Featured Beach Wedding in Charleston

Amanda & Steve's wedding was sheer magic. It was held on September 13, 2009 at Folly Beach and the reception was held at Charleston Harbor Resort. They had the best of both worlds as they tied the knot on a secluded part of Folly and danced the night away with their out-of-state guests on the deck overlooking the Charleston Harbor with the beautiful Arthur Ravenel Bridge in the background.

Amanda carried a bouquet of crimson dendrobium and orange mokara orchids while the groom had a boutonniere that was made out of a star fish and mokara orchid to match his bride's bouquet. The bridal party each carried a single bird of paradise with tiny star fish tied into the handles and large cylinders with floral pieces submerged in water surrounded swimming gold fish that were later brought to a new permanent home with a staff member.

Great food, wonderful atmosphere and fun entertainment provided guests with a true beach side experience of Charleston SC. The best part of the evening was watching the couple cut the magnificant cakes provided by Artistic Cakes by Linda. All components were edible.

Here is a run-down of the vendors:
Site and Catering - Charleston Harbor Resort Photography - Photography by Terry Inc Wedding Cake - Artistic Cakes by Linda Ceremony Entertainment - Pantasia Reception Entertainment - Lee Edwards Entertainment Florals, Decor & Rentals - A Charleston Event & Snyder Event Rentals Limo Transportation - A Charleston Wedding

BOOKING YOUR BEACH WEDDING IN CHARLESTON

2010 is approaching fast and along with it, the dream of holding a Beach Wedding in Charleston. Charleston is an ideal city to host beach wedding mainly due to our wonderful weather and scenic beaches and while we always encourage you to have a rain backup (just in case), the city is still one of America's favorites for barefoot weddings.

Things to consider if you'd like to have a beach wedding in Charleston:

• Area to host your wedding - A lot of beaches no longer allow organized weddings on the beach in the area. If you are planning on using A Charleston Event to help you plan your wedding, we will advise you on which beaches and areas still allow this.
• Proximity to hotels for guests - Make sure your guests are able to provide their own transportation to your ceremony and back (especially important for destination weddings). Providing lists of hotel accommodations close by is suggested ahead of time.
• There are NO tents allowed on the beach. I often hear a lot of requests for erecting a tent so that the reception can also be held on the beach. This is not allowed in Charleston. There are enough properties that are beach front that will allow for receptions overlooking the water.
  
• Beach access for evening weddings - Most parks and public beach access closes at 6pm. As long as you have an organized permit, you can still hold your wedding. Your planner will organize all this for you.
  
• Decor - Our beaches are so beautiful in Charleston and honestly, the minimum requirements are needed. You can put up an arch, trellis, chuppah or other ceremony decor. Chair rentals will be dropped off at the actual beach entrance. Unless you have a planner, the rental companies do NOT put the chairs up on the beach and it is your responsibility to take them off the beach after the ceremony.
• Sunset weddings - Every bride thinks she may want a sunset wedding until she realizes that this may be a photographer's nightmare. Most of our weddings take place 'right before sunset'. We check the times of the sunsets for your wedding day and plan accordingly. This allows for enough natural light for the ceremony itself and then time for more intimate photos with the two of you while the sun is setting. Its all about timing and I promise you, you'll thank us later on when you see the photos.
  
• Veils and materials on arches - Even in the most beautiful weather, there is always at least a mild breeze blowing on the beaches. Be mindful of this when choosing your veil. A long cathedral veil is not something you want to be worried about during a beach wedding. I've seen many a veils blow off during weddings. I've also seen many of arches blow down because people have loaded it up with tons of tulle (which catches the wind). If you are going to have decor, please consider professionals to do what they do best...decorate with safety and satisfaction in mind.
• The most important factor to keep in mind when hosting a beach wedding is to keep it simple and relaxed. Bring in the elements of the surroundings and let nature be your guide. Have fun and happy planning!

Photos courtesy of Photography By Terry Inc

Happy Holidays!!!

This is truly my favorite time of the year. Christmas! Its a time for new beginnings and magic is in the air around every corner. Its also a time of year to reflect on the year gone by. 2009 has been a wonderful year for A Charleston Event & Bridal Library. We've planned many weddings over the last year and in 2009 we've seen three new babies from brides whose weddings were planned by us. We are so fortunate to have been a part of all the 'new beginnings' of married life together for so many awesome couples and even more honored to still be in touch with so many of you. Please keep the letters and photos coming so we can keep track of your lives and all those adorable babies!

It is with love that Christy and I and the entire ACE Team wish each and every bride, past, present and future, a truly Blessed Holiday Season and a Happy, Healthy & Love-filled 2010. Happy Planning! XO

Photos on this BLOG courtesy of Nathan Bell of Richard Bell Photography

The Knot 2010 Best of Weddings

We are proud to announce that A Charleston Event & Bridal Library have just been named The Knot's 2010 Best of Weddings. Thank you to all our brides (both past and present I'm told) for voting A Charleston Event & Bridal Library the most awesome wedding planning company!

Christy's Wedding Day

Well, Christy is finally Mrs. Roper! We are still waiting for the formal pics from Heather Forsythe, but here's a sneak preview of some of the pics I took.

Christy's bridal party had just made their way over to the ceremony site. Christy then got on the Trolley with her father on her way to the ceremony site to make her Grand Entrance. Right before they left, Dad had a special surprize for Christy.

