embellishedevents, Author at Wedding Planner Hilton Head, Savannah, Charleston

Rose Hill Wedding Featured in The Knot Carolinas

I am thrilled to share this beautiful feature of Madeline and Joe’s wedding in the latest The Knot Carolinas 2016 spring/summer issue.

Our bride’s vision was clear from the very first time we met. She wanted to incorporate coastal chic style into a setting that was truly represented by the South. This venue had everything you would expect from the palmetto state: history, moss draped oaks, a long winding gravel driveway, and a home that dates back to the 1800’s.

This wedding had so many beautiful details, which were all captured by Scott and Melissa Hopkins of Hopkins Studios. To see more images from Madeline and Joe’s wedding, click here. To see the inspiration board for their design, click here. Their bar was one of my faves!

Embellished Events | Jen Leiti
Boutique Wedding Planning & Design
Serving Hilton Head, Savannah, Beaufort and Charleston, SC
(843) 757-7762
Hello@EmbellishedWeddings.com

Charming Southern Wedding at Oldfield River Club

Elizabeth and David are dentists from Kentucky that had a dream of marrying in the sleepy beach town where they grew up vacationing, Hilton Head, SC. Staying true to their Southern roots, Elizabeth and David wanted a venue that evoked the history, charm and hospitality of the South.

Elizabeth and her mom planned most of the details for her wedding and the most important design element was flowers, which brought music to my ears! I knew A Floral Affair would be the perfect match for their vision. Dawn created several showstopper pieces, adorned with gorgeous Southern blooms: magnolia foliage, hydrangea, garden roses, ranunculus and trailing jasmine vine.

My favorite moment of the night was watching Elizabeth, David and all of their horse-race-loving KY guests take a break from dinner to gather around and watch the final moments of when American Pharaoh won the Belmont Stakes AND the Triple Crown. The energy in the house was electric from this group and the photos below say it all.

Working with this mother-daughter duo team over the course of 9 months was a dream. Their gracious and fun-loving personalities made the experience one I would be happy to do all over again. Congratulations to Elizabeth and David and thank you Billie Joe and Jeremy for capturing their memories so beautifully!

VENDORS:

Venue: Oldfield River Club

Planning + Design: Embellished Events

Photography: Billie Jo and Jeremy Photography for Studio Mynt

Flowers: A Floral Affair

Wedding Cake: Custom Cakes

Hair + Makeup: Christine Stephens

Tent + Rentals: Amazing Event Rentals

Trolleys: Old Savannah Tours

Ceremony + Reception Music: Emerald Empire Band

Dress: Vera Wang

Shoes: Badgley Mischka

Embellished Events | Jen Leiti
Wedding Planner & Coordinator + Luxury Design Services
Serving Hilton Head, Savannah, Beaufort and Charleston, SC
(843) 757-7762
Hello@EmbellishedWeddings.com

How to Really Thank Your Wedding Planner

Let me be brutally honest here. Being a wedding planner is HARD WORK, both emotionally and physically. We cry. We laugh. We lose sleep. We cry some more, this time tears of joy. On wedding days, we sweat through multiple outfits while dropping linens, tying bows, moving tables and easily clocking in over 20k steps in a short period of time. We come home with battle wounds and bruises. We experience our version of a wedding “hangover” that impairs our ability to do anything physical the next day.

And we would go through it all over again for you in a heartbeat.

The rewards of our “job” as a wedding planner far outweigh the aches and pains we experience along the way. Seeing your vision come to fruition and the sheer joy on your faces throughout the journey is what keeps us coming back for more. While we do get paid to do this, I find the greatest payout is receiving love mail like this in our mailbox and inbox from clients.

If you want to know the best way to thank your planner and other wedding vendors, I’ll let you in on a little secret…one that has sadly become a lost art form. Putting your pen to paper and expressing your sincere gratitude in a good old fashioned thank you note.

Thank you Kara and Ashley for sharing your kind words with me this week. I’ll hold onto these beautiful notes forever.

