With a street name like King St., you know it’s going to be special. Charleston, SC is a beautiful place to host the summer wedding of your dreams, and this couple proved it. This ceremony space. The building windows are a beautiful backdrop to the vows and love between these two. The stunning yellow of the reception venue contrasts perfectly with the details of the wedding. They create the scene for a marvelous party for the bride and groom. The light and brightness of this event is something we’ll be thinking about for a long, long time. Don’t take our word for it…check it out for yourself!
There is a beautiful story behind this wedding on King St.,
Seth and I met in Newport, Rhode Island back in 2018. He was a member of the US Cost Guard while I spent my days planning and executing weddings. After some convincing, I finally agreed to a first date with Seth and a few months later we uprooted and moved down to Key West, Florida for Seth’s next assignment. On our journey south, we stopped in Charleston, South Carolina where we instantly fell in love with the picturesque architecture, cobblestone side streets and the magnificent cuisine. Seth and I knew at that moment we would be back here again one day!
And soon we were. After two years spent in Key West, Seth proposed starting with a romantic tandem bicycle ride through town. We found ourselves at a quiet fountain, after plans A-H didn’t quite pan out, and Seth got down on one knee to pop the big question. It was perfectly unexpected, and through ugly tears I finally mustered up the words, YES!
From there, the planning began. Though slow at first, due to the restrictions of Covid-19, Seth and I still went to work on our vision. We knew we wanted a smaller bridal party and guest count. First step, however, was selecting the location. We rattled off a few places, Newport, RI where we met, Key West, FL where we were currently stationed, Italy for an elopement (our parents turned that one down) but it was Charleston, SC that he and I reminisced about and excitedly agreed on.
As the planning continued,
After torturing Seth with 9 venue visits, hotel pop-ins and restaurant tastings, we had a lot to think about. Each location had something unique and special to offer, so making a decision was no easy task. However, the style we envisioned for the big day, including outdoor venue space was natural greenery, on-site catering and a professional/experienced venue team. The William Aiken House on King Street turned out to be the ideal fit!
With years of experience arranging intricate wedding details for clients, my friends and family assumed I had our day planned the moment I said yes. That couldn’t have been further from the truth! Sure I had ideas in mind. There were so many little details that Seth and I came up with together, which made the experience all the more memorable. Starting with the food and beverages. We didn’t want to offer the cookie-cutter setup of a plated dinner and champagne toast. Instead, we made selections that had meaning to us.
We arranged stations that reflected each of our homes/places of interest; New England oysters and lobster rolls, a build your own poke station, fried chicken and waffle hors d’oeuvres and so on. The bar offered signature cocktails of a blueberry lemonade (hers) which is a Newport staple, and rum punch (his) a favorite in The Florida Keys. And of course a dessert display with some key lime tartlets, another Key West treat!
Finally,
Seth and I thought long and hard about the little details that would turn into memorable moments for our guests. A citrus inspired escort card table, each arranged with a leaf denoting the guests name and table number. This was a tribute to the vibrant colors of Charleston and our venue, and just my general love for all things citrus! Favors at each seat to compliment the tablescape. This consisted of sweet little envelopes with a scratch ticket in each. They had a punny message that read, “For Richer or for Poorer.” A 360 photo booth that captured slow motion videos and were instantly texted to each guest after using. And a “guestbook” which was actually a vintage phone used for recording voicemail messages.
Once all the little details came together, it was then time to bring in the ideal planning team to assist with the final arrangements and execution. Infinite Events out of Rhode Island was that team! I knew that from day one of meeting and working with Erica that her professionalism, attention to detail and ability to keep everyone on a tight timeline were what we needed in a planner. She and her team agreed to travel down to Charleston. From that point, a major weight just lifted off of our shoulders.
My advice to any newly engaged couple… hire a wedding planner… Whether they are there from day one assisting with every little detail, or jump in a few months from the big day. It is honestly the best investment and decision you could make. Seth and I didn’t need to think about a single thing at our wedding. We knew that Erica and her team had everything covered.
The day then came, and it was absolutely magical. From start to finish there was no stress, no fuss, only happy tears and a night filled with dancing and good company. We wouldn’t have changed a thing and would do it again tomorrow if we could!