All-Around Classic



PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
All-Around Classic | Elizabeth Merck & Douglas Lake; April 29, 2006, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church & Hibernian Society Hall

Holy City native Elizabeth Merck, a student at the New York School of Interior Design, and Douglas Lake, an MBA student at Columbia University, met as teens when they were both in boarding school near Douglas’ home. “I basically grew up in his parent’s kitchen,” says Elizabeth. As adults, the pair had been to their share of contemporary nuptials, but Elizabeth knew that old-time romance would rule their own big event. “I wanted our wedding to be simple and traditionally Southern, with lots of flowers everywhere,” she says. “And I wanted the day to feel like it could have happened at any time, any year.” Thus Elizabeth and Douglas chose Hibernian Society Hall for the reception. “It’s such a historic and beautiful place,” explains Elizabeth, who worked with planner Kristin Newman to create an elegant night of dining and dancing. A simple, all-white color-scheme allowed the copious amounts of French tulips, orchids, and calla lilies to dominate the scene. “We really didn’t worry about trends,” says Elizabeth of the timeless look she, her sweetheart, and the evening wore. “We just did what we wanted and everything fell into place.”

The Wedding Row

April 29 2019
If you’ve ever walked down King Street on a Saturday evening, you know Charleston’s the “It City” for bachelorette parties. So when North Carolina native and bride-to-be Cristen decided to hold her...

April 26 2019
The latest Charleston Weddings magazine features the journey of Kaitlin and her hubby Allan, who defied the odds and overcame a traumatic brain injury to join his bride at the altar on their Big Day...

April 25 2019
When Morgan and her family attended Folly Gras 2015 (a Mardi Gras celebration held annually on Folly Beach), she had no inclination she’d meet her future husband. But when she caught up with her best...

April 24 2019
Few things get us through a hump day better than fantasizing about fantastic food and lip-smacking libations. So we thought it was a good time to reach out to Graham Ervin, director of sales at The...

April 23 2019
We profiled Hannah and Jonathan’s super lovely wedding in the spring issue of Charleston Weddings, but we weren’t able to include all they had to say, and we had a ton of bonus images to share with...

April 22 2019
Samantha Anderson Events teamed up with Lyndi and Jason Photography to turn a no-fun subject—your wedding budget—on its head. The trick? Samantha dressed three tables at three different price points...

April 19 2019
Blake, a wedding planner for Pure Luxe Bride, recently had the chance to plan her own Big Day. She and now-husband Charles met in an accounting class at College of Charleston, and a few years later...

April 18 2019
Here’s a rare wedding bird these days: A Charleston-raised couple prepping to say “I do” here in their own backyard. As Elizabeth and James keep on with the planning, here’s a little about the...