South Carolina-Charleston — The Knot Community

male non-religious officiant?

kpoulos5 — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:19:30 +0000

neither my fiance nor i are religious and are not sure who to select for an officiant at our wedding this october. we've been looking online and some of the prices just seem outrageous. do any of you have recommendations for a male non-religious officiant in the $150-$200 range (for a rehearsal & 100 guests)?

Honeymoon Ideas?

kag0215 — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:07:26 +0000

So I am not from the Charleston, SC. I'm actually from the Chicagoland area. My FI and I are thinking about going to Charleston for our honeymoon though. The only problem is we really don't know what there is to do in Charleston; we have just heard that it's a beautiful place to visit. We both are foodies, history buffs, and like to have a nice relaxing time. Any suggestions would be great!

Help my photographer just backed out on us!!

LoveOfMikesLife — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:04:04 +0000

i just got a call from our photographer and she is backing out.... I know we have plenty of time but I had the budget around this one and now I know we're not gonna find another as cheap!!! Any one have any suggestions of a good inexpensive photographer here in charleston??

Quiet beaches...affordable lodging?

vgmartinez — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:55:44 +0000

I'm planning our honeymoon for early November and we've pretty much decided we want to stay in the States. We've been looking into South Carolina beaches. Folly Beach looks beautiful but our total budget for lodging, car rental, food, entertainment is about $1,000. I would prefer an oceanfront B&B on a quiet beach. Any suggestions or recommendations that only the locals would know about? Know of any non-heavily popoulated beaches with affordable lodging? I thought I might get the best information out of you local ladies! Thanks!

ohhhh events

LoveOfMikesLife — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:48:57 +0000

have any of you ladies used or using ohhh events??? If so what have your experiences with them been??

Dress Shops

wallyandkristin — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:51:40 +0000

I'm going dress shopping Easter weekend and I need help deciding which shops to visit. I live in Louisiana and I only have 2-3 days in Charleston. I am definitely going to Condon's. But what about Jean's and Bridal House in Mt. Pleasant? Is one better than the other? I don't want to overwhelm myself by going too many places but I don't want to miss out on a great place either! I'll be looking in the 500-1500 price range most likely (aka no super high end boutiques for me!) Thanks ladies!

Maggie Sottero Dress for sale.

BrilhanteBride — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:19:31 +0000

Please check it out!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Wedding-Dress-Size-8_W0QQitemZ330416721766QQcmdZViewItemQQptZWedding_Dresses?hash=item4cee5f0f66

Who is doing your make-up??

Bekahdoll9 — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:10:59 +0000

Ladies--who are you using to do your day-of makeup?? Any suggestions?

Wedding and Grooms Cake Vendor

College_Lodge_'03 — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:39:26 +0000

Hi Ladies,

Since most of you guys have helped me pick everything else . . . I trust you to give me advice on picking a vendor for the wedding/grooms cake. As with everything else, I am looking for someone reasonably priced, nice and dependable! Any suggestions?

Vendor Reviews

charlestonkathy — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:56:09 +0000

October 11, 2009
Life has just settled down so I can write this! Sorry for the delay- I loved reading reviews when I was in the planning process.
Hope it helps!
Kathy

Wedding/Reception Location: The Inn at Middleton
There was a change in staff right before the wedding that caused some hiccups; otherwise reasonably priced, easy to work with, beautiful back drop, yummy food (I had 7 calls the day after the wedding asking for the fried green tomato recipe), and we could bring our own booze.

Photographer: Jeni Rone, Sea Star Arts http://seastararts.smugmug.com/
LOVED Jeni!! She was my favorite vendor to work with and she captured everything!! My groom had stomach virus the day of our wedding so she did a fantastic job getting him to smile through his nausea. Our pictures are here: http://seastararts.smugmug.com/Weddings/Kathy-Seay-and-Dave-Welborn/10431959_eAk6U#747770719_iLBoA

Cake: Michelle from Piggly Wiggly, Seaside Farms, Mt Pleasant.
Our wedding cake was three flavors with three fillings for no extra charge and she was able to make our icing shimmer like my dress. Beautiful! The grooms cake was a beautiful brownie cake with cheesecake filling.

Flowers: Same Piggly Wiggly as above. I had a really hard time with flowers- I knew what I wanted but was not able to find an exact picture and couldn't find a vendor who duplicated my hard to explain vision. I went in to talk with Michelle who sent me over to their floral department. I saw another bride's bouquet and knew it was the one! It worked out perfectly! I would have never guessed that my supermarket bouquet would be the one I had always imagined.

Wine/Beer: Same Piggly Wiggly! They were wonderful about returning what we didn't use.

Pumpkins: Piggly Wiggly- they matched the competitor's lowest price and let me pick out my perfect pumpkins.

DJ: Rhett with Jay Maxwell: LOVE him!! We wanted each member of the bridal party to enter to a different song, dubbed in the right spot and he made it happen! He also found a very hard to track down tune for the groom/mom dance.

Hair/Makeup: Jennifer Graffeo, Save the Date studio. jenngraffeo@yahoo.com Another vendor who took my idea to a whole other level- much better than I could explain that I wanted.

Spray Tan: Sun Station Tanning. The best spray tan! I had always used Ultra Tan and was never happy with my orange color. Sun Station was natural! And they understood that I was a bride and was running late and stayed open after hours for me. Highly recommend!

Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas. Coupon codes saved me a fortune!

Calligraphy: Karen Campbell- 803-422-4094. She lives in Columbia and is happy to ship. She does gorgeous work and was more budget friendly than any Charleston vendor that I priced.

Rehearsal Lunch (instead of dinner) was one of the best ideas I had. It was before the rehearsal so people were on time to the rehearsal and they had already eaten so they were happy and not doing the usual "when are we going to be done so I can eat" complaining. Poogan's Porch- my favorite Charleston restaurant.

Rehearsal Invitations: Shutterfly. I had a coupon for 12 free cards and it was a small number so it worked out perfectly.

Save the Date: VistaPrint. I had no idea what invitations I wanted to use so I went with the free 100 postcards. I wish I had known my color scheme so that it would have matched better, but oh well. It served the purpose and the budget well.

Alterations: A Stitch Witch. She is a sewing genius, she stays busy so don't wait to the last minute. She also steamed my dress so I didn't have to make another stop between alterations and ceremony day.

Rings: Mine: Zales outlet, his: Jewelry Warehouse, Columbia, SC.

Wedding Dress/Viel: The Castle, Spartanburg, SC. My mom lives there so it was easier to go shopping with her. Great dress, fantastic price!

Bridesmaid Dresses: Dillard's, easter clearance rack.

Groom/the Guys: The Black Tie, Mt Pleasant. They were very patient. We had two groomsmen who live in Germany and they worked with us to get the measurements and also gave us a personal number to call in case we had a problem since we were getting married on a Sunday.

Hankies for the parents: Harbor Specialities, East Bay Street

I had a wonderful wedding planning experience! I highly recommend all the vendors that I used.

Congratulations and good luck!

Rehearsal Dinner on a budget...

SCJess85 — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:10:22 +0000

Hey girls! Does anyone know a good place to have a rehearsal dinner that would cost around $20 per person or less? Thank you!

Wedding items for sale!

charlestonkathy — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:30:06 +0000

We have items from our October wedding leftover.

All items are negotiable and available for pickup downtown or in Mt. Pleasant.

Items can be viewed here:
http://teamwelborn.weebly.com

If you have any questions- my email address is kathy.welborn@yahoo.com

Happy Shopping!
Kathy

Bridal Couture Show at Charelston Fashion Week

acg1 — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:59:20 +0000

Who's going? What store do you want to see? The pics from last year were amazing! I can't wait to go!

Ceremony Site

Ambie106 — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:44:16 +0000

Have any of you ladies used the company called The Charleston Beach Wedding? If so do you all recommend them? I am getting married on March 25, 2011 on Folly beach any info or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks bunches!!!!!

Day of Coordinator

nbystry — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:53:52 +0000

Does anyone have a recommendation for a day of coordinator? How much do they cost? Thanks!

Strictly Business Band???

kayce706 — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:48:43 +0000

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has heard of the Strictly Business Band. We're looking at hiring them to play at our reception.

Founder's Hall and Hamby's Catering

avanvalk1989 — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:49:08 +0000

Has anyone booked their reception at Founders Hall out at Charlestowne landing.

Second question, has anyone used/booked Hamby's Catering.

If so, can you tell me a little bit about each :)!

Thanks!

nola knottie coming to visit

aaallen7 — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:21:52 +0000

Hey girls!

I'm visiting charleston next week with my husband (recently married), and was wondering if any of yall could fill me in on local places to eat (nice or dives) and anything we must see while we're there. i've heard charleston is so nice so i can't wait to go, and we're only there four nights so i want to make sure we hit up the best local spots! thanks in advance!!

april

Two New Bridal Stores in Charleston

acg1 — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:50:18 +0000

I saw this article online...
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/seersucker/archives/2010/02/16/downtown-welcomes-two-new-bridal-shops

I went to Bella Vista Bridal's webpage and it looks as iff they are having a sale...
http://www.bellavistabridal.com

Thought I would pass this along to my fellow Knotties

Happy Weddings!

alterations

pnaych1ck04 — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:30:34 +0000

Does anyone know of a good place to get my wedding dress altered?? TIA

Who enjoyed the snow?

cougarette — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:45:40 +0000

We got about 1.5 -2 inches here in Mt. Pleasant. Fi and I went by Alhambra Hall to check it out. It was so much fun, but I'm glad we don't live where it snows all the time.

Contacting Twenty-Eight Bridgeside

tiffersnc — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:45:06 +0000

Does anyone know how to contact Twenty-eight Bridgeside to get pricing/availability information? I keep hearing about it and can't find anything online.

Thanks!

Location for Pics?

krl8 — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 05:07:15 +0000

Hey ladies!

I'd love some suggestions for the Charleston/Mt. Pleasant areas for our engagement pics and for my bridal portrait. The e-pics will likely occur in March/April and the bridal portrait in Sept/Oct.

We were considering Boone Hall for the e-pics, but I also want a gorgeous locale for the bridal portrait....

Thanks!

help with this dress???

LoveOfMikesLife — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:03:43 +0000

kaufman franco FW09 I can only find pictures of the back and I'm dying to see the front, let me know if you ladies can help... thanks style number KF128F9D020

Reception Babysitter

[Deleted User] — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:40:06 +0000

Help ladies, I need a sitter to watch/entertain the kids during the sit-down dinner. I've made arrangements for the kids to be served in a completely separate room and I'll make activity/coloring books, some toys, etc for them. They will be joining the reception once the sit-down portion is over to come party with us but I need a sitter. Any ideas on where to start? Should I seek a child care professional or just advertise at College of Charleston?

Thanks,

More than just vendors! (Long, but worth every word!)

ScMOB — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:05:17 +0000

I was going to wait until after the wedding to write a review of all the vendors that we used for my daughter's wedding, however I couldn't wait a second longer to let all the future Charleston Brides know what OUTSTANDING people we have as a part of their day.

Let me start out by explaining our situation. My daughter and her fiance started planning their wedding in February of last year when he proposed. By June, we had everything pretty much set for their wedding in July of this year. We found out last week, that my son-in-law to be would not be finished with his Army training and would be deploying immediately after that necessitating a change of date. Long story short, we settled on April 11, 2010. TWO MONTHS FROM NOW!

As you all know, getting vendors in Charleston on such a short notice is next to impossible, but the FABULOUS vendors that we had arranged for the original date very graciously agreed to make it work for us and still be a part of the wedding.

