Luxe Welcome



WRITER CREDIT: 
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 

Emily Slater and Lindsay Bissell know how to make a great first impression—even on each other. Cofounders of the gifting service A Signature Welcome (678/372-5127), they became fast friends on move-in day freshman year at the University of Georgia. Ten years later, both had moved to Charleston when Emily, a wedding magazine veteran and Lindsay, a graduate of Parsons The New School for Design, found themselves gabbing about what Emily would have done differently for her nuptials.

 

Welcome bags topped her short list, and that chat birthed a business that has caught the fancy of top-notch planners like Yoj Events and Easton Events, among others, as well as the luxury retreat group Bliss & Bespoke. Bridal gown designers like Carol Hannah Whitfield and Heidi Elnora have been on the receiving end of their surcey boxes, and when Victoria’s Secret “angel” Lindsay Ellingson tied the knot at Palmetto Bluff last fall, she enlisted the duo to greet her guests in luxe style.

 

Curated contents are customized to each client and range from home-baked treats (they can package up Mom’s snickerdoodles) to your favorite imported soaps, hand-poured candles, or cocktail bitters. Full-service gifting starts at $1,500; the rate depends on gift contents, packaging, and quantity. Popular mini kits include the Revelry + Remedy Kit (ibuprofen, bandages, and more) to a Sun Kit (sunscreen, sunglasses, and a Turkish towel).

 

But the irresistible draws? High-end packaging options that melt a Pinterest lover’s heart—custom monograms and logos; calligraphed tags; wood-burnt balsa wood boxes; fine silk ribbonry—hand delivery, and a bespoke boutique experience overall. 

The Wedding Row

January 4 2019
Now, we’ve run our fair share of gorgeous weddings at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, but we swear we think this wins the award for most gorgeous to date. It makes sense, though, considering...

January 2 2019
On the heels of New Year’s we needed a classic wedding with black-tie panache to carry us through the rest of this holiday-wind-down week. Enter Vera and Brien’s dreamy day, lovingly designed by A...

December 31 2018
We searched high and low for a wedding to close out the New Year, and what better pick than Annie and Matt, whose ceremony ended with the officiant (the bride’s brother-in-law, or in this case, we’re...

December 28 2018
Here’s a little discussed fact: A great DJ can make (or break) a wedding. And the difference between a first dance that has everyone sighing and posting (instead of cringing) and a party that...

December 27 2018
Here’s the thing: Charleston’s in the tropics, more or less. And here in the jungle, it rains from time to time, which can put a damper on a portrait sesh out and about if you don’t plan well. The...

December 26 2018
Ok, people. Yes, you’re gonna love Jesse and Will’s wedding photos (al fresco reception in the Old Village? Yes, please!). But their proposal story? It might even beat the pretty out for best in show...

December 21 2018
Lindsey and José didn’t start off on the right foot (he didn’t do a double-take when he first met her at Boston College, so she gave him the same indifferent treatment, and sparks didn’t fly for...