Cultural Divide by Charleston Weddings Magazine

DECEMBER 1, 2009 Cultural Divide Span the distance between far-flung family customs, religions, and wedding traditions with finesse WRITTEN BY BRIDGET HERMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY GISSENDANNER PHOTOGRAPHY Milan Patel and Rachel Bloom When Drs. Rachel Bloom and Milan Patel married at the Charleston Marriott on Lockwood Drive, they wanted to include all of Rachel’s Jewish traditions and all of Milan’s Hindu customs in their celebratory weekend. Thus Elyn Rahman of A Charleston Event & Bridal Library planned a wedding extravaganza ulminating in two elaborate same-day ceremonies followed by one big bash. On their wedding day, the Manhattanites (clad in custom-made saris) first knelt under a mandap, the sacred Hindu wedding tent, and were married by a Hindu priest. A few hours later, Rachel donned an ivory silk and taffeta wedding gown and Milan slipped into a tux. The couple then exchanged vows under a chuppah, the traditional Jewish wedding canopy. As Milan stomped the wedding glass, a rabbi sealed their union for the second time that day. To keep the couple’s celebrations cohesive, Elyn stuck with one location and incorporated the same colors throughout both events. Red and gold linens, along with ample armfuls of lush red and white orchids, brightened the Marriott’s ballroom, and both traditional Indian food and American fare were served. At the end of the night, more than 500 wedding guests hit the dance floor and celebrated the union of the happy couple—and their customs. Lowcountry lovebirds Josia Martin (an Indian expat) and Cooper Strong (a local son) also hosted a blended wedding, although they ran into a few planning challenges at the onset. The initial stumbling block occurred with their church. Both attend Christ Our King in Mount Pleasant, but Josia wanted to incorporate a few Indian traditions into the service, and local Catholic church officials were skeptical. Undaunted, Josia met one-on-one with her officiant to explain the spiritual significance of the traditions, and the church changed its position. “My uncle is a Catholic priest,” says Josia. “So he presided over that part of the ceremony and read in my native language, Malayalam.” When everyone retired to the reception at Hamlin Plantation, guests sampled both chicken tikka masala and she-crab soup while lounging on ottomans outfitted with pillows covered with Indian fabrics. In the end, the couple was thrilled with the outcome, and Josia advises brides in similar situations to create celebrations that represent the melding of families. Her top tip? “Anything special to either family should be included in the wedding.” Takeaway Tips for Blended Weddings • Successfully blended weddings are all about communication. Begin by discussing your dream wedding ceremony one-on-one with your partner. Together, make a list of “musts.” • Present your ideas to a wedding planner: they’ll help make the celebration cohesive. • Ask your planner for advice on talking to families if this promises to be tricky. • If you have more than one officiant, encourage them to work together while planning the ceremony. • Present your ideas to your families as a united pair. • Print programs that spell out special customs incorporated into the ceremony or ask officiants to explain rituals as they are performed. • Provide translations for foreign language segments so all guests can follow. •Print menu cards that name and describe all foods, local and ethnic. Head to the Holiday House! What are you doing this Thursday, December 3rd? A Charleston Event & Bridal Library is throwing a holiday social-slash-networking event for those in the bridal industry. That means the Governor Thomas Bennett House will be dressed to the nines by a host of great local vendors—but it’s not for biz folks alone! Brides who want to preview local talent in action can pop in, too. See you there! GIVING BACK CHEER, December 3, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Governor Thomas Bennett House; free, although a sealed envelope with a donation for Palmetto Project's Families Helping Families is required. For a complete list of vendors, and more, click here!
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Wedding Photography

Where are the days going? Seems like yesterday that we were planning and trying to decide what to use as a theme for Christy's wedding. Now its come and gone and we feel like we should still be working on it. Yep...wedding planners go through withdrawals too. Not just brides. After all the preparation, flowers, decor and orchestration, the finale seems like an anti climax and all of a sudden its over.

Which is what brings me to this subject. Thank goodness for photographs. These are your forever memories. They are a lifetime of reminders of the magical day you got married. They hold precious elements of the key ingredients that made your wedding so special. That's why if we can advise our brides to invest on any one thing during the wedding planning process, think carefully about your photography. This doesn't mean the most expensive. It just means hiring a professional who will get the photographs you are looking for. You want these photos to show your children one day.

When looking for a photographer, ask some very simple questions:

• How long have you been working as a professional photographer
  
• How many weddings do you shoot in a weekend
• Do you bring an assistant
• How long will he/she be with you on the day of your wedding
• Do they have samples of their work
• Do they have verifiable references
• How long before you will be able to see your photos
• How does the editing process work
• Will you be able to order online as well
  

Do not be afraid to ask questions. Its also a good thing to include a photo session of the two of you or a bridal session before the wedding once you've booked your photographer, so you can get to know each other more. Your photographer (and your wedding planner) will be the ones you spend the most of your time with on your wedding day.


We will be posting pics of Christy's wedding shortly, but the pic above is a sneak preview of her bouquet. I took this photo and just cannot wait to see the photos that Heather Forsythe took. The quality and colors, not to mention the focus will be supreme compared to my little 10MP Cannon.

In the meantime, here's some of the photographers we love:

Taylor Stewart Photography
Richard Bell Photography
Heather Forsythe Photography
A Charleston Wedding
Marni Rothschild Photography
Lowry McKee Photography