A year ago yesterday, Ingrid and Jonathan were married at the scenic Mingo Point out on Kiawah Island. We were so happy to be apart of their special day! Oysters and cocktails, good company, and a great reason to celebrate – what more could you ask for? Wishing you a very happy one year anniversary from all of us at ACB!
Photography: Ashley Gillet
Wow! We can’t believe it’s been a year since Juli & Bobby’s intimate 40 person wedding ceremony & reception at Pepper Plantation. Here are a few of our favorite pics to capture their beautiful day!
Our oh-so-talented Jonie LaRosee created a masterpiece of Juli’s bouquet; It was a gorgeous, textured compilation of garden roses, ranunculas, lisianthus, seeded eucalptyus & veronica.
We’ve said it over and over again in the office, “We’re only as good as our vendors are”. We’ve been burned by some, but others have gone to great lengths to not only clean up someone else’s mess, but make the situation better and brighter. They will do almost anything to make our events the best they can possibly be and for that, we are eternally grateful.
12. The Bob Williams Duo~
Bob & Mike have worked with us for many many years and always bring a smile to our faces as we hear them play songs like “Under the Bridge” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers with their classical guitar & violin! It’s not odd for an entire table to break out in song during one of our receptions. We appreciate their eagerness to please especially when a client changes her music selections the night before her wedding. They never shoot the messenger and for that, we are so grateful!
11.) The Wedding Row~
The “Ultimate Resource for Charleston Weddings” is right! We love this wedding blog almost as much as we love it’s author/founder Della MacNicholas. She’s got vision, talent and amazing entreprenurial spirit. With the launch of her new iPhone application, Wedding Row, this lady is all things wedding!! She has supported us both professionally and personally over the years and for that, we thank you!
10.) Event DRS~
This specialty rental company has played a major role for us in 2011 offering unique and specialty items for our clients. From their custom bars to farm tables to glassware, Matt & Co. worked hard to find the missing pieces to our ever expanding/changing puzzles. If it was something we needed that they didn’t have, they helped us find it or they made it!
9.) Moore Make Up & Affair Hair~
These two incredibly talented artist are two of the very first people we call after booking a wedding. They are highly sought after for not only transforming women into works of art, but also for their professionalism. And, let’s be honest, they see some behind-the-scenes drama that could generate a New York Times Bestseller! But, they take it all in stride becoming our clients’ confidant/mediator/stylist for a day. We often times pull some last minute switch-a-roos on them and they always accommodate with a smile.
8.) Richard Israel Photography~
Richard is our “go to” when we want amazing images with a fun and easy going photographer. Ask any client of ours and they’ll tell you that he is not only ridiculously talented, but a BLAST to work with. It’s so effortless for him that you almost think he hasn’t taken any photos at all! But, the images he produces are shocking and can leave you in tears. He shows up early to take great set up shots (because we drive him nuts about it) for us which in turn gets us featured in magazines and blogs. He just totally rocks.
7.) Cru Catering~
We’ve worked with many, many caterers over the years and very few are as fabulous as this group! Jenny, Emily and Chad have this whole customer service thing down to a science. Throw in one crazy talented chef/owner, John Zucker, and you’ve got an award-winning team that will blow you away at the very first bite. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to attend one of their events or have a tasting in their kitchen, you know what we’re talking about! From $150/head to $35/head, they help our clients create the best menu at any price point and for that, we thank you!
6.) Patrick Properties Hospitality Group~
We are lucky enough to work at one of their properties at least a two dozens times a year. The William Aiken House & Lowndes Grove Plantation are hands-down the most sought after venues in Charleston and if you’ve seen these properties, it’s no surprise! They are both meticulously maintained, sending the visitor back over 200+ years when the homes were originally built. Our clients literally swoon when they take the tour. On top of all that, sprinkle in one insanely talented Master Chef, Nico Romo, and you’ve got a menu that’s as amazing as their property. We are so thankful for the sales managers, event managers, and the Goldman’s!
