Sublime Elegance

Summer 2013

WRITER CREDIT:

PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT:

Sublime Elegance | European elegance meets bohemian-chic sensibility for this fête at Lowndes Grove Plantation

Charleston Wedding The Maxx wedding Ben Silver Lowndes Grove Plantation veil ooh! events Flowers gown Fish Garden Lowndes Grove modern trousseau Shoes

Sublime Elegance

NATURAL INSTINCTS: Lorianna wore a 2008 Liancarlo gown and custom-made Modern Trousseau veil. Mark donned a Tallia suit.

WISPY WONDER: Ooh! Events arranged the bride’s bouquet with garden roses, delphinium, anemones, ranunculus, stock, chamomile, and astilbe. In memory of her late grandmother, Lorianna wrapped her grandmother’s rosary around her bouquet.

MEANT TO BE: “I saw a picture of a model wearing this bracelet on the Australian wedding site The Lane (www.thelane.com) and I had to find it,” says Lorianna. “The designer is Samantha Wills (www.samanthawills.com).”

LUXURY & LACE: After a long day of dress shopping, Lorianna made a last-minute appointment at Claire Dratch bridal salon in Bethesda, Maryland, where she found her dream Liancarlo gown. Though it was a sample from 2008, Lorianna had it tailored to fit, and then glammed it up with vintage jewelry.

TAKE TWO: Lorianna switched from her 1920s-styled custom Modern Trousseau veil to a crystal and floral ribbon headpiece from “Icing on the Cake” for the reception.

DAPPER GENTLEMAN: Mark dressed up his Tallia suit with a light blue tie and braces from Charleston’s Ben Silver.

FINISHING TOUCHES: “I had planned on wearing a flower crown during the whole reception but when I saw this piece by Icing on the Cake, it just was perfect,” says Lorianna, who got the find from Elysium Salon.

CHARLESTON CLASSIC: An old-fashioned Charleston green trolley transported guests to the ceremony at Lowndes Grove Plantation.

STYLED CHILD: Lorianna and Mark’s ring bearing nephew wore vintage-inspired newsboy pants, a cotton top from H&M, and Blue Pony suspenders.

COUNTRY CHARM: Straw fans were placed on chivari chairs, giving a French country feel to the outdoor ceremony.

SIMPLE SETUP: “I didn’t want to overdo the wedding with too many design elements,” says Lorianna. Simple, soft décor elements—like the wooden entrance table decorated with a white eyelet tablecloth and straw baskets filled with programs—enhanced the ceremony’s pastoral mood.

HEAVENLY MUSIC: The ceremony vocalist wore a floral crown by Ooh! Events.

HALO EFFECT: Flower girls wore waxflower, cha- momile, spray roses, and ivy crowns by Ooh! Events.

WATERFRONT BEAUTY: “Lowndes Grove had so many elements we love—water, Spanish moss, a gorgeous house, not to mention the most amazing view of the sunset,” says the bride. “It’s amazing how little you need when you have a setting that beautiful!”

OPEN-AIR AFFAIR: “Draping the tent frame in cool white fabric allowed for ample natural light, and when the sun set, candles and chandeliers created ambiance,” says Lorianna.

ALFRESCO ELEGANCE: Ooh Events! arranged white tables and chivari chairs by the water so that guests could enjoy the Ashley River while taking their cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

READY TO ROLL: For cocktail hour and the reception, Ooh! Events set up a mirrored bar and rustic rolling bookshelf, and Fish restaurant served the food and spirits.

PINK FIZZ: “I loved that we served champagne with a dash of Chambord at cocktail hour,” says Lorianna. “It gave it a little different taste and a blush color that I liked.”

BEVERAGE CART: An antique gold beverage cart hosted a pyramid of glasses for a polished, elegant display.

LANDSCAPE ARTISTS: Baby’s breath tucked into ferns created an airy hedge along the aisle.

COMFORT ZONE: Ooh! Events designed the backyard reception lounge as a homey and intimate outdoor living room with a hanging daybed, simple statement chairs, printed fabric pillows, and a rustic wooden chandelier.

