe lighting, main bar, generator); Nature’s Calling (restroom trailer); The French Eclectic (rugs); Nüage Designs (guest tables, cocktail table linens)

Bride’s attire: Anne Barge from White on Daniel Island (gown); Croghan’s Jewel Box (earrings, bracelet, necklace); Badgley Mischka (shoes); Nadya D. Studio Design & Alterations (alterations); Cacky’s Bride Aid (dresser)

Junior bridesmaids’ attire: The Dessy Group

Beauty: Lashes and Lace

Groom’s attire: Hart Schaffner Marx (tux); Cole Haan (shoes); Bonobos (bow tie and cummerbun); King Jeweler (cufflinks)

Videographer: Paragon Filmworks

Lighting: Production Design Associates

Calligraphy: Loco Calligraphy by Leaha Gathing

Stationery: Chatham and Caron Letterpress (save the dates); Elaine Bergman (invitations); Dodeline Design (programs)

The Wedding Row

April 29 2019

Bachelorette Session | Isle of Palms

If you’ve ever walked down King Street on a Saturday evening, you know Charleston’s the “It City” for bachelorette parties. So when North Carolina native and bride-to-be Cristen decided to hold her...

April 26 2019

Kaitlin & Allan | The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island

The latest Charleston Weddings magazine features the journey of Kaitlin and her hubby Allan, who defied the odds and overcame a traumatic brain injury to join his bride at the altar on their Big Day...

April 25 2019

Morgan & Chase | Hibernian Hall

When Morgan and her family attended Folly Gras 2015 (a Mardi Gras celebration held annually on Folly Beach), she had no inclination she’d meet her future husband. But when she caught up with her best...

April 24 2019

Vendor Spotlight | Mercantile & Mash

Few things get us through a hump day better than fantasizing about fantastic food and lip-smacking libations. So we thought it was a good time to reach out to Graham Ervin, director of sales at The...

April 23 2019

Hannah & Jonathan | Oldfield

We profiled Hannah and Jonathan’s super lovely wedding in the spring issue of Charleston Weddings, but we weren’t able to include all they had to say, and we had a ton of bonus images to share with...

April 22 2019

Tabletop Styled Shoot | Merchants Hall

Samantha Anderson Events teamed up with Lyndi and Jason Photography to turn a no-fun subject—your wedding budget—on its head. The trick? Samantha dressed three tables at three different price points...

April 19 2019

Blake & Charles | The Gadsden House

Blake, a wedding planner for Pure Luxe Bride, recently had the chance to plan her own Big Day. She and now-husband Charles met in an accounting class at College of Charleston, and a few years later...

April 18 2019

Elizabeth & James | Engagement Session

Here’s a rare wedding bird these days: A Charleston-raised couple prepping to say “I do” here in their own backyard. As Elizabeth and James keep on with the planning, here’s a little about the...