From Kara and Phil, married May 30th, 2015 at Colleton River Plantation Club

From Ashley and Gavin (i.e. The Pittsburgh Newlyweds), married October 17th at Haig Point

Another way to thank your wedding vendors is by writing a positive review on resourceful websites like The Knot, Wedding Wire, Google, etc.

Hilton Head, Savannah and Charleston are a hot spot for destination weddings. New brides often refer to these websites when considering who they’ll use for wedding planning, photography, floral, ceremony and reception venues, etc. Reading reviews is a valuable tool for a bride planning her destination wedding because it provides insight on how well that particular vendor works with their clients and the quality of products they deliver.

Review by Ashley and Gavin, posted to Wedding Wire and The Knot

Embellished Events | Jen Leiti
Wedding Planner & Coordinator + Luxury Design Services
Serving Hilton Head, Savannah, Beaufort and Charleston, SC
(843) 757-7762
Hello@EmbellishedWeddings.com

Wedding Ceremony in Historic Charleston Churches

Voted #1 city by Conde Nast Traveler multiple years in a row, Charleston, SC is one of the most beautiful and most visited cities in the United States. With sweeping views of water, stunning antique architecture, and a rich historical heritage, the city is home to some of the most beautiful wedding venues for ceremonies and receptions in the country.

Some of the most prominent architecture in Charleston are the churches, which line the brick-laid streets that have been here for hundreds of years. Charleston offers over 20 different churches of different denominations to match your religious background and dream setting you’ve always wanted for your wedding ceremony.

If you’re planning a destination wedding in Charleston, SC and looking to exchange vows inside a church, we’ve compiled a list of those located in the historic district that welcome non-members for their wedding ceremony.

First Baptist Church of Charleston

First Baptist Church is located in the heart of Charleston on Meeting Street. This large white church that had its first congregation in 1662 is open to nonmembers and is a much sought after venue for Christian wedding ceremonies.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Although this church was opened in 2010, it was built with the historic, gothic architecture true to centuries ago. Available to nonmembers but is in such high demand there is at least a 6-month notice required!

Second Presbyterian Church

Located on lower Meeting Street and opened in 1811, Second Presbyterian is open to nonmember and even offers a smaller chapel adjacent to the larger worship area for smaller, more intimate ceremonies.

Here is a complete list of Charleston area churches, courtesy of Charleston Wedding Guide:

African Methodist Episcopal
Mt. Zion AME Church – 843.722.8118
Nichols Chapel AME Church – 843.577.7366

Baptist
First Baptist Church – 843.722.3896
First Baptist Mt. Pleasant – 843.884.8521
Friendship Baptist Church – 843.744.9935
Grace on the Ashley – 843.556.6802

Catholic
Charleston Anglican Catholic – 843.763.8873
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist – 843.724.8395
St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church – 843.722.7696
Sacred Heart Church – 843.722.7018

Episcopal
Cathedral Church of St. Luke & St. Paul – 843.722.7345
Grace Episcopal Church – 843.723.4575
St. James Episcopal – 843.795.1623
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church – 843.723.8818

French Huguenot
The French Protestant (Huguenot) Church – 843.722.4385

Jewish
Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim – 843.723.7324
Birth Sholom Beth Israel – 843.577.6599

Lutheran
Martin Luther Lutheran Church – 843.795.4855
St. Johannes Lutheran Church – 843.722.8906
St. John’s Lutheran – 843.723.2426
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church – 843.884.3107

Nondenominational
Church Purchased with His Blood – 843.556.0029

Presbyterian
First Scots Presbyterian – 843.722.8882
Redeemer Presbyterian – 843.724.1164
The Second Presbyterian Church – 843.723.9237

Unitarian
The Unitarian Church in Charleston – 843.723.4617

United Methodist
Asbury-St. James United Methodist Church – 843.722.2826
Bethel United Methodist Church – 843.723.4587
Cherokee Place United Methodist Church – 843.747.9697
North Charleston United Methodist Church – 843.744.6669
Trinity United Methodist Church – 843.722.8449

Embellished Events | Jen Leiti
Wedding Planner & Coordinator + Luxury Design Services
Serving Hilton Head, Savannah, Beaufort and Charleston, SC
(843) 757-7762
Hello@EmbellishedWeddings.com

What to Include in Your Wedding Amenity Basket

You know that feeling you get when you check into a really swanky hotel and see the lavish amenity basket in the bathroom? Ahhhh, now that’s hospitality! Well, why not give your wedding guests that same experience?

