At Home Down South

Summer 2013

WRITER CREDIT:

PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT:

At Home Down South | Romance rules at this sophisticated, shabby chic soirée

Charleston Wedding The Cotton Dock at Boone Hall Plantation wedding Boone Hall Plantation Boone Hall bouquets dresses ooh! events diy gown

At Home Down South

EVERYTHING HAS A PURPOSE: The team at Ooh! Events are masters at repurposing vintage vessels. Here they use glass medicine bottles and a Tetley tea tin for floral vases.

LESS IS MORE: Patterned paper flags and cutouts (use a shaped paper-punch, found at any craft store) were simple but impactful flourishes for treats made by Cupcake.

GOOD BONES: Lauren’s number one budget tip to brides-to-be? Choose an “amazing venue” like the Cotton Dock and you don’t need to over-decorate. This well-loved sideboard suits the rustic setting, its old bricks, and unfinished pine walls.

LIGHT SHOW: Rustic lanterns echoed the theme for the day: country barn wedding.

SHABBY CHIC: Burlap ribbon with finished (rather than frayed) edges epitomized the day’s refined rustic look.

DIY DONE RIGHT: Lauren and Johnny say that about 40 percent of their wedding was homemade, including the invitations that they designed on their own.

SWEET WELCOME: While the couple commissioned this wreath, you can tackle it easily on your own with a wreath form from craft store and lush (and inexpensive) Baby’s Breath.

WORDS OF WISDOM: A quote from George Sand (“There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.”) set the mood.

BIG TIME: Instead of a traditional wedding cake, Lauren and Johnny shared a “mega” by Cupcake.

BUDDY SYSTEM: The bride’s little brother, Pierceson, lends a helping hand to his flower girl compatriot, even toting the tot’s bouquet. When you have little ones (like this one-and-a-half-year-old) in the wedding party, buddying them up with an older pal ensures a better time for all.

HOLD MY HAND: “If I could say anything to other brides,” says Lauren, “I would just say have fun. Things will go ‘wrong’ in your wedding, but it’s OK—someone will be there to help you fix whatever it is so you can focus on the main thing: getting married to your husband!”

SOOTHING SHADES: “My husband and I like very simple things in life and chose those colors for our wedding because they fit our personalities,” says Lauren of the color palette.

SAGE ADVICE: “When it started raining, I just realized it was not in my hands anymore and that I should just go with it because I was marrying the love of my life,” says Lauren.

LADIES’ CHOICE: Lauren’s bridesmaids wore different dresses that were all floor length but in different shades of pinks, nudes, and creams.

POP OF COLOR: Johnny and his groomsmen added interest to their khaki Men’s Warehouse suits with orange-tipped shoes by Clae.

BIG IMPACT: To keep the budget in check, Lauren ordered flowers wholesale from Horst and used big blooms—like blue and white hydrangeas and cream-colored garden roses—alongside pretty filler, like Baby’s Breath.

GROUNDED: “We’ve come so far together!” says Lauren of her romance with middle-school sweetheart Johnny.

SIMPLE PLEASURES: Lauren carried a bouquet of white garden roses, which paired perfectly with her Nicole Miller gown.

TRIED & TRUE: In keeