The Ultimate After-Party?



PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
The Ultimate After-Party? | Charleston influencers Andrea Serrano and Liz Martin stage the bridal luncheon they say you need
Here’s a thought: Why not host a bridal luncheon for your inner circle after the Big Day? That was the thinking behind this shoot put together by the two girl-bosses of The Curated Weekend, a social media managing outfit and content creation group run by Andrea Serrano and Liz Martin. (The two recently embarked on their partnership; Andrea’s known for her Charleston Shop Curator blog and Liz for both her Charleston Weekender blog and Cannonborough Collective boutique, where everything from gifts to seriously ’gram-worthy balloons are sold.)
 
“The wedding weekend becomes so much about the bride,” says Liz, “that scheduling time with your besties gets squeezed in as time allows.” When you all gather post-“I do’s” you can break down the best of the wedding weekend, fill each other in on what was missed, and reconnect for the newest chapters in each other’s lives. And because every get-together goes better with a theme, Andrea and Liz came up with a “The Golden Girls” styled brunch to say “Thank you for being a friend” (for the uninitiated, that’s the theme song from the 1980s show about four golden-years women living together in a tropical retirement community). Take a look at what they put together in the gallery and tune into their takeaways.
 
TRY THESE TAKEAWAYS
 
Hand-address invites.
No matter the scale of the gathering, Andrea and Liz say hand-addressing sets a more intimate tone.
 
Say “Yes” to a staycation.
Make your gathering a getaway and book one of the myriad rentals around town just for the day. 
 
Pick a theme and coordinating palette.
The wedding festivities may have passed, but you can still pamper yourselves with a posh party. Edit your decorations, florals, and palette. Here, they filled the house with tropical plants, rattan elements, and pastels—all apropos for “The Golden Girls” theme.
 
Gift some goodies.
Assemble themed swag for your honorees. The pineapple earrings they picked impart a tropical “welcome.”
 
Slip into something comfortable.
Greet guests with a pair of slippers (like these Birdies from The Skinny Dip Charleston) upon arrival.
 
Outsource.
Consider putting aside a small portion of your wedding budget for your after-the-fact bridal luncheon to allow for hiring a caterer and florist (like Hamby's Catering and Events and Petaloso here).
 
Vendors
 
Shoot design, coordination: The Curated Weekend, TheCuratedWeekend@Gmail.com
Wardrobe stylist: ​Charleston Shop Curator, www.charlestonshopcurator.com
Prop stylist:​ CharlestonWeekender (Liz Martin with Keely Laughlin), www.thecharlestonweekender.com
Location, weavings: ​ sunwoven, www.sunwovenstudio.com
Images: ​Julie Livingston Photography, www.julielivingstonphotography.com
Catering: ​Hamby Catering & Events, www.hambycatering.com
Flowers:​ Petaloso, www.wearepetaloso.com
Nails: ​Lu.nu.la Nail Lab, www.lunulanaillab.com
Place settings, tabletops: ​Vieuxtemps, www.vieuxtemps.net
Furniture (peacock chairs, planters, white lanterns):​ Celadon, www.celadonathome.com
Paper goods, calligraphy: The Town Serif, www.thetownserif.com
Clothing: ​Beckett Boutique, www.beckettboutique.com
Eyeglasses: Celadon, www.celadonathome.com
Favors: Spartina 449 (jewelry, handbags) www.spartina449.com ; ​The Skinny Dip Charleston (slippers) www.shopthedip.com
Beauty: ​Silhouette on Site (makeup), www.silhouetteonsite.com
Models: Liz Martin, Andrea Serrano (@TheCuratedWeekend, TheCuratedWeekend@Gmail.com); Danielle Fabrega (www.thetownserif.com); Duolan Li (www.xiaobaobiscuit.com)

 

The Wedding Row

February 24 2020
Molly and Chris’s colleagues at J.P. Morgan in New York had a feeling the two were perfect for each other and tried for months to set them up. When they finally met up at an event? Cue: magic. Over...

February 24 2020
After Long Islanders Tom and Danielle met in chorus class during their freshman year of high school, it took him a full year to build up enough courage to ask her to be his girlfriend. Her response...

February 24 2020
On the first day of college at the University of Georgia, a complete stranger tried to convince Sarah to drop freshman English; he’d heard the professor was terrible. Turns out the professor was,...

February 14 2020
To all the single ladies (and gents): Valentine’s Day isn’t only for those already in love. As Alex and Pete’s story proves, it may be the perfect day for a meet-cute. Pennsylvania-born Pete was in...

February 12 2020
Four days before Allison and Brendan’s dream Charleston wedding, Hurricane Florence was making its way toward the Lowcountry and the city was under evacuation orders. The Dallas-based couple pulled...

February 11 2020
Courtney wasn’t looking to settle down, but when friends convinced her to take Kristen on a date, something felt different. Before long, they found themselves in a long-distance relationship—Courtney...

February 7 2020
Bumble may be responsible for introducing this couple, but it was a magical first date filled with sushi, hours of conversation, karaoke, and endless laughter that truly brought together Michelle and...

February 6 2020
Maggie and Mike’s story puts a whole new spin on bro-mance. It all started in Chicago when her boss, who was dating a fellow named Eric, wanted to set Maggie up with her boyfriend’s younger brother....