BLANC BEAUTY: “I did not want a color scheme,” says the bride, so the designers went with a muted, airy color palette of soft champagne, cream, and just a drop of blush. Tabletops were kept simple with white linens, clear glassware, and light pink roses for centerpieces.

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Lorianna and Mark, each having three siblings, chose their sisters and brothers to be their bridal party. The bride’s two sisters wore bridesmaid attire of their choosing—neutral colored dresses with a little glitz that fit the wedding’s overall style.

PLAYFUL COMPANY: The whimsically dressed flower girls and ring bearers took a break from playing outside to pose for a picture with their Aunt Lorianna.

SUNSET SMOOCH: After the 4:30 p.m. ceremony, the blissful bride and groom took waterfront photographs on Lowndes Grove’s dock.

CREATIVE MINDS: Ooh! Events took a unique spin on the idea of a reception tent, replacing the traditional canvas canopy with swaths of fabric. When the day turned to night, bulb strands, chandeliers, and candles cast a warm glow on wedding goers.

FLOAT AWAY: Printed pillows dressed up the hanging bed.

BENEATH THE STARS: The tent frame transformed the outdoor space into a room setting, while the fabric and lighting gave the illusion of a tent top open to the stars, says Ooh! Events’ Lisa Thomas. Bride Lorianna says the open-air tent was the party’s most striking design element.

SEALD WITH A KISS: After the cake cutting, Lorianna slipped into a flirty dancing dress—from online Australian boutique Esther—and donned one of Ooh’s floral crowns for a fanciful, romantic look to end the special night. Wrapped up in love, the newlyweds snuck a kiss beneath the canopy of shimmering lights.

June 2013

Real-Life Weddings

Photographs by:

Virgil Bunao Photography

Lorianna Ferrogine & Mark Stickler
October 19, 2012
Lowndes Grove Plantation

Sometimes in love, if you take a backseat, fate intervenes. Take Annapolis, Maryland’s Lorianna Ferrogine and Mark Stickler, who met while sharing a cab during a blizzard. Three years later, the couple was engaged and turned to Ooh! Events to design their wedding at Lowndes Grove Plantation. Lorianna hoped for a marriage of European garden elegance and carefree Bohemian chic, which Ooh’s Lisa Thomas embraced. “If you’re willing to try new things, it’s fun to balance differing design elements,” says Lisa, who created a “barefoot in the French countryside” vibe. Dressed in a light palette of champagne, cream, and blush, delicate accents like tall, wispy flowers, comfortable lounge furniture, and an open-sky tent filled the plantation grounds with Lowcountry luxury and French country warmth.

Vendor List

Baker: Sugar Bakeshop; www.sugarbake.com
Band: The Maxx; www.eastcoastentertainment.com
Bride’s gown and shoes: Liancarlo from Claire Dratch (gown), www.clairedratch.net; Zara Collection (shoes), www.zara.com
Bride’s reception dress: Esther Australia; www.esther.com.au
Bride’s veil and headpiece: Modern Trousseau Charleston (veil), www.moderntrousseausc.com; “Icing on the Cake” Charleston (headpiece)
Caterer: Fish; www.fishrestaurantcharleston.com
Ceremony and Reception Location: Lowndes Grove Plantation; www.pphgcharleston.com
Groom’s attire: Tallia (suit); www.talliaorange.com; Hugo Boss (shoes); www.hugoboss.com; Ben Silver (braces); www.bensilver.com
Makeup: Bellelina; www.bellelina.com
Musicians (ceremony and cocktail hour): Classical Charleston; www.classicalcharleston.com
Photographer: Virgil Bunao Photography; www.virgilbunao.com
Planners, rentals, linens and florist: Lisa Thomas and Jerri Heater, Ooh! Events; www.oohevents.com
Stationery: The Paper Trousseau in Severna Park, Maryland; www.thepapertrousseau.com
Video Extras: Wedit flip clams; www.wedit.com

Lori and Mark (Trailer) from Virgil Bunao on Vimeo.

The Wedding Row

December 10 2018

Arlene & Andrew | Engagement Session

After connecting on Tinder (both are adamant that they were each on it for a short, short while) Charleston residents Arlene and Andrew met at a local café where she says she knew she was in trouble—...

December 7 2018

Kayla & Reed | Legare Waring House

Did you know we typically save our most blockbuster weddings to post on Fridays? It’s true. So knowing that, and that this couple got engaged in Italy (on a gondola in Venice, no less), and that they...

December 6 2018

Brooks & Tryvge | Private Residence

Seems like you don’t even need to be Irish to have some of their fabled luck. Take Trygve and Brooks for instance: The pair met in Columbus, Ohio, via Match.com and went on their first date on St....

December 5 2018

Mike & Kierstin | Boone Hall Plantation

Any first date can be intimidating, and especially so when it’s a blind date. In fact, butterflies got to Kierstin so bad when she was set up by a friend to meet Mike, she canceled. Luckily, Kierstin...

December 4 2018

Olivia & Sam | Magnolia Plantation & Gardens

After dating for three-and-a-half years, Olivia and Sam were visiting her family in Columbia, South Carolina, for the Fourth of July when the whole crew decided a day trip to Charleston was in order...

December 3 2018

Ashley & Brian | Engagement Session

When they met up for a reunion with a group of their fellow missionaries a year after all had spent a week in Savannah, Georgia, Ashley and Brian hit it off—bigtime. That encounter launched the pair...

November 30 2018

Paula & Tyler | Boone Hall Plantation

Yes, Paula and Tyler’s Boone Hall Plantation wedding is a dream to look at. But we have to say the backstory to their day is just as inspiring. There’s just something about a couple who knows...

November 29 2018

Vendor of the Month: Ginny Leavitt of the Healthy Bride Experience

Is wedding planning getting to you? Say hello to Charleston’s newest feel-better motivator, Ginny Leavitt, the health coach behind Healthy Bride Experience, a program that helps brides-to-be look and...

Feature

Where Butterflies Gather

Two local nature lovers proclaim their eternal "I dos" surrounded by earthy and elegant elements

Feature

Camera-Ready

Bridal portraits make a comeback, especially for the theatrically minded

Feature

Breezy Barefoot Nuptials

A Mount Pleasant pair say “I do”—or in the groom’s case, “Absolutely!”—along the Charleston Harbor shore

Feature

Roses Are Red…

Andrea Zucker & Nicolas Muzin; July 3, 2006, North Charleston Area Convention Center

Feature

Seeing a Pattern

Brianna Barker & Evan Gropper, February 18, 2012, Lowndes Grove Plantation

Feature

Surprise Twist

After nearly a decade together, a pair of Charleston lawyers invite 14 family members to the chicest of small weddings—and share one big announcement

Feature

Get Gorgeous

Three top-of-the line cosmetics shops open throughout the Lowcountry, showering brides with new looks, products, & services

Feature

Great Thinking!

Warm up a cool weather wedding with autumnal hues like this charmer at The William Aiken House

Feature

Bachelorette Weekend Musts

We picked the top 12 Charleston Airbnb.com Experiences for bachelorettes

Feature

Backyard Beauty

Join us for a garden wedding at one of Charleston’s most storied addresses and get tips for hosting your own haute affair

Feature

Getting Married? How to Change Your Name

Step-by-step instructions to go from Ms. to Mrs. in South Carolina

Feature

Bon Appetit

<p> Serve up Charleston’s tastiest traditions at your wedding events</p>

Feature

Cultural Union

Colorfully ornate details and subdued elegance marry beautifully in this Indian-American wedding

Feature

Fall Lightens Up

Catherine Elcock & Aaron Schwartz; October 31, 2009, Lowndes Grove

Feature

Singular Sensation

Chloe Byers & Paul Hotze, December 31, 2011, Lowndes Grove Plantation

Feature

Once & Again

A rustic wedded retreat at The Lake House at Bulow

Feature

Party People

From a fresh lineup of handsome event spaces to clever services and classic styles, connect with your most compatible wedding partners

Feature

Edited to Perfection

What does a Pure Luxe Bride planner do when it's her turn at the altar?

Feature

Bigger Is Better

Leigh Webber's macro shots of flowers make great wedding party gifts

Feature

Tiers of Joy

Wedding cakes may be a centuries-old tradition, but that hasn’t stopped them from evolving right alongside wedding design. Here, we share a few swoon-worthy styles by local pastry chefs.