So...if anybody out there is still looking for vendors for their wedding....let me tell you these are the people to get. Not only is their work outstanding..but more importantly...they are all caring, flexible!...and truly wonderful people.

Caterering:   Curtis at Royal Grand Events.   Emails you back IMMEDIATELY...changes your menu as many times as you ask him...always with a cheerful reply....he will make you feel like your wedding is the only one he has for the year!!    He has made all my worries vanish!

Florist: Diane Thrower weddings.   Diane is a lovely, talented woman with SUPER ideas. Her flowers are gorgeous.   She doesn't do weddings on Sunday, that's her day with her family (which I respect totally), but very graciously agreed to do my daughter's wedding under the circumstances!

Photography: Tillman Branch Photography. Mike has also been wonderful...he called me right away when I was so upset about changing everything and told me not to worry, they would all be there...no matter what!   Their engagement pics are just stunning....can't wait to see the rest!

Bridal House of Charleston: Cindy at the BH has just been absolutely fantastic! We have dealt with her everytime we have been in...through the gown selection, ordering and fitting. She helped me pick my dress....and helped get it in faster so that I would have time for the alterations.   She is great to work with, answers all your questions and is just an all around beautiful person!

Band: Alternate Take out of Charlotte, NC. Grant is doing our wedding, even when he and the band had a chance to play for the Family Circle event (luckily they can do both) and is learning new songs just for our event.

Cake: Elaine Mincey. Great cake...actually...BEST CAKE EVER!! ...said no problem when we needed to change the date.

Summerall Chapel: Nancy and Nicole at the chapel have helped us through every hurdle and are two of the nicest ladies ever.

Lastly....Terri at the Alhambra Hall has been so sweet and caring. She even remembered that I told her on the phone that my other daughter's BF was in a car accident and asked about him when my DD went to sign the new contract.

I'll write back after the wedding to let every know how great everything turned out...but I know with all these wonderful people...that it will truly be a day to remember forever!!!!!

Decorating the deck?!?!?!

aewatts — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:47:02 +0000

I am at a crossroads about the deck portion of the rental venue.. I do not know what to do with the deck to make it look more home-y? I don't want to get a tent, as that would over extend my budget. I'm thinking of maybe using wicker furniture that I can find here and there, some high cocktail tables... I just don't want it to look RANDOM out there. Any suggestions?

Here is a picture of the deck....

http://www.charlestonyachtclub.com/images/ChYC_deck%20002.jpg

Beach Wedding/Reception REC's

nikkeefinley85 — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:18:12 +0000

I am having the wedding on Folly Beach, anyone have any ideas for the wedding and also any ideas for a reception area. We are thinking of having the reception in Summerville.

Thanks!!!

Also any feedback on A Charleston Beach Wedding would be great. That is who we are using.

PSA - Budget Brides!

cougarette — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:59:09 +0000

I was just perusing http://www.lowcountryforless.com and saw you can get a $500 certificate for $250 at Carolina Cakes and More (I don't know anything about them) and a $800 certificate for $400 at Bridals by Jodi (they are excellent!). I wish the Bridals by Jodi certificate was available when I got my dress.

Also, I saw that Total Wine has there $5 off $50 purchase going on until the end of the month. There's a coupon in their flyer which came in yesterday's paper. It may be online or in the store too (I've really never looked to see if they have flyers at the front).

Just wanted to share some of the deals I've found lately.

Maggie Sottero dress FOR SALE!!

Jessied1982 — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:55:50 +0000

I have a maggie dress for sale. The only time it was worn was for my bridal potraits(wedding was called off after they were made). The only pic i could find was one on my photographers website. It is the first one(i am in a chair). There is also another pic in the website under "onlocation bridal portraits"(I'm the 2nd pic).
I am asking $300 .... jessied1982 at hotmail dot com

http://www.aphroditesilhouette.com/#

GREAT FOR BEACH WEDDINGS!! Very light weight