5.) Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal~
We honestly cannot say enough good things about Jim & Alejandro! They make our jobs (pertaining to the cake anyway) so easy because their work says it all. No sales pitch needed. Our clients are like puddy in his hands and so are we! Not only is his artistry one of the nations best, but the cakes actually taste fabulous! Thank you, thank you, thank you for always having room for our clients on your busy calendar!
4.) Tim Willoughby~
So we stumbled upon this amazing talent (I’m rolling my eyes because those words aren’t nearly good enough to describe Tim) in 2009 and cannot get enough of him! He’s laid back, fun, and when he shoots a wedding, you can almost guarantee it will be featured in some magazine or blog.
3.) Snyder Event Rentals~
Not a single ACB event has taken place over the past 10 years without this company being an integral part of it’s success. From the rentals to the bar & lounge, they take care of us like no other! If there is anything at all we need, they happily oblige. We adore the office staff as well as the delivery guys. They put up with our detailed requests (i.e. “I think the aisle needs to be 6 inches wider. Can you please re-arrange the 200 chairs?…Thanks and sorry!”) and never complain. We simply adore them!
2.) Studio-R-Design~
Where to begin…. let’s see. Oh yeah, THANK YOU! Rachael & Allison are truly amazing (they would come up with a more unique and stylish word) designers/collegues/friends. Their creations set the style tone for many of our events. We lean on them for inspiration and they never disappoint! They keep us on task with their gentle reminders (“We need this content STAT!”) and pull through in the tightest pinches. Like many planners in Charleston, they’re our only recommendation for custom stationary. Awwww, we want a group hug right now!
Todd & Brandon feel like family to us. They are our yang, our other half. We call them to help create magical event designs and we don’t only mean with lighting. They are visionaries and genuinely want to make every event a show-stopper which they do. Having them on site during an event releases an enormous amount of stress from us. If a light bulb goes out, our knights in shining armour ride up in their ForeRunner and replace it in the blink of an eye. :) In all seriousness though, they really do feel like an extension of us and we couldn’t be more thankful to have them on our team. We’ve even dubbed ourselves the “TEC-ettes” whether they like it or not!
To those of you who aren’t on this list, trust us when we say that it was NEAR IMPOSSIBLE to keep it to just 12 vendors. We hemmed and hawed for days over it… In the end, we are humbled to be part of the Charleston wedding scene for the past 10 years. It is full of nationally renowned talented people that are as friendly as they are gifted. What you all did for us at the August Wedding Planners Luncheon will never be forgotten. For reasons you all know, while we had one of our most successful years in 2011, WE ARE READY FOR 2012!
xoxo,
Melissa, Carrie, Leigh, Jonie & Amy
Tags:Affair Hair, Charleston Duo, Cru Catering, Event DRS, Lowndes Grove Plantation, Moore Makeup, Richard Israel, studio-r-design, TEC, The Wedding Row, Tim Willoughby, Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal, William Aiken House
Posted in: Blog, Caterers, Entertainment, Invitations, Photography, Stationary, Venues
Gone are the days of a reception in the community center of your church, sharing space with the bridge club. Check out some of our recommendations for a swanky and uniquely Charleston after-party.
Photo courtesy of Patrick Properties
You can recreate the scene from “The Notebook” with your Noah in this luxurious venue, perfect for smaller gatherings. Don’t worry, the theater is no longer just for watching(but with stadium seating and a high-tech AV system, that is an option). You can dance the night away under decadent hand-made chandeliers and sip cocktails at the Stars Lounge bar. Visit their website for more information.
Tucked away on East Bay Street, Squeeze Martini Bar calls itself “Charleston’s Tightest Bar,” measuring 11 feet, 8 inches wide. What it’s missing in size though, it makes up for in character and flavor. Perfect for up to 49 guests, Squeeze is the spot for an intimate affair. Visit www.charlestoncocktail/squeeze.html for more details.
Photo courtesy of www.charlestoncocktail.com
Photo courtesy of The Blind Tiger
Reminiscent of a scene from “The Secret Garden,” the courtyard of the Blind Tiger is ideal for an enchanting evening. It’s been called one of the “best outdoor spots in Charleston,” and did we mention that besides having great drinks, they have a delicious catering menu? Check out www.blindtigercharleston.com for more information.
