Capture your love story in the picture-perfect atmosphere of Charleston’s charming oak trees, tranquil beaches, quaint cobblestone streets and grand historic homes. We know it will be happily-ever-after!

Here are some of our beloved iconic Charleston backdrops.

The Angel Oak Tree

The Morris Island Lighthouse

Unity Alley 

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens

The High Battery

Boone Hall Plantation

Daniel Island

What is no wedding in Charleston complete without? Shrimp and grits! One of my personal favorites.

Most underused and overlooked dress color? Ivory and cream. Most brides are afraid of this color on maids but it is actually quite elegant if done correctly.  Think Pippa, Kate Middleton’s sister, who wore ivory in the Royal Wedding.

Most unique color combination you have seen used in a bridal party? One of my brides chose charcoal, champagne and eggplant.  It turned out beautiful!

Favorite Charleston backdrop for photos? Boone Hall Plantation’s Avenue of Oaks.

What are the latest trends seen in Charleston area weddings? Color palettes for bridesmaids. It’s not just one color, but two, three, and more for your maids!

What is one thing about Charleston that give you inspiration? The many landscapes- all beautiful, but different. Each one sets a different tone for your event.

What three words come to mind when someone says wedding in Charleston? Elegant, historic, and fun! 

Some of the most beautiful weddings in the South take place at these special estates.

For better or worse has a different meaning for every couple. For Katie Durham and Bobby Hill, we hope their wedding at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens next year represents the best of the best.

One month after Bobby, an intelligence officer with the U.S. Army, proposed to Katie, an infantry officer, both were deployed to Afghanistan. Even with modern technology, planning a wedding from the opposite side of the planet would have been tricky, so they put their plan to marry on hold. Then they heard about Magnolia Plantation and Gardens’ Sharing the Romance contest, which promised a $50,000 wedding to one lucky couple. Although both are stationed in Kandahar, Katie and Bobby do not see one another regularly and had to request special permission to meet up in order to film their five-minute contest submission. Their video earned the most public votes, and they were announced as the winning couple in early September.

Established in 1676 and opened to the public in 1870, Magnolia Plantation is considered the home of America’s oldest unrestored gardens. The more than 600 acres are also home to egrets, gray foxes, pygmy goats and peacocks. The Carriage House (circa 1840) sits on a bluff overlooking the Ashley River, while the contemporary glass conservatory is appointed with exotic orchids and maidenhair ferns. All told, it is an incredible and versatile setting for a wedding.

SPRING
The list of spring blooms at Magnolia Plantation is a parade of flowering beauties: Flowering Almond, Flowering Cherry, Flowering Peach, Flowering Plum and Flowering Quince. Tea Olive perfumes the air and the azaleas put on a vivid show.

SUMMER
Brightly colored bougainvillea and butterfly bushes play a starring role in the summer month’s blooms.

AUTUMN
Rich, earthen colors cast Magnolia Plantation into a state of muted splendor during fall harvest months.

WINTER
While winter weather is often mild in the Lowcountry, the bald cypress and tupelo gum trees are the perfect backdrop for an enchanted forest theme.

What would your Magnolia Plantation and Gardens dream wedding look like?

To pin, or not to pin: that is the question. Inspiration boards have taken a quantum leap forward with the incredible popularity of Pinterest. Brides and wedding planners everywhere can unleash their creativity to share poignant details and matrimonial panache with the click of a mouse. We love discovering the absorbing images—the pageantry, the color, the clever party favors… this is not June Cleaver’s wedding era.

We want to know: who are your favorite wedding style and tastemakers using Pinterest to share ideas? Leave a comment with your tips and be sure to follow our pins! Can you find the photobomb pic we pinned? The couple’s photo was crashed by a wandering peacock at Middleton Place… so Charlestonly!

STYLISH: Pick up brightly colored tins of Agatha Ruiz De La Prada passionfruit lip gloss from Stella Nova, the chic beauty product emporium located on the corner of King and Society streets. Blue for luck and passion fruit to fit the emotion of the day!

SPORTY: Arrange for your guests to experience a guided saltmarsh or sunset adventure with Tideline Tours. Tuck some sunscreen into the basket with the tour gift certificate.

SPORTY: Provide a customized running route. If you got engaged in Charleston or have a favorite local landmark, point it out on the map—this is a great way to share your special places with your guests.

FOODIE: Stop by the Charleston Angler, which has four locations throughout Charleston, including the City Market’s Great Hall. This compact kit comes with a shuckin’ glove, oyster knife, a clam knife and a shrimp devein tool—now you’re ready to have a seafood extravaganza!

FOODIE: There is a tempting array of seasoned nuts at the Peanut Shop of Charleston, located on Market Street. We are big fans of the Dill Pickle flavored ones!

FOODIE: It is one of the hottest spirits in the nation, and it originated right here in Charleston. Tuck a bottle of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka into your guests’ welcome bags, and a good time is sure to be had by all.

FOODIE: Mrs. Frances Hamby wrote the book on catering in Charleston—literally! Her tea size shrimp salad sandwich triangles are legendary with the local cocktail set, and your guests can replicate the recipe at home with her signature cookbook, Catering to Charleston.

FOODIE: The Culinary Tours of Charleston is a delicious way for your guests to discover the heart and soul of the Lowcountry—through our cuisine!

And be sure to include a Charleston Area Visitors Guide in every bag!

Stella Nova // Tideline Tours // Charleston Angler // Peanut Shop of Charleston // Firefly Vodka // Hamby Catering // Culinary Tours of Charleston //

The 2012 – 13 Charleston Area Wedding Guide has arrived, and the raven-haired beauty featured on the cover is our colleague Ali Bedard, whose wedding is mere weeks away. Amid planning for her own August 4^th festivities, she spent a morning with our publications team and leant her pretty looks to our photo shoot. We asked Ali to share a few details of her big day.

Charleston Wedding Guide: What was it like to pose as a bride knowing you will soon be walking down the aisle?

Ali Bedard: It was an absolutely amazing experience! The dress I wore for the photo shoot came from Modern Trousseau, the boutique located across the street from our office. I always notice the beautiful gowns on display in the window, so you can imagine how much fun it was to actually wear one.

CWG: Tell us about the gown you will wear on your wedding day.

AB: It is similar to the one selected for the photo shoot. I never realized the range of wedding dresses available in Charleston, or bridesmaid dresses for that matter. I have three attendants: my sister, my fiancé’s sister and my closest childhood friend. For their dresses, I picked the color—apple green, and each selected her preferred style of dress, which was then custom made by LulaKate, the fabulous Charleston-based dress designer.

CWG: Apple green is a great accent color.

AB: Thanks! I am really pleased with the way Loluma incorporated it into the floral design. They are creating arrangements with white roses and bright green hydrangeas in a clear jar. We’re also using jars—Mason jars, that is—to serve a Lowcountry version of the mojito. Serving Southern food was really important to us, and I am so excited about the food. There will be pimento cheese, fried chicken and miniature tomato pies. Oh, and instead of a traditional roast beef carving station, we opted for a ham served with Dukes mayonnaise!

CWG: Hope you have a good band to dance off the calories (although calories consumed on your wedding night don’t count, do they… right?).

AB: Right! The band may be my favorite part of the reception. We booked White Chocolate through East Coast Entertainment. They play all of the great dance floor favorites, from Motown to 80s pop hits. I love to dance and can’t wait to hit the dance floor at Founders Hall!

CWG: We wish you all the best. Congratulations, Ali.

Wedding Guide Cover Shoot Credits: Model: Ali Bedard / Wedding Gown: Modern Trousseau / Photography: Karson Photography / Carriage: Charleston Coach / Flowers: Tiger Lily / Hair: Stella Nova

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Sprinkled throughout the guide are fun tidbits related to wedding traditions in Charleston. Here are a few ideas of details you may adopt to give your wedding day a little Lowcountry flair.

BOWTIE
A pop of color, a dash of personality—who says the groom’s attire must be predictable? Emblazoned with prep school or collegiate colors, embroidered with symbols that depict favorite pastimes or fashioned from iconic seersucker, a bowtie can be a gentleman’s calling card.

BENNE WAFER
A traditional treat that harkens back to the plantation age, these delightful golden discs are made with little more than butter, sugar and sesame seeds. The benne seed is said to invoke good luck, which makes the simple treat a popular wedding favor.

RICE SPOON
An iconic serving utensil that has adorned Lowcountry tables since the plantation era, this long spindle spoon is a favored shower gift, especially when adorned with the engraved initial shared by the newlywed couple.

RICE
During the plantation age, Carolina Gold Rice launched the fortunes of the Lowcountry’s landed gentry and appeared at every meal. Today, this heirloom grain, which symbolizes abundance, is tossed like confetti in honor of the newlywed couple.

MAGNOLIA BLOOM
Synonymous with southern foliage, the striking blossoms of the stately magnolia tree make the perfect pew adornment, while the deep green leaves are a favorite wreath-making material.

SHAG
It rose to popularity at boardwalk pavilions in South Carolina’s coastal cities and was immortalized in the lyrics of popular beach music songs long before it became the official state dance of South Carolina. Today, this six-count syncopation is a popular part of many wedding receptions.

PUNCH CUP
Toast to married life with an engraved keepsake cup, like the silver celebration chalices found in local antiques shops and contemporary décor boutiques alike. Serve a Charleston punch recipe, like the ones listed in the Junior League cookbook, at the reception for a distinctively local flavor.

Perennial wedding registry pick Macy’s department store opened for business. The Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn became a wedding recessional sensation after it was played at the St. James’ Palace marriage of Queen Victoria’s daughter to Prince Friedrich of Prussia.

Closer to home, the handsome South of Broad mansion located at 39 King Street was presented to Louisa Clifford Smith as a wedding present by her uncle. The Carolina Art Association, precursor to the venerable Gibbes Museum of Art—a Beaux Arts wedding venue, was established.

And one particular patented invention sparked a culinary revolution: the Mason jar. Today, the molded glass jar has transcended its humble use in canning foods to become a popular aspect of creative wedding décor. There are so many ways to incorporate the versatile jar and the most beautiful application we’ve ever seen included several hundred Mason jars, each containing one white tea light, all hanging at various heights from a sturdy tree limb. A long farmhouse-style table stretched beneath the lights, which looked like suspended fireflies twinkling against an inky night’s sky. The effect was ethereal and wholly memorable.

We asked our local wedding vendors to share their Mason jar ideas.

“From vases to candles to aisle markers, I often use Mason jars all shapes and sizes for décor purposes!” – Stephanie Gibbes, Sweetgrass Events

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“Besides sampling your favorite beverage, we have used Mason jars for “s’mores” kits and biscuit recipe. We’ve event turned them into chandeliers. It is a great southern staple!”
– Lisa Hand, Ooh! Events

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“I worked with a couple related to the Firefly vineyards family, and they served the traditional Sweet Tea Vodka in a Mason jar as the signature drink.”
– Ashley Russell, An Event to Remember

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“A Mason jar seems the perfect container for a marriage between seasonal fruits and lemonade, like a summer strawberry-cucumber lemonade. St Germaine, the French Elderflower liqueur, is a stellar addition to any adult beverage served Mason jar-style. Of course, a summer rye is also a nice addition with color and flavor.” – Sanctuary Hall

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Duvall uses Mason jars as a charmingly casual seating chart display by inserting rolled dinner flatware tied with a guest’s place card into individual jars. They also offer the popular Duvall Ginger Mint Limeade signature cocktail. You can make it at home using the following recipe.

1-cup boiling water
1-cup chopped local mint
1-cup organic honey
2-cups cold water
1-cup organic lime juice

Combine mint, ginger and honey with boiling water and steep for 1 hour.
Add cold water and lime juice. Add your favorite vodka, bourbon, or gin!
Chill and Enjoy! Makes 1 quart.

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A popular wedding tradition at Wild Dunes, the barrier island resort located near historic Charleston proper, is to have a butler pass Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and Lemonade drinks served in Mason jars.

Sweet Tea ‘Tinis Poolside

2 parts Fire Fly Sweet Tea Vodka
2 parts soda water
Squeeze of Lemon

Serve up or on the rocks as shown or with a lemon wedge. Here’s the finished product!

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Robbin Knight Photography has seen a few Mason jars used as wedding décor in his time. Here are two of his favorite shots:

For Atlanta residents Amanda Marion and Ross Simms, a seaside setting located within a few hour’s drive of home topped their destination wedding wish list. With more than a dozen locale options spanning three states, whittling down the list might have been a daunting challenge. As luck would have it, Charleston was their first wedding site scouting trip destination. The couple was instantly charmed by the proximity of stately, historic venues to the Atlantic Ocean. The search for a wedding site was over just as quickly as it started.

Once they agreed to get married in the Lowcountry, Amanda and Ross called upon Loluma event planning services to create a weekend full of personalized touches for their early October affair, including a signature color.

Wedgewood, a shade slightly stronger than cadet gray yet more pale than powder blue, set the color cue for the wedding starting with the save the date mailing. Amanda and Ross sent every invited guest a copy of Very Charleston, the lovely pocket-sized book filled with watercolor illustrations, which served as a beautiful introduction to the very customs and culture that captivated the couple. A Wedgewood-colored bookmark with the wedding date accompanied the book.

According to Amanda, it was “love at first sight” when she toured the Governor Thomas Bennett House with its manicured grounds and free-flying elliptical spiral staircase, one of two found in Charleston (the other is at the Nathaniel Russell House museum). The intimate wedding ceremony took place in the garden. The seven bridal attendants wore various dress styles all in the same Wedgewood-color, while the groomsmen sported the shade with their neckties.

For the wedding reception, described as “southern and romantic” by Loluma event coordinator Tiffany Snyder, hurricane lamps and chandeliers hung from the oak trees. Cru Catering kept the southern theme going with baskets of cornbread muffins and other Lowcountry favorites. The ethereal twilight effect through the clear tent provided by Snyder Rentals was stunning, and guests danced the night away beneath the stars.

Wedding Planning + Flowers: Loluma / Wedding Venue: Governor Thomas Bennett House /
Catering: Cru Catering / Rentals: Snyder Rentals / Photography: Corbin Gurkin

A seemingly glamorous magazine job, a dashing beau and a fabulous fairy tale wedding—it sounds like Hollywood’s version of “Southern girl charms the big city” starring Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon, and it just so happens to be the real life story of Tennessee native Rachel Hardage.

An inherent tastemaker who believes “every thing you do is a reflection of your style,” Hardage built a career by forecasting trends and shaping content for magazines including Glamour, Real Simple and Real Simple Weddings, the publication prized for its creative, practical and inspiring solutions. In late 2010, Hardage signed on as executive editor of Southern Living and decamped to Birmingham with fiancée Brian Barrett. They bought a house, adopted a puppy and planned their wedding bit-by-bit amid such significant changes.

“Although I had spent a decade in New York City,” says Hardage, “I still very much identified with being Southern and therefore wanted a Southern wedding. However, that meant roughly 80% of our guest list would have to travel South of the Mason-Dixon—some for the very first time. We looked at several Southern cities, but we ultimately picked Charleston because it was easy to get to—and get around—and it was the location that people seemed most excited about.”

Fortunately for Hardage, the years spent divining the sublime from stacks of product pitches and sleuthing out lesser-known locations for dazzling photo shoots came into play with her personal life. The decision to host a destination wedding in Charleston was ultimately an act of professional kismet: she fell in love with an image of the Legare-Waring House, the antebellum plantation home situated beneath a grand avenue of oak trees at Charles Towne Landing.

“I can’t say enough wonderful things about Juliet Jones,” says Hardage of the photographer whose “vintage-modern”-styled grove of oak trees image cinched the locale. “Charleston has such a built-in beauty—shady oaks, cobblestone streets, gorgeous gardens—that you don’t really need to do much to have a beautiful wedding.”

With Jones hired to photograph the wedding and Charleston agreed upon as the host city, Hardage and Barrett set about to create a weekend affair full of personal and personalized touches.

“We mailed out our save-the-date info in small mason jars,” says Hardage. “Inside each jar, there was a tea bag, a packet of Domino sugar and a little card that said “Good Times Are A-Brewin’ in Charleston, South Carolina” on one side and “Save the Date for a Sweet Wedding Weekend” on the other.”

The welcome gifts were similarly steeped in charm. Iced tea pitchers filled with Moon Pies, cheese straws and other Southern staples greeted guests, who kicked off the festivities with the rehearsal dinner at High Cotton.

On Saturday, the Jones’ image of the Legare-Waring House came to life, and the lawn proved the perfect setting for a homespun affair with southern flair. Inspired by the verdant setting, Ooh! Events incorporated organic details, like bay leaf garlands and sweetgrass adorned with baby’s breath, into the floral arrangements. Hurricane lamps hanged from tree limbs with wide white sashes and tables were dressed with small silver chalices. Guests arrived to the sounds of River City Dixieland Jazz Band and cups of Whistlin’ Dixie, a bourbon-lemonade cocktail. Small paper bags filled with stone ground grits and sealed with stickers that read “Hominy Ever After” were placed on the chairs furnished for the outdoor ceremony.

The clever touches continued into the reception. Cru Catering set up a biscuit bar and slider station—each laden with an array of “help yourself” condiments. Old footballs and galvanized buckets filled with refreshments lined the bed of a vintage truck parked near the reception tent, in homage to football season. Meanwhile, orange—Hardage and Barrett’s shared collegiate color—provided a vibrant pop toward the end of the reception.

“Brian went to Princeton, and I attended the University of Tennessee, so we distributed orange foam #1 fingers as a nod to our wedding date of October 1,” says Hardage. The newlyweds departed the reception beneath a send-off arch of foam fingers, but the party wasn’t over.

Guests boarded shuttles for to the after-party at FISH restaurant and discovered a chicken biscuit waiting on each seat, a moment Hardage calls “deep-fried merriment” and “the biggest hit of the night.”

The decision to host their wedding in Charleston proved to be a gift unto them.  “Now we have an excuse to go back to the city on every anniversary, and this time I won’t have to worry about fitting into a wedding dress. Bring on the shrimp and grits!”

Wedding Venue: Legare-Waring House / Photography: Juliet Jones / Rehearsal Dinner: High Cotton / Reception Catering: Cru Catering  / Decor: Ooh! Events / After Party: FISH