Written By Melissa Reardon
Photographs By Lucy Cuneo
A transplant from Virginia, Weston “Wes” McAfee vividly remembers the first time he saw his future bride-to-be. Charleston native Dana Elaine...
Whether you pore over recipes with Grandma Jane to sort out how that family favorite can stretch to feed 150 or you dish out a baker’s dozen of Benjamins for a store-bought confection, cake is a major focal point of this major milestone. But given how much thought goes into the treat itself, how can it be that the pedestals, plates, and platters used to showcase the sweet thing itself tend to fall on the ho-hum side?
Enter Charleston wood turning artist Ashley Harwood (yes, that’s her real name). While she’s known about town for Turning Native (www.AshleyHarwood.net), her booth at the Charleston Farmer’s Market that’s stocked with turned wood bowls, jewelry, and ornaments, this past spring she made her first foray into the wedding world when she partnered with Charleston Crepe Company (843/573-3458; www.CharlestonCrepeCompany.com) and crafted a series of slender walnut cake stands of staggered sizes to display their stacked goodies.
Now offering the stands (all custom-made and priced accordingly) directly to couples, Ashley says that her pieces live on long after the Big Day has passed. Their sleek silhouettes suit contemporary and traditional cakes and settings alike, and when dismantled—they screw into each other and stand alone, too—can be integrated into your newlywed home décor to showcase artwork, curiosities, and, of course, treats, too.
