True Colors



WRITER CREDIT: 
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
True Colors | With vibrant florals, a May wedding celebrates Charleston’s tropical summer
Jenna Barbaruolo & Logan Fiery
May 28, 2022 • The Gadsden House
 
It started in a smoothie shop. At a summer job on break from grad school, Jenna had one special customer who brightened her days. As for Logan, he liked smoothies, but it was the woman serving them that kept him coming back so often. The meet-cute turned to true love, and the two followed their hearts to Boston, New Orleans, and back to Charleston. When they decided to tie the knot, it had to be here, the place where they had fallen in love and started their life together. It was also a chance to show off the Holy City’s charm to out-of-town friends.
 
Jenna describes the aesthetic they were looking for as tropical, colorful, and fun. “We love summer, and we really wanted our guests to feel like they were whisked away to a tropical vacation.” They decided on the Gadsden House as the destination. “It checked off all our boxes!” she says. 
 
Working with Mandalynn Schwartz of Spellbound Events, the couple came up with a plan. “We had one simple request: COLOR! We wanted all the tropical, bright, and lush colors that you would find blooming in Charleston during the spring and summer,” says Jenna. Schwartz delivered. “Since we were having dinner inside the Gadsden House in four beautiful rooms, Mandalynn had a cool idea to make each room its own color story. We were really able to make each room special and unique for our guests while following the overall palette of our florals.” With camel, sage, coral, and maize as a starting point, floral designer Petaloso transformed the venue into a tropical paradise, with arrangements that guests could not stop talking about. Family and friends were equally impressed with KSHG’s catering and the delightful lemon raspberry cake from Cake Stand, adorned with Jenna’s parents’ wedding cake topper. Ice cream pops served from a bicycle cart were a fun addition.
 
Charleston’s summer beauty was on display, and so was the city’s legendary hospitality. “The great thing about weddings in Charleston is that it seems the vendors really know each other from past events,” says Jenna. “We were able to work with the best.” As a result, the big day came off without a hitch, with the expertise of so many professionals at work behind the scenes. 
 
Guests left with personalized scented candles from Candlefish with a “beachy” scent, says Jenna, so that memories of Charleston and that beautiful, colorful wedding day will come rushing back as the scent fills the room. 
 
Vendors
Photography:  Kailee DiMeglio Photography
Planning & Design: Spellbound Events 
Florals: Petaloso
Caterer: KSHG
Cake: The Cake Stand
Beauty: Cheryl Quinn (makeup), Lashes and Lace (hair)
Furnishings: The French Eclectic
Entertainment: Palmetto Strings (ceremony), Charleston Groove Factory (reception)
Bridal Attire: Grace Loves Lace
Bridesmaid Attire: Show Me Your Mumu 
Groom Attire: Generation Tux
Favors: Candlefish