Tag Archives: Boone Hall Plantation

May 16, 2016

Lowndes Grove Collage

photos by Liz Banfield

This Monday calls for a roundup of some of our favorite wedding venues in Charleston, SC.  We’re highlighting a few of our favorite ceremony (outside of the churches) and reception venues that we are lucky to work with here in the Lowcountry. Our first is Lowndes Grove Plantation located actually in downtown Charleston. We love working with each client to determine the best layout for their event, and play around with the different spots at the Plantation. Ceremonies can overlook the river, or have the house as the backdrop. Dinner and dancing in the tented courtyard is always a favorite, but we also love that the interiors and grounds provide such lovely scenes for photos.

Ocean Course Collage

photos by Liz Banfield

The Ocean Course at Kiawah is a stunning site. I like the way a party can progress through different stages at this venue. From a ceremony on the golf lawn overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, to cocktails on the upper lawn and porches, to dinner in a ballroom, and then dancing under a tent overlooking the property, you are able to offer your guests so much variety!

HIbernian 1 Collage Hibernian 2 Collage

Photos by Corbin Gurkin

The Hibernian Society in the heart of the Charleston Historic District has long been the scene of many Charleston parties… I like that it’s large enough to hold a sizeable party but it’s broken up as such that if you have a smaller group it won’t feel too huge. It’s got a great porch for creating seating areas that overlook Meeting Street, and the historic architecture lends it some unique value.

Drayton Hall Collage

photo by Liz Banfield

Drayton Hall Plantation is probably hands down my most favorite venue in the Lowcountry. However, they have cut back on their wedding business due to the effort they place on historic preservation.  The old oaks and riverbanks along with the Federalist style home offer spectacular scenery.

WAH Collage

photos by Corbin Gurkin and Gayle Brooker

The William Aiken House’s prime location on busy King Street make it perfect for the crown who wants to keep everything easy for their guests while offer something special or unique to those coming to Charleston for a different type of wedding. The historic home has large porches for partying and antique ballrooms where you are able to host your guests for dinner.

Runnymede Collage

photos by Corbin Gurkin

A recent favorite of many of our brides and us here at Soiree, is Runnymede Plantation. The home no longer stands, other than a few crumbling ruins, but the land and location along the Ashley River allow us to have fun and do whatever we want with decor, and we love that!

Boone Hall Plantation

photo by Liz Banfield

Finally, we’ve done quite a few weddings at Boone Hall Plantation in our many years, but this image from one we did  for over 1200 people really stands out!

5.16.16   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Charleston, Entertaining, Event Design, Event Planning, Photographers, Reception, Travel, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>
Jan 27, 2016

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Sharing some dreamy images from Liz Banfield on this Wedding Wednesday. We loved loved working on this wedding, and have since stayed good friends with the family and couple and worked on many other projects together. So, that always makes my job even better, getting to create something for people you really care about! This couple had 1200 people at their wedding so creating a space large enough to accommodate that, yet still have it feel intimate was one of our biggest challenges.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

The girls all started with a day of lunch and getting ready at the bride’s family home. The same car that would take the married couple from their ceremony to the reception took the bride and her mother to the church, spending that last bit of time alone together, which is one of my sweetest moments from recent weddings.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

The bride’s style was traditional but also super modern. We went with an ice blue and grey color palette. Lots of squared/block shapes, clear acrylic, a modern monogram, and minimalist furniture were all part of the design aesthetic.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

The couple were married at her family church, which is a charming historic church in a quaint area of town. The sanctuary was softened with a white carpeted aisle runner and bountiful flowers. The couple was married in front of a lush flower wall that hid much of the acoutremants found on an alter but not necessarily needed at a wedding.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

If you can try to carve out any “alone” time to either eat, or just take a breather together as husband and wife, it’s a nice idea that I think you will appreciate after the wedding. This couple rode together alone from the wedding to the reception so they had a chance to discuss the actual wedding.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

The reception took place at Boone Hall Plantation. Guests arrived to white gloved treatment from servers lining the walkway with trays of champagne, water, wine, etc. A carpeted aisle was laid, so that women’s shoes wouldn’t sink into the sand as they walked into cocktail hour.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

This was a special surprise to the bride and her family. She had bridal portraits taken before the wedding which, as Southern tradition has it, are typically displayed throughout the reception. So, we had these blown up and hung at the entrance to the reception tent surrounded by a massive flower wall.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Edwin McCain (a close friend of the family) sang the Father/Daughter dance song. And, Josh Kelley (one of the couple’s favorite performers) performed for the crowd that evening.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

You would have NEVER guessed, but this was the restroom trailer for this reception. With that many guests on the middle of Plantation grounds, we needed a lot of restrooms!  So, instead setting them off to the side as an unfortunate necessity, we glammed them up with draping, chandeliers, lounge furniture to rest your feet or wait in line, and the guest sign in station. We wanted to makes sure that nobody missed the chance to give their well wishes to the couple, and this was a place sure to get the most traction!

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

With a coincidentally perfectly matrimonial last name like Rice, we couldn’t help but bring that in where we could. So, bowls of rice were used to hold notes containing “Grains of Wisdom” from the guests to the couple.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

A cake bar by Jim Smeal was a focal point in one are of the tent- 20 smaller cakes of different flavors were displayed around the centerpiece cutting cake to ensure that guests were all served and a variety of flavors were offered.

Tara Guerard Soiree by Liz Banfield

Of course, as the couple left, we had to bring in the traditional tossing of the “Rice”. However, wanting to protect the birds that inhabit the natural surroundings, we used Orzo pasta instead!

1.27.16   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Bridal Style, Cakes, Charleston, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Reception, Uncategorized, Weddings | 11 Comments