Our wedding: Both ceremony and reception were held at The Rice Mill Building on Sunday May 2nd at 6:30pm and 7:00pm respectively. We had 55 guests all from out of town.
Venue and Caterer: The Historic Rice Mill Building - A+ - We worked with Emily throughout our planning process. She was so laid back and honest! I always had questions answered within a day either by email or phone and she did her best to describe things since I was planning from Charlotte, NC. The food tasting did not do the day of food justice. Our guests were absolutely floored by the quality and variety of food. We did stations and they were replenished very promptly once they got low. Emily coordinated all ceremony chair and linen rentals and day-of deliveries. They set up everything except the flowers and helped my family collect everything that night to put into our cars. They also packed up left overs, cake and champagne in a complimentary basket for us! I would have personally loved Emily hang around all night and be my day of wedding planner too! We could not have been happier.
*Cons - I do wish we would have known how hot it would be inside the venue. It is an old building so the insulation is not the best so the AC could not keep up on a 86 degree day. I sweat a lot dancing.
Officiant: Rev. Dr. Holt A. Clarke (Lowcountry Wedding Minister) - A - Dr. Clarke was really great to work with. Very responsive and helpful in letting us create a custom wedding ceremony. He gave us many suggestions and led our wedding rehearsal as best as one could. Our only complaint is that we wish we would have paid for an upgraded package with counselling through him because we enjoyed his spirit.
Photography: Stephen Blackmon Photography - A++ - Stephen was so enjoyable to work with it was like we had known him for years. We had limited interest in posed formal pics (we spent about 20-25 minutes total on them) and asked Stephen to focus mainly on capturing the day with a photojournalistic, candid style and I have no doubts we will be thrilled with the results. I have only seen a teaser photo and will post more in the weeks to com. He pays attention to detail and we hardly even noticed he was around at all capturing our dream wedding. His pricing was fantastic compared to others in the area. I could gush about how much fun he was to work with for hours!
DJ: Bobby Geiger - East Coast Entertainment - A+ - He listened intently to every conversation we had on the phone. We did not meet face to face until the day of and he truly made the wedding amazing. He used our playlist exactly, even had it printed out. He clarified all the bridal parties names and made sure our parents were comfortable. He played all requests and kept our crowd encouraged to dance and have fun. Just a great personality and a warm guy.
Make-up: Ashley Jarnagin (Carmen Carmen Charlotte) - A - My stylist and make up artist travelled from Charlotte to help me on my big day. I was amazed by their willingness to do so and not charge for accommodations since they could stay with friends. I have never had my make up look so amazing. It stayed all night long without any touch ups. Even through all my sweating on the dance floor.
*Cons - A little hard to get a hold of throughout the process. The trial make up left something to be desired.
Hair: Kristen Caldwell (Carmen Carmen Charlotte) - A+ - I loved my hair and it held up well on a windy and humid day. I cannot believe she travelled and did my ladies hair so fast and well. 3 of us in 2 hours and everyone loved their hair. She is so fun to have around and I loved how my hair looked throughout the night.
Cake: Peacock Feather Cakes, Michelle Purser - A+ - Grooms cake was a total surprise and turned out simply amazing. He was thrilled by the drag strip cake with a replica of his Corvette. It was/is carrot cake and we still have a ton left to enjoy. The wedding cake was chocolate expresso with coconut frosting. I am not a cake person so this was fine for me. It was moist and beautiful looking. She was a delight to work with on the phone and wanted to come later to set up and meet me. Such a sweet person. She even saved us a bunch of money with suggestions on a foam layer.
Flowers: Wildflowers Inc., Beth - A - I loved the bouquets. Simply exceeded my expectations. The bulk flowers she agreed to order and charge us at cost and bring to the reception site for my cousin to set up. They looked amazing. Unfortunately the hydrangea didn't survive on the patio chairs in all the heat!
*Cons - the grooms mom didn't get a wrist corsage but a regular corsage instead we had to find a way to pin on her dress.
Violinist: Kathy Beres-Rogers - A+ - Beautifully performed. We found Kathy through a recommendation on here and donated to her Leukemia and Lymphoma marathon effort. She even offered to come and run through at our rehearsal which was perfect. She was professional and so kind. She learned a couple new songs I heard and liked. She plays for the symphony I believe.
Transportation: Charleston Executive, SUV rental - B -
Prompt and reliable, they were they when they said they’d be. They are cheaper than a limo by far and had many options.
*Cons - Not super responsive and our driver wasn't real personable. But cheap, on time and very professional.
Hotels: The Courtyard Marriott Waterfront - C - I found them very hard to deal with. They got almost all reservations for our party mixed up because we had 2 rates for different nights. They did it more than once on the same guests! We constantly had to call and check on our guests reservations and still are correcting a few bills. The hotel breakfast was good and the rooms clean and decent. I think for the price we got a good deal at $139 for a Saturday night in May.
Dress: Poffie Girls, Gastonia - B - My dress was made incorrectly by the manufacturer the first time around. One side was 3 inches longer than the other. Poffie compensated me by not having me pay alterations. The alterations however were done very poorly the first time around. The second fitting was soooo much better. I highly recommend working with Sheri.
Honeymoon: The Waters Edge Inn, Folly Beach - A+ - Just amazing. We just wanted a mini-moon and this was peaceful, quiet and attentive B&B. Close to everything and great staff made it simple and easy. They even shuttled us by golf cart to anything in Folly including the beach. Great food recommendations.
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