Modern Sophisticate



WRITER CREDIT: 
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
Modern Sophisticate | <p> Melissa Barton of A Charleston Bride shows how easy creating an elegant setting can be when you stay neutral</p>
When A Charleston Bride’s Melissa Barton was tasked with turning a cinderblock wall into a chic cake-table scenario, she opted for low-key glamour. The results prove you can make over any setting. Her favorite element, she says, was the fabric backdrop she and her team erected. “It’s an incredibly easy way to add a dramatic touch,” she says. “The hanging also adds a unique element to the cake table, a part of the reception that is so often overlooked.” Once Melissa and crew settled on the overall concept, they opted for a neutral palette offset with art deco-style trappings and vintage pieces in silver and gold.


COLOR BLOCK
(above) A Charleston Bride purchased three-yard swaths of material from Hancock Fabrics in neutral suedes, velvets, and sheers. They cut each into 18- to 24-inch wide strips. Using a pipe frame from Life of the Party, they affixed a 2-by-4-inch wooden board across the top with zip ties. Next, they overlapped the frame with fabric and stapled each piece to the backside of the wood. The fondant-covered cake from Delicious Desserts was decorated in the same colors as the wall hanging and accented with a flower lined in gold for contrast.




TIME TO TOAST
(above) Many modern-day weddings embrace the trend toward signage-as-art. An added bonus for DIY brides? There are plenty of treats to dress your home long after the reception has wrapped. Case in point: A Charleston Bride commissioned Studio R to fashion a “Toast the Twosome” print in the same font and colors as the cake tags. They then slipped that piece into a galvanized metal frame from Celadon and voilà! Directions that act as décor and a keepsake frame for the couple. 




LEAN ON ME
(above) We’ve all seen it—a stunning bouquet laying like a toppled mushroom by a wedding cake. Sidestep that sad fate with a little embellishment, as A Charleston Bride did here. Purchase glass vases from a floral supply shop, then turn each bottom up and spray-paint all over in gold. After vases are fully dry, use them to prop up bouquets, or place weights at the base of each, drop your bouquets in, fill with water, and place on tables or bars at the reception. Too busy to tackle any of this on your Big Day? Enlist your maid of honor.




NATTY NAPKINS
(above) You’re sure to have leftover material after making this fabric hanging, so cut remnants into 9-by-9-inch squares with pinking shears and fold each into a napkin. In lieu of a cake sign, consider making what Studio R did for the Delicious Desserts confection: tags tied to champagne flutes inviting guests to sample the treat.

Event Design, Florals, Vases, & Lucite Plates: A Charleston Bride, www.acharlestonbride.com
Signage: Studio R, www.studio-r-design.com
Fabric: Hancock Fabrics, www.hancockfabrics.com
Baker: Delicious Desserts, www.verydeliciousdesserts.com
Table, Bar Cart, & Background Frame: Life of the Party, Ooh! Events, www.OohEvents.com
China, Glassware, & Silver: Polished, www.PolishedTabletop.com
 

The Wedding Row

July 16 2019
The Wedding Row: So, tell us how it all began.  Meaghen: We met at Fisher College back in 2005. It was my second semester and Brett had just transferred in. He frequented the house parties my...

July 15 2019
Back in high school, Brian stood at the top of his football field’s bleachers and screamed into a megaphone while holding a 10- foot sign. All in the hopes that this cute cheerleader named Lindsey...

July 12 2019
A mutual friend and a 90s cover band are to thank for uniting Kristen and Shane back in 2016. The two, while listening to some live tunes, were introduced and it seems they have never looked back....

July 11 2019
A week before Mary Lake was to depart for her freshman year at Clemson University, a mutual friend introduced her to Tyler, a fellow Charleston-ian, and a fellow incoming Tiger. Having written off...

July 10 2019
These two Terps Alumni (that’s the University of Maryland, for those fans only familiar with the SEC) Natalie and Will dated for six whopping years before getting engaged. Over their stint of time as...

July 9 2019
You’re now welcome to board the love story that is Anne-Kyle & Drew. Now, this first sentence may not make sense at the moment but trust us, the meaning will hit you in just a second. These two...

July 8 2019
It’s not like we needed it (we already live on the surface of the sun), but this wedding warms our hearts up to the highest degree. Megan and Chase exchanged their vows last fall at the Gadsden House...

July 2 2019
Claire and Jay are one of those couples that we just want to be friends with. They exude cool and have that “it” factor that makes you love them instantly (even though we have never met them). But...