Indulging in Romance

Spring 2013

WRITER CREDIT:

PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT:

Indulging in Romance | Crystal Hardwick & Matthew Herring, June 16, 2012, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort

wedding wedding cake Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal wedding planning Big Day Daniel Island White Colonial Lake Halls Halls Chophouse Lettered Olive pearls

BEST DRESSED: Crystal chose an Amsale Blue Label gown from White on Daniel Island. Matt wore a suit from Express.

TRIPLE THREAT: A trifecta of sweets from Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal included a strawberry confection, its peach-flavored twin, and a large almond-amaretto cake, all three frosted with rich, buttercream icing. Tara Guérard Soirée designed a canopy of gauzy, coffee-colored curtains to showcase the treats.

GIVING THANKS: The bridal party was gifted with vintage hairpins and earrings to accent their champagne-colored frocks by Bari Jay. Groomsmen, in Express, received designer wallets.

SOMETHING OLD: Lettered Olive incorporated the lace pattern from Crystal's mother's veil into the stationery suite.

LANDSCAPING 101: The Soirée team constructed a draped canopy and arranged an arc of garden stepping stones where the bridesmaids and groomsmen stood during the ceremony.

SWEET AND SIMPLE: Soirée's full-bodied bouquets blended ivory and soft pink dahlias, garden roses, and spray roses.

PRETTY AS A PRINCESS: Matt's niece, Avery Cate (here in a tulle frock from Laurie's Tutu Boutique), scattered petals across the aisle before the ceremony.

HEAD TO TOE: The bride wore old-fashioned wedding shoes with satin laces custom-made by British company Bespoke Big Day.

PILLOW TALK: Crystal crocheted the cover for the ring bearer's cushion and tied a pair of roses on top with sheer ribbon.

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Crystal fell in love with the vintage wedding box she stumbled across on Etsy.com and ended up using it to transport the groom and groomsmen’s pink garden rose boutonnieres.

OOPSY DAISY: Matt’s nephew Tate made a quick about-face after dropping his precious cargo: the couple’s rings.

VEILED COMPLEMENT: As a wedding day surprise, Crystal donned the veil her mother wore in her own ceremony.

PRIVATE PROPERTY: Says Crystal, "We love how secluded the Ocean Course is. We had the entire property all to ourselves, and it felt very serene."

BUSY BEE: Crystal took on the project of finding classic antique frames to display each photo.

MINI-ME: Five-year-old Avery and her three-year-old brother Tate looked just as snazzy as the bride and groom.

INSPIRED TASTE: In addition to the couple's stationery, Crystal's lace veil inspired the designs on Jim Smeal's cakes.

NICE TOUCH: Dinner plate dahlias floated in silver bowls that were placed atop doilies.

SIGNATURE SIP: Soirée filled small corked glass bottles with pink Lowcountry Lemonade (made with peach schnapps), tied them off with lace, and served each with a striped straw.

SEASONAL CHOICE: Delicate white chairs and linens were perfect for the warm-weather wedding.

TICKLE ME PINK: Curtain tiebacks made from rose bouquets echoed the event's palette of neutral shades paired with white and blush pink.

IT’S ALL RELATIVE: For a personal touch, Crystal assembled old family photos to mix in with the taper candles and bunches of roses.

MUSIC MAN: Crystal's advice for brides-to-be? "Add personal touches to make your wedding special and unique to you." For her part, Crystal commissioned this cake topper (the figurines were dressed like the bride and groom) from TheSmallObject.com. The guitar is an ode to the groom's love of music--Matt rocked Charleston for 10 years as the lead singer and guitarist of Milhouse.

GETTING CRAFTY: “I used postcard-sized pieces of wood from Michaels and decorated them with stationery, lace, and pearls,” says Crystal, explaining how she made the cards for guests and their well wishes. Feathered pens completed the look.

DINNER BY CANDLELIGHT: After the sun went down, guests tucked into crab cakes, filet mignon, swordfish, and more before migrating to a gathering room where family photos, candlelight, and Michael Jackson tribute band Who's Bad waited.

LOUNGING AROUND: Soirée filled the clubhouse with intimate seating areas and dressed chandeliers with ropes of pearls and garlands of flowers. "The roses and candlelight created a beautiful, romantic atmosphere," says Crystal.

MONKEY BUSINESS: "I love all banana desserts with a passion," says Crystal. In her honor, tiny pots of crème brûlée topped with caramelized bananas were served along with Southern-style banana pudding and bananas foster.

ANTIQUE ROADSHOW: The newlyweds climbed into a 1931 Ford Model A and headed to The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island before embarking for Antigua the next morning.

Photographs by:

Virgil Bunao Photography

When Crystal Hardwick’s best friend was nervous for her first face-to-face with an online suitor, Crystal faithfully tagged along as her wingman. Turns out great minds think alike: the guy brought along a friend, too—Matt Herring—and the second stringers hit it off. “We each knew we had met someone special,” says Crystal, “and we’ve been together ever since. In a few short months, I realized Matt was my soul mate.”

One May afternoon, the couple, who lives on Daniel Island, was taking a stroll downtown with their shih tzu, Lily Ann, when Matt suggested they stop to sit on a park bench near Colonial Lake.
The pleasant break turned into a heartfelt proposal with a ring, but the surprise wasn’t over. “Matt had made reservations at Halls Chophouse, where we’d celebrated our one-year anniversary,”
explains Crystal. “Everyone at the restaurant met us at the door with champagne and congratulations. It was perfect!”

When it came to wedding planning and décor, Crystal wanted romance, lace, and pearls. She decided on a venue—the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island—and a palette of blush, champagne, and peach. Then she entrusted Tara Guérard Soirée to take care of the big picture while she got crafty with the personal details, like vintage music sheets (for the ceremony programs), old frames (for family photos), and lace doilies (for table runners). As guests arrived at Kiawah on the Big Day, they were greeted with champagne and chocolate chip cookies, and after the “I dos,” everyone took their seats for a dinner at sunset. Says Crystal, “The entire day was a dream come true.”

Vendor List

Baker: Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal; www.weddingcakesbyjimsmeal.com
Bridal attire: Amsale, White on Daniel Island; www.whiteondi.com
Bridesmaid attire: Bari Jay; www.barijay.com
Caterer: The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort; www.kiawahresort.com/golf/the-ocean-course/
Florist, linens, planner, and rentals: Tara Guérard Soirée;www.taraguerardsoiree.com
Groom and groomsmen’s attire: Express; www.express.com
Musicians: Who’s Bad; www.whosbadmusic.com
Photographer: Virgil Bunao Photography; www.virgilbunao.com
Stationery: Lettered Olive; www.theletteredolive.com

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