Special Thanks to Evan Laettner’s amazing photography!

Vintage does not mean stuffy in any sense, and when I met Lacey and JB, vintage came out of her mouth about 20 times.  She conveyed her thoughts about their style by saying she wanted it to feel like a grandma’s estate.  This being the most hilarious description of a formal Charleston wedding, I was thrilled she chose to work with us!

When you grow up in Louisiana, grandma’s house can definitely have some cool style, and Lacey and JB wanted their guests to get a taste of Charleston but feel right at home.  We focused on rich colors and fabrics, warm lighting and creating a beautiful outdoor room with a tent the likes of the William Aiken House had never seen!

The moving frescos of St. Mary of the Annunciation created the romance desired and permitted an evening ceremony.  With such beautiful surroundings, I was a kid in a candy store picking candlesticks and rich colors and fabrics to fit the beautiful period style of the house.

A True Keeper of a Guestbook: Lacey and JB love their good juice, so guests left memorable messages on corks to fill one wall of their new downtown kitchen.

Favors for Fun: Crowd pleasing custom-banded cigars are much better than a matchbook!

Everyone danced the night away, and Lacey amped up the late night party with her change from the elegant custom dress from White into a sassy minidress by LaRoque!  OF course those amazing Lella Foster pearls stayed on all night.

As the witching hour approached, the blaring horns of The Second Line let everyone know it was time for a true New Orleans-style departure; complete with hankies and umbrellas.  We had a great time, Lacey and JB, and as they say in the Big Easy “L’aissez les bons temps rouler!”

So, the planner is becoming the bride.  I used to steal the J. Lo line to explain it to my clients that “Those who can’t do, plan,” and then I went and got myself engaged!  He’ll probably wake up the morning after the wedding freaking out, but for now, we’re just excited about our future together.  As the word spread, everyone was telling me how easy it must be since I probably know exactly what I want…WRONG!  I like to think I do what I do because I can take any style and make it beautiful for a bride (or at least it helps me sleep at night).So where do you begin when you have no clue?  Any event needs to have some consistent theme running through it.  It doesn’t need to be blatant, but you want things to flow if you are going to wow them!  I started with some very complicated tools- a pen and a sheet of notebook paper.  I made a list of the things that made us, us.  Places and activities that meant a lot, quirks about him and me, funny moments, etc.  Then I went to everyone’s best friend- google.  I searched image key words for inspiration and came up with this inspiration for my design.  I won’t bore you with all the details, but along the way, I thought I would send out how I’m doing things, to help you.  From one bride to another, some things will be easier than others, but before you get started know where you are going.   OH!  I know you are wondering, so yes I do have a planner and day-of planning services booked.  I intend to enjoy my day!  We’ll talk soon.