Allow us to reintroduce Middleton Place, home to immaculately landscaped gardens (the oldest in the country), tranquil ponds, and free-roaming peacocks. While the historic property is often requisitioned for massive galas, it is an equally fitting option for small weddings.
“We love staging intimate events in unique locations,” says Middleton’s Samantha “Sam” Wrigglesworth. And couples with shorter guest lists can actually get entrée into areas larger fêtes can’t squeeze into. Have fewer than 20 attendees? At Middleton, gather at The Mill Pond to exchange vows in the plantation’s 1850 chapel. And if you eschew guests altogether for, say, a weekday elopement, you can have the chapel to yourselves. They’ll even set up an alfresco meal on the grounds for you and your newly minted spouse. Simply put, “Your special day can be dedicated to you,” says Sam.
Middleton isn’t alone in opening their gates to couples scaling back their head counts. The boon of Big Days here has crowded many a venue calendar, and to answer the need for dates (and to attract those with more modest budgets who still want the fairy tale), other historic sites like Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Boone Hall Plantation, and Legare Waring House, among others offer weekday options, off-peak booking times, ancillary on-site locations, and more, all generally at a considerable price break. Since these quotes tend to be customized, reach out to site event managers for special packages.
And in the meantime, see what ideas might suit your petite celebration, as imagined here at Middleton thanks to Sabine Beaurain and Kate Perry of Fabulous Fête. If you’re thinking in the “micro” direction, you’re already marching to your own drum, so they encourage you to further embrace that and color outside the lines. “If you haven’t seen something done before, don’t rule it out,” they say. “We’re obsessed with mixing items you wouldn’t think would work.” Hmm. Sounds like the recipe for some of our favorite couples.
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