Turn off the Lights | Pump up the romance at your reception when you cut the overhead lights and rely instead on the soft glow of real candles and twinkling trees
When Londoners Lisette and Krysto chose Charleston for their destination wedding, Tropical Storm Bonnie wasn’t even an inkling of a worry. But sure enough, she rained down on their day and forced them off the marsh where they planned to exchange vows and onto the porch of Kiawah Island’s River Course clubhouse. But all wasn’t a wash, thanks to a brilliant use of lighting. Alise Taggart shifted the 70 guests and then set out a multitude of lanterns. “They looked so romantic with all that rain coming down behind us,” says Lisette. From there, the silver linings only got better. “I’ve always dreamt of having hundreds (or thousands) of fairy lights in trees for my wedding,” says Lisette. “And since the dining room was so cavernous for our smaller party size, I wanted to shrink it down.” Bring on the twinkling trees, and tables with at least eight tapers, seven mercury glass votives, and as many clear votives that could fit. Enchanted garden wish? Granted.
Get the Glow
Learn the rules. A venue that allows open-flamed candles (meaning those without a sheath) is the exception rather than the rule, especially in a town with as many historic properties as Charleston. Ask before you book your location.
Choose candles that burn long. Tapers tend to burn an hour per inch of height. Drafts, jostling, and bases that don’t hold the taper erect can diminish the burn time.
Mix light sources. Here, a mix of twinkling fairy lights (20,000 in total), tapers, and votives gave a layered look to the lightscape.
Plan your attack. Light candles using gas sticks about 15 minutes before guests arrive to the reception.
Double up. For the head table, double the number of candles used elsewhere.
Now, we’ve run our fair share of gorgeous weddings at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, but we swear we think this wins the award for most gorgeous to date. It makes sense, though, considering...
On the heels of New Year’s we needed a classic wedding with black-tie panache to carry us through the rest of this holiday-wind-down week. Enter Vera and Brien’s dreamy day, lovingly designed by A...
We searched high and low for a wedding to close out the New Year, and what better pick than Annie and Matt, whose ceremony ended with the officiant (the bride’s brother-in-law, or in this case, we’re...
Here’s a little discussed fact: A great DJ can make (or break) a wedding. And the difference between a first dance that has everyone sighing and posting (instead of cringing) and a party that...
Here’s the thing: Charleston’s in the tropics, more or less. And here in the jungle, it rains from time to time, which can put a damper on a portrait sesh out and about if you don’t plan well. The...
Ok, people. Yes, you’re gonna love Jesse and Will’s wedding photos (al fresco reception in the Old Village? Yes, please!). But their proposal story? It might even beat the pretty out for best in show...
Lindsey and José didn’t start off on the right foot (he didn’t do a double-take when he first met her at Boston College, so she gave him the same indifferent treatment, and sparks didn’t fly for...
Give the gift of growth with these simple favors, designed by Annie Mueller of A New Leaf Studio. Choose a flower that has special meaning to you and share it with friends and family