Photos courtesy of NV
After the bouquet has been tossed, grab the bridesmaids and groomsmen and head to one of Charleston’s hottest dance clubs, NV. You can rent out the Owner’s Lounge for a party of up to 30 people and enjoy top-shelf liquor and your choice of music. Visit www.nvcharleston.com for more information.
For a laid-back evening that will appeal to the cigar and martini aficionados in your party, reserve one of the private rooms in Meeting Street’s Club Habana. Club Habana boasts a unique ventilation system, so smokers and non-smokers alike will be equally comfortable. Check out their website for more information.
Tags:after-party spots, bar, Charleston, club, venue
Posted in: ACB, Blog, Caterers, Entertainment, Venues
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When you see a gorgeous flower arrangement, probably the last thing on your mind is where it came from or how much work it took to get every bud and stem positioned just so. Well, after a trip out to Summerville to visit our amazing florist, Jonie LaRosee, in her quaint workshop, I learned a thing or two about flowers that I NEVER knew.
Jonie LaRosee, our amazing florist
The drive out there was an adventure in itself- I followed Leigh in a giant rental Enterprise truck that she drove like a champ back to the Enterprise lot in North Charleston (if you’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Leigh, she is petite and blonde and probably about .oooo1 % of the size of the rental truck). From there we were Summerville bound, jumping off the interstate to the strip of warehouses where Jonie’s shop is.
Jonie kept insisting that the shop was a wreck and nothing special, but I thought it was adorable, from the rows of vases lined up on the shelves to the bright green worktable next to the giant cooler.
There’s a story behind everything in Joni’s shop and the cooler is no exception. She told me about getting the cooler through a Swap’n'Shop in Columbia from a man who used the mammoth-sized cooler to freeze deer meet. Jonie thought the cooler was a steal, but when she had to buy a new cooling system to transform it from a freezer that went down to negative 32 degrees to a cooler to keep her flowers fresh, she might as well have bought a new cooler.
She can store six weddings worth of flowers in the cooler (read: hundreds and hundreds of flowers) and fills it on wedding weekends. Her production schedule is pretty tight- she makes the arrangements on Thursdays and takes them to events on Fridays and Saturdays, with help from her husband and her assistants Kat Brown & Mandi Kasey. Depending on the size of the wedding and the venue, Jonie will make anywhere from 40-60 arrangements for one wedding.
Getting the right flowers can be an ordeal- Jonie orders directly from growers in Holland, Ecuador, Israel, New Zealand, Canada, and all over the United States, depending on what the bride wants. Sometimes though, the color the bride wants doesn’t translate to the Israeli growers (Joni said “peach” to us is “orange” them) or Mother Nature simply won’t match the bride’s fabric swatch. Other times, natural disasters in different parts of the world will destroy the flowers or delay their arrival.
Even though her job can get stressful (and she’s been doing it since ’92!) Jonie says “I really still do like my job. I actually still love my job.” For her, the best part of the job is seeing everything come together and seeing the bride cry (a “good cry”).
“It’s amazing how much a venue can change, how different the outcome is depending on flowers,” Jonie said, “Your linens are not going to look good until there are flowers on it.”
Nothing is going to look good until Jonie’s flowers are on it…
Tags:arrangements, flowers, Summerville
Posted in: ACB, Blog, Decor & Design, Flowers, Photography, Real Weddings, Venues
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Smitten Magazine , touting itself as “the look book of wedding fancy,” launched it’s first online issue this month, featuring our work for Sierra and Lenny’s June 2010 wedding. The e-glossy features eight pages of Bernard Viljoen’s stunning pictures of the South African-themed event, set against the magical backdrop of the William Aiken House; detail shots by Charlotte Elizabeth.
Hot as a Charleston summer is, the guests stayed cool and refreshed with catering from Fish and the smooth strummings of local father/son favorites, the Bob Williams Duo.