One small and easily overlooked wedding detail is a restroom amenity basket filled with mini toiletries and other items that may come in use for your guest’s comfort throughout your wedding. Often displayed in restrooms and created to suite each gender, the baskets include everything from hair ties to blister control. The cost is typically around $100-$125.

Wondering what you should buy? Here are some recommendations:

Packaging:

Baskets come in many shapes and sizes. Stick to something smaller in size so as to not take up unnecessary counter space. I love utilizing sweetgrass baskets, which are made locally here in Charleston, SC. Sweetgrass basketmaking has been around for over 300 years and and is a Gullah traditional art form, passed down from generation to generation. They’re great for flower girl baskets as well! You can buy them here.

What to Include:

Here are some of my top recommendations of things to include in your wedding amenity basket for guests to use. The items that have “x2” indicate you should buy two, one for the men’s basket and one for the women’s basket.

Wedding Party Gift Ideas:

Speaking of toiletry bags, how about monogramming one for your wedding party and filling it with useful goodies? This is both a practical and thoughtful gift that will endure years of good use.

Left Etsy // Right Etsy

Until next time, Happy Planning!

Embellished Events | Jen Leiti
Wedding Planner & Coordinator + Luxury Design Services
Serving Hilton Head, Savannah, Beaufort and Charleston, SC
(843) 757-7762
Hello@EmbellishedWeddings.com

Katy and Fred’s Wedding at the Beaufort Inn

Beaufort, SC is one of my favorite towns to plan weddings in for many reasons, which I could easily create an entirely separate blog post about. Our bride, Katy was born-and-raised in Beaufort, so when it came time to plan her wedding to Fred, they knew right where it would be – in her quaint, waterfront hometown.

Katy and Fred were married at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, followed by a tented reception with 175 guests at the Beaufort Inn. Katy wanted a look that was crisp and organic with elements from the Lowcountry. Her colors were green and ivory with accents of rustic brown. We incorporated mixed metals of gold and copper to tie in with the ombre of browns in the magnolia leave accents, which graced every floral arrangement. I especially loved the hanging designs, which served as a focal point above the bar and dance floor.

Katy and Fred planned a strolling reception for their guests and had food stations sprinkled around the expansive tent. Chef Nick cooked up everything from quail and duck to some of the family’s secret recipes. For dessert, Minette Rushing of Custom Cakes Savannah created a tiered wedding cake with sugar magnolias and a hand drawn replica of their custom monogram.

Thank you Evan Laettner for capturing their wedding day so beautifully through your lens.

Photography // Evan Laettner Photography

Planning + Design // Embellished Events

Floral Designs // Branches Designs

Rentals // Snyder Event Rentals

Cake // Minette Rushing of Custom Cakes Savannah

Lighting // JLK Events

Catering // Nick Muehller Catering

Ceremony + Cocktail Hour Music // Lowcountry Strings

Band // Finesse via East Coast Entertainment

Trolleys // Old Savannah Tours

Church // St. Peter’s Catholic Church

Reception Venue // Beaufort Inn

Embellished Events | Jen Leiti
Wedding Planner & Coordinator + Luxury Design Services
Serving Hilton Head, Savannah, Beaufort and Charleston, SC
(843) 757-7762
Hello@EmbellishedWeddings.com

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Rose Hill Wedding Featured in The Knot Carolinas

Charming Southern Wedding at Oldfield River Club

How to Really Thank Your Wedding Planner

Wedding Ceremony in Historic Charleston Churches

What to Include in Your Wedding Amenity Basket

Katy and Fred’s Wedding at the Beaufort Inn

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