Tag Archives: Lowndes Grove Plantation

Jun 21, 2017

Today’s wedding Wednesday comes in the form of a traditional glamorous affair from the archives.  The classic colors of black and white with a golden touch were the perfect palette for this formal affair. Held at Lowndes Grove Plantation and photographed by Liz Banfield, we hope you enjoy a glimpse at this soiree as much as we enjoyed producing it.

A letterpress invitation by Lettered Olive didn’t stay too far from traditional but added some glam updates like die cut edges and a metallic champagne belly band.

Floral Collage

Throughout the wedding, all white lush and fluffy blooms were used. Monograms were a huge part of the design, so everyone from the bride to bridesmaids, to the Mother of the Bride and Groom (MOB and MOG) carried bouquets with hand tied and monogrammed ribbons.

Champagne Collage

With both the ceremony and reception at Lowndes Grove Plantation, guests received a true gracious Southern welcome from the beginning. Guests were escorted to the ceremony seating down an aisle lined with live orchestral musicians. Pre ceremony Champagne was served with custom printed napkins also doubling as the ceremony programs.

Ceremony Collage

This stunning ceremony took place on the front lawn with gorgeous views of the river. A custom monogrammed aisle runner led the bride to the “alter” which was defined by huge hanging floral chandeliers from the limbs of a grand oak.

Chandelier Collage

Take a note from the antique interiors of the house, Chandeliers were an essential design element used throughout… Dinner escort cards were die cut chandeliers we had caligraphied and hung from real chandeliers in the cocktail hour area.

Guests then made their way under a tent for dinner. We had a small custom monogramed dance floor adjacent to a sweetheart table… it was a surprise to guests that a live Jersey Boys cover act performed during dinner and also for the bride and groom’s first dance -which was what they did on their first date!

Head table Collage

Dining room Collage

The tent was aglow due to the overhead chandelier lighting and masses of gold candles (from Creative Candles).  Long tables were draped in champagne silk and satin ribbon woven into chairs for a more tailored finish.

Cake Collage

Loved loved loved this special detail surprise for our bride- a cake table linen made from real rose petals!!!!! Cake by Jim Smeal.

Lounge Collage

The after dinner lounge was a glam party set up with chandeliers, velvet lounge seating, custom pillows, and a theater type stage set up for the band.

Our bride had a killer second Little White dress for dancing and it looked so amazing on her, with lace detail and champagne satin ribbon- a perfect fit for her party!

Food Collage

Guests enjoyed a variety of late night food from pulled pork biscuits, to fries in self serve containers, and candied praliens.

Getaway Collage

For the send off, guests got sparklers in die cut chandelier packets with custom matches…

In the bride’s family, all of the cars have customized license plates, so for the just married sign we made a little nod to this tradition.

6.21.17   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal, Bridal Style, Charleston, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Food and Drink, Photographers, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>
Jun 07, 2017

6476_33.©LizBanfield

We hope you have been enjoying seeing some of our weddings from the archives. I can’t wait to share some of our more recent ones just as soon as they are published or released! Today, we are going back to a dreamy Lowndes Grove affair, swathed in pink and white, with a custom monogram using the “J” from the bride and groom’s first names. Thank you to Liz Banfield for the pretty imagery.

Bridal Collage

This gorgeous bride was perfectly polished on her wedding day with a floral chignon, Monique Lhullier gown, family heirlooms incorporated into her bouquet, and a six pence in her Christian Louboutins!

6474_32a.©LizBanfield Guest Bag Collage

Guests coming to Charleston for the weekend, enjoyed a jute bag perfect for toting around filled with custom bottled waters and locally prepared snacks. The J&J logo set the tone for all of the design elements to come.

6479_13a.©LizBanfield Church Collage 6532_50.©LizBanfield

I love that final moment the bride has with her father (or whomever the special person walking her down the aisle), to reflect on everything and take a deep breath before walking down the aisle.

6477_33.©LizBanfield escort card Collage

Meanwhile, over at Lowndes Grove , the house is open for cocktail hour- guests enjoy pink champagne, porches with seating to enjoying the sweeping river views, and bountiful appetizers.  We also find this is a great time and place to position items like the guest book (whatever that is for you), and the dinner seating card display while you have all the attention of the guests before dancing, etc.

6531_9.©LizBanfield

Our bride wanted a truly Southern and traditional feel especially in the dinner tent, and we think we delivered! Luxe draping accented with crystal chandeliers, a mixture of tall and low abundant floral pieces, and pretty pink ribbon woven into the chairs just for an added touch.

Tabletop Collage

The J & J was a perfectly pretty accent for the place settings… The head table received embroidered napkins for the couple to use at home after the wedding. Small letterpressed tags were tied just so on the napkins, and wax seals featuring the “J’s” sealed the escort card envelopes.

6476_01.©LizBanfield

Oh, one thing I loved for this wedding- we added a bit of tailoring to the linen linens by trimming them out with heavy satin ribbon.

6540_43.©LizBanfield

The cake by Jim Smeal took notes from the lace used on the bride’s dress, along with the J monogram. Piped icing in a formal pattern was piped onto the traditional cake stand (which we painted white to update the old school silver stands) was an added special touch!

Evening Collage

Another hit at this wedding were the place cards at the head table- etched glasses with each person’s name that they could take home.. LOVE!

6485_06.©LizBanfield

Lounge Collage

6482_27a.©LizBanfield

After dinner under a tent on the front lawn… A warm and cozy lounge tent with glowing lamplight, carpeting, and candlelight was the perfect spot for guests to party. An outdoor lounge overlooking the river gave those wanting to enjoy some space away from the party a chance to relax under the stars.

6489_35.©LizBanfield

The bride enjoys her first dance on a custom monogrammed dance floor.

Late night Collage

Late night yummies like sorbet cones, and mini ice cream sandwiches cooled guests off from a long night of dancing…

6500_21a.©LizBanfield

The bride and groom departed by a Classic Rolls and traditional rose petal toss….

6.07.17   |   TARA GUÉRARD
Bridal Style, Charleston, Event Design, Event Planning, Flowers, Food and Drink, Reception, Stationery, Invitations and Pretty Papers, The Lettered Olive, Uncategorized, Weddings | Comments >>
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 >>