Quit cruising Etsy. Forget crafting 20 table markers on your own. Instead, rally the gals for a date at AR Workshop Mt. Pleasant (843/501-0776,
ARWorkshop.com/MtPleasant). In three hours or less, you can complete custom décor for your Big Day—BYO sips and snacks on hand.
“We have over 50 designs created just for weddings,” says Paige Hutzler, owner of the national brand’s local outpost. Visitors can stencil wooden welcome signs, paint cake stands, personalize pillow covers, and construct centerpiece boxes. “Getting to play with power tools and learning new skills is a blast!”
As a mom with a creative side hustle—building picture frames— Paige first read about AR Workshop in 2016. Founders Maureen Anders and Adria Ruff hail from her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, and “As soon as I saw their new DIY workshop concept, I was hooked.” Paige opened the business’s 19th location two years ago. Today, there are more than 120.
Visitors pick a project (typically ranging from $39-$75) online, then register for a corresponding class. Students meet on the assigned date and gather around five work tables, each one tended by an instructor. And while solo crafters are super common, the studio’s also a hot spot for bachelorette parties and bridal showers. Groups can rent out the whole place (it seats 30) or join a public class, but Paige suggests you make your reservations at least a couple weeks in advance.
And for those who need goodies to help the creative juices flow, Paige (of course) welcomes decked out, catered sessions. “Decorations are welcome and we have a ‘Drink bAR’ where guests can set up food and drinks,” says Paige. Productive partying? We’re all in.
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Work Wonders
Materials, instructors, and templates for everything from wooden signs to stamped jewelry (hello, bridesmaids’ gifts!) await at AR Workshop.