The bride says her favorite part of the night was seeing everyone let loose on the dance floor. Easy for her to do in her airy number from Reem Akra and impeccable hair design from Kim Williams of Article 5 Salon.
Check out the spread in Smitten’s debut: http://smitten-mag.com/
On Feb. 10, 2011 we we had the honor of being featured on one of our favorite blogs: Style Me Pretty.
SMP wrote, “Charleston, South Carolina is home to many of THE most romantic weddings that grace the pages of wedding glossies and blogs! Some of the very best come straight from the fabulous and artistic talents of the ladies at A Charleston Bride.”
To summarize, Style Me Pretty basically said that we are the QUEENS of creating romantic weddings to be remembered – and we must admit… its true! 
They also highlighted a beautiful wedding we did in May 2010 for Emily & David.
Check out pictures from their wedding and the nice things SMP had to say about us by clicking here.
We are so excited to kick off the Spring season outdoors with a fun rehearsal dinner at Lowndes Grove Plantation!
Picture this: we start the evening off with field games- Croquet, Bocce, & Horseshoes.
Before you know it, its a starry night next to the Ashley River. Glowing lanterns hanging from the oak trees & warm fire pits softly light the area. Can you say romantic?
Scattered bales of hay will be lined in plaid & burlap fabric for a natural touch.
Guests will be mingling and noshing on blueberry pie at long wooden farm tables with runners in the hunter green plaid.
If you can’t picture it yet, maybe looking at the layout will help:
I know, I know… you wish you were invited. But hey! that’s what we’re here for. Your rehearsal dinner can be just as fun and amazing.
Posted in: Burlap, Decor & Design, Inspiration, Outdoors, Rustic, Uncategorized, Venues
In Charleston, there’s never a shortage of venues located on the water boasting spectacular views, a nice breeze, and the perfect setting for a momentous occasion. For our May 15, 2010 wedding, this is was no exception. Cynthia Gutierrez and Stephen MacKenzie held their wedding reception at the Pavilion at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. After the ceremony, which took place at the Unitarian Church dowtown, the happy couple and their guests enjoyed cocktails and the sunset next to the Charleston Harbor.
Dinner was served under a tent covered in an abundance of fabric. The mood was set with purple up-lighting, the bride’s color of choice, which was incorporated into many aspects of the decor. From the flowers, ottomans, and programs, royal purple was featured prominently and lent the reception venue a rich appearance.
While dining next to the water, watching the sun set below the horizon, guests were seated at island-themed tables. Names include Bora Bora, Maui, Caymans, and Bali. This fun twist on the seating arrangements was a perfect fit for an almost tropical location.
The Pavilion at Patriots Point served as a beautiful sanctuary on such a special day for a beautiful couple. The abundance of royal purple lent a royal impression for a magical evening.
Missy Rickard and Conor Mulkeen celebrated their nuptials at the Debordieu Club, located slightly north of Charleston in Georgetown, SC. On May 1, 2010, family and friends gathered at the exclusive club for the ceremony and reception in celebration of the newlyweds. The color palette consisted of ivory, midnight blue, gold, and pale pink, accented with lighting provided by TEC and the soft glow of candlelight.
The transformation of Debordieu was mostly due in part to fabric. At the ceremony site on the water, we created a romantic environment with shepherd hooks, ivory fabric, and glass balls filled with lush flowers. Cocktail hour also saw flower-filled glass balls hung from the trees and ivory ottomans arranged along the banks of the river. This aesthetic element was also transferred to the main ballroom, where the party got started after dinner. The same ivory fabric was used to partition the back of the room into three cozy lounges, each filled with candles, flowers, sofas, and ottomans. The lounges allowed guests a quite place to rest after dancing the night away to the music of Loose Chain.
The weather was perfect, the atmosphere was lively, and the new Mulkeen family was radiant. The incandescence of the colors, fabric, and location helped to make this a truly romantic wedding.
A few weeks after Missy & Conor’s dream wedding they were featured on Charleston’s newest wedding blog, the Wedding Row. Please check out their feature:
http://theweddingrow.com/?p=2619
