Lauren Jones & Brian Zwart
March 31, 2019 / Lowndes Grove
Following a Christmas proposal, Houston natives Lauren Jones and Brian Zwart set out to plan their dream wedding at
Lowndes Grove—the snag? The only available day for them was a Sunday. “But we decided to go for it,” says Lauren. “It made a great excuse for our out-of-town guests to make a long weekend trip to Charleston and allowed us to have multiple pre-wedding events.” But as the large-scale production was underway—“Most vendors were on-site starting at 6 a.m., some even before then with headlamps on,” says Chloe Ewing from
A Charleston Bride of the Big Day—the planned open-air ceremony had to be reworked as rain loomed. “Hire a great planner, and they will develop multiple back-up plans,” says Lauren, who didn’t sweat the switcheroo, because the ACB team joined with
Blossom Events and
The Social Spool to create a tented ceremony site that still let guests admire the Ashley River rolling by in the distance. “It went off without a hitch,” says Lauren. “The whole look and feel was simply magical.”
Top Tips From This Wedding
• Ask for recipes. When Lauren tried an Hibiscus Mule at Slightly North of Broad while on a girl's trip to Charleston, she was smitten. The restaurant shared the recipe and she and Brian served the drinks at their wedding. The moral? Ask for details about your favorite treats and tell guests (via signage, ideally) where the menu items come from so they, too, can try them when out on the town here.
• Pace and temper patterns. Lauren is a fan of ornate Chinoiserie so it was incorporated throughout widespread keystones of the wedding, like on the stationery and in the wallpaper behind the custom bar. Pair with subtle linens in neutral shades for a delicate touch.
• Stick to one family. For a glam look that’s impactful without being over-the-top, keep singular textures like sequins and velvet in the same tonal color family.
• Big-production wedding? Choose a big-time planner. If your vision is extravagant and your guest list runs long, enlist a planner who’s been there, done-that background will make things (including backup plans) run seamlessly.
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