Real Wedding Follow-Up: Caroline & Keat, Part 4

Posted by Caroline Crown, whose wedding is featured in our Fall issue

Yesterday, I mentioned the Palmetto tree and crescent moon as recurring icons throughout our weekend-long destination wedding.

In addition to appearing on our guest bags, the logos also showed up on our groomsmen as cufflinks. The gift itself was somewhat of a no-brainer, but they’re kind of the perfect gift for guys. We had the jeweler who made our wedding rings customize a pair of cufflinks for us: one cufflink was the palmetto and the other was a crescent moon.

Photography by Bryan Johnson and Caleb Chancey

I have to say that thinking up the perfect bridesmaid and groomsmen gift was difficult for Keat and I. Our wedding party of 24 was a mix of brothers and sisters, childhood, high school, college, and work friends! We wanted to thank each person with a creative and thoughtful gift that showed how much we appreciated them standing beside us on our big day. And the bridesmaids’ gifts were a bit trickier. After all, I was already forcing my 12 friends to wear white in November (tomorrow’s post!), which is not exactly ideal. Finding a creative and thoughtful gift for 12 very different personalities was a bit of a challenge.

Since I knew it was going to be chilly on the day of the wedding, I got each bridesmaid a navy pashmina. Not exactly mind-blowing, I know, but I didn’t want them to be cold! My next gift was a product that was introduced to me by one of the fabulous celebrity makeup artists I worked with while at Chanel. By Terry Lip Balm is the most luxurious and perfect lip balm. It looks great on everyone, but with a price tag of $65, it’s not something you would necessarily buy for yourself. By gifting the By Terry Lip Balm, I was able to share something I loved with the girls I loved! The final part of the bridesmaid gift was treating them to blowouts the day of the wedding. Again, the least I could do for making them wear white with me!

What are you doing for bridal party gifts?

Real Wedding Follow-Up: Caroline & Keat, Part 3

Posted by Caroline Crown, whose wedding is featured in our Fall issue

Today I'm back and following up on Calder's post yesterday, and I wanted to share a bit about our welcome bags.

The navy and ivory canvas totes boasted the state's signature Palmetto tree and crescent moon with our family names and wedding weekend date embroidered into it. In fact, the icons of the tree and moon appeared in a few places (tomorrow I'll share one more). Inside, we stuffed a bevy of little goodies, including:

• Custom labeled bottled waters
• Mini candle
• For Your Party barrel-style matches (navy with white C)
• Taste of Charleston spiral-bound 3"x 5" cookbook
• Benne Wafers (local sweet/salty bite)
• Cheese Zingers (a Southern favorite)
• Lord Ashley Cooper's Dictionary of Charlestonese (a quirky little booklet on how to pronounce all things Charleston)
• Charleston Tea Plantation loose tea
• Custom pens and Palmetto notepads
• Charleston Magazine
• Charleston Visitor Center Booklet with maps
• Wedding Weekend info printed in tri-fold fashion

What are you doing for your welcome bag?

Real Wedding Follow-Up: Caroline & Keat, Part 2

Posted by Caroline Crown, whose wedding is featured in our Fall issue

 
Photography by Bryan Johnson and Caleb Chancey

Yesterday, I shared some of my planning tips when it comes to destination weddings. I was lucky enough to work with Calder Clark of Blue Moon Events and thought it'd be nice to share some additional tips straight from a pro. Here are some things that came into play when planning my wedding, which will help any of you getting married in the colder months when there's a chance of rain, snow, and chilly air. Here's what he had to say.

1. Have a Plan B that you actually like!
A simple no-nonsense rain plan involves reserving a ceremony (and/or dinner!) backup location, or putting a tent on hold with your venue or local rental company.

Saturday, 11.29.08, when Caroline & Keat got married, turned out to be a gray, rainy day with a dampness and a chill that we were determined to overcome. Plan A was a ceremony outdoors in the centuries-old Octagonal Gardens at Middleton Place. A few days out, we watched the forecast and made a bold decision to move the ceremony indoors to the Pavilion, which we had on hold as a rain backup for the ceremony. The beauty of our Plan B is how seamlessly it unfolded. We had long ago planned to flood the back-up venue with an abundance of varying votive light for warmth and drama. The simplicity of hanging hundreds of votives from the beamed ceiling resulted in a breathtaking scene as the guests filed in from their trolleys, happy to settle into a lovely environment. Remember: Spontaneity can be a plus!

2. Pretend You're a Guest
When worrying over a flawed design idea, event flow sticking point, or concern over guest comfort, we often ask ourselves: 'What would I feel like if I were a guest, walking through this wedding?' Here, we did the same thing. For starters, we bagged up gigantic piles of fresh towels for toweling off anything that needed drying. Secondly, we invested in plenty of nice, white golf umbrellas big enough to cover 2-3 heads at once. Next, we arranged for staff to be on hand at every step to play "personal umbrella holder" to guests stepping across the plantation grounds. (Think P. Diddy!) Lastly, we dropped down tent sides and added canon-blown heat to the dinner tent in lieu of the unsightliness and limited reach of mushroom heaters.

3. Play "shepherd"
We are often asked if transportation is necessary, as it can pose a financial and logistical challenge to brides planning for their big day. Destination weddings come with their own layers of presumed modern-day etiquette, including the notion that rental cars aren't necessary and guests will be shuttled to/from each and every function. While this isn't always feasible for each and every bride, it is certainly something to remember to aim for when budgeting for the big day. When possible, planning to shuttle guests about town in a streamlined fashion can be the element that makes them feel completely confident and secure in their enjoyment of the evening.

Transportation provides an automatic safety net if guests over-indulge. Secondly, it assures the timeliness of the event's agenda, as guests are "captive" for the most part, and planners and other professionals can ensure a speedy arrival and departure. Lastly, it is that special touch that very well may cap off a guest's entire perception of how well-received he or she has been for the wedding weekend.

For Caroline and Keat's wedding weekend, we had a lot of fun utilizing several different local vendors to "shake up" the way guests were moved about Charleston each day. On Thursday night, we deployed sleek black sprinter vans to move them in style. On Friday night, we used a bevy of British black cabs to/from the William Aiken House. On Saturday, we lined up old-fashioned trolleys to take them on the 45 minute trek to Middleton Place.

4. Welcome them with Local Flavor
We worked closely with the families to plan for darling little welcome bags aimed at introducing guests to Charleston. Caroline will be talking about all the goodies inside tomorrow!

Real Bride: Caroline & Keat, Part 1

Posted by Caroline Crown, whose wedding is featured in our Fall Issue

Photography by Bryan Johnson and Caleb Chancey

Just about a year to the day of marrying husband Keat, our wedding -- part Thanksgiving feast, part destination wedding, and fully a weekend celebration of all of our nearest and dearest -- appeared in the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings. Thanks to the help of an amazingly talented wedding planner, and my wonderfully loving and helpful mother and mother-in-law, we had such a memorable wedding, welcome dinner, and Thanksgiving for 70. So, with my first anniversary looming and much to be thankful for, I'll be here each day until Thanksgiving sharing some additional tidbits you didn't see in the magazine.

First topic of discussion? Planning tips!

I think most women who have planned a wedding would agree when I describe the process as the perfect mix of fun and stress. And if you’re planning a destination wedding, you get double the fun and double --  maybe triple -- the stress!

Style Me Pretty Real Wedding: More from Cara & Spencer

Posted by Shira Savada, Real Weddings Editor

Photo by Carrie Patterson

Remember last week's lovely Jackson Hole wedding from Abby? If you've been clicking through our gallery, desperately hoping another slide would magically appear, I've got good news. Abby will be revealing even more from Cara and Spencer's gorgeous wedding, so be sure to visit Style Me Pretty today to check it all out!

Real Wedding: Tereasa & David

Posted by Shira Savada, Real Weddings Editor

Tereasa & David's wedding weekend at camp is our newest addition to the real weddings gallery.

Here are the basics.

The venue: Camp Wandawega, in Elkhorn, Wisconsin

The photographers: Chris Strong, Matthew Gore, Robert Jillson, Mitch Gordon, Landis Smithers

The unexpected element: rain.

Check out the great story behind the property and the creative details from the creative couple here.

Event Planning: Report from Saint Barts

Posted by Matthew Robbins, Contributor

Saint Barthelemy, St. Barth, St. Barts—all of these names refer to one of my absolute favorite places in the Caribbean. Sure, it's known as a celebrity playground, but there are plenty of options for brides, too. After spending many vacations on this little piece of heaven, I decided to really get to know what the island has to offer to potential clients looking for a destination (specifically island) wedding. This will be the first of four posts detailing my recent trip to St. Barts, and I will do my best to include all of the wonderful details! You can also check out my blog for additional photos from the trip!

Are you planning an island wedding? How did you choose your location?

I'm starting my report where you would begin your search (after you use the island, of course): the hotel. There are only a handful of hotels on Saint Barts, and they are all incredibly luxurious and unique. Each offers endless options for a fabulous honeymoon, of course, but it was so wonderful to learn more about what they offer the bride and groom looking to plan an intimate, truly unforgettable destination wedding. The perfect number of guests for a wedding on the island seems to be 50-75; after all, jet aircraft are not permitted to land on St. Barts, so you've got to fly to St. Martin or Puerto Rico and arrive on a small prop plane, or travel by sea. All of the travel is well worth the beauty that awaits each guest! The food alone is enough motivation to plan a St. Barts celebration. You can have the best of France on an exquisite Caribbean island only four hours from NYC!

Expert Advice: Kimberlee Bendeck of Boutique Events

Posted by Kate Berry, Senior Style Editor

Photos (from left to right) shot by Noah Hendler and Charlotte Jenks Lewis

Having the help of a wedding planner is a luxury that's worth every penny. When I got married, I enlisted the help of many of my friends, and then some. But if it weren't for my wedding planner, I would have been a mess trying to keep every detail in order.

I met Kimberlee Bendeck of Boutique Events working on a real wedding last year. Naturally, I feel pretty informed about weddings and events because of where I work, but when it comes to the actual event production, Kimberlee was so on top of things and had every source at her fingertips. I had a chance to catch up with Kimberlee last weekend at an event, and here's what she had to say.

What sets you apart from other wedding coordinators?

I find that every couple has a unique vision for their wedding. My focus is to make sure their vision becomes a reality. I'm very hands on in all aspects of the weddings and stay as far away from the cookie cutter wedding as possible. And I really push my brides and grooms to customize their celebrations and think outside of the traditional expectations of weddings today.

How far in advance and how much do you get involved in a wedding?

Usually about 6-8 months in advance but I've had a few incredible weddings that started just 3 months out! No detail is overlooked, from the type of filling in the cake to the color palette of the wedding—I'm involved in it all. Planning a wedding is a very intimate process, and I feel very fortunate to be a part of helping create such a momentous event in my client's lives.

New York is your area of expertise, but are there other places you like to work?

I just took my business bi-coastal this past summer and love working in sunny Southern California, from LA to Orange County all the way to San Diego. I've started to branch out to Santa Barbara as well. It's just a different vibe, and I can create a very different kind of wedding.

What are some last minute decisions you've had to deal with?

A lot of the last minute decisions I've had to deal with are table changes based on guests that cacel at the very last minute due to illness or travel. Between that and working with new escort cards, it's a situation I've become pretty used to.

Style Me Pretty Real Wedding: Cara & Spencer

Posted by Abby Larson, of Style Me Pretty

First of all, I am thrilled to be contributing to the fabulous Bride's Guide blog. I fully admit that I am the number one fan, so to be a part of such a great place is well, awesome. Thus, before we dive into our first Style Me Pretty Real Wedding, I just wanted to say a huge and hearty thank you to Darcy and the team at Martha Stewart Weddings.

Cara and Spencer's wedding is SO Martha; you know: thoughtful details, a color palette that is as elegant as it is chic, and a style that is altogether perfect. It's infused with subtly gorgeous touches—vintage apothecary jars, rustic birdcages, letterpressed menus printed on recycled kraft paper—that are effortlessly lovely and understated yet completely gorgeous. I am madly in love with this Jackson Hole affair and know that you will be too!

To see even more gorgeous images—captured by the hugely talented Carrie Patterson!—from this picture-perfect wedding, head over to Style Me Pretty next Tuesday. The bride has been sweet enough to provide even more information on all of the great DIY projects that she crafted, and we can't wait to show them off!

So, until next time...enjoy the gallery!

Event Planning: Vegetable Details

Posted by Matthew Robbins, Contributor

Table numbers and menu cards are often an afterthought, but they can really bring a magical and finishing touch to your table design. Take this fabulous wedding, for example.

It was held at Blue Hill Stone Barns, one of my absolute favorite venues and restaurants in New York. The bride worked with Ceci NY to design these wonderful menus and table cards. We all wanted to avoid the typical table number—for creative reasons but also to save space on the table—and the bride is a bit of a foodie, so the final and perfect idea was to use garden vegetables to "name" each table. Ceci printed different garden vegetables on a simple band meant to wrap around a menu set at each place setting, so if you were seated at the Butternut Squash table, you could very easily walk around the dining room and find ten of these bright vegetables marking your table.

It was also just so much more fun and perfect for the venue. Blue Hill is famous for serving the most exquisite and delicious food straight from their own garden, so the vegetable theme was very appropriate. If you want to try this on your own, click here to download a menu card template online from Martha Stewart Weddings. This is one more great link for table number ideas.

What are your ideas for finding original table number and menu card presentation ideas?

 

Each table was uniquely vintage-inspired. We used zinc tabletops, and copper and wood accents. I love the contrast of each table surface with the different menus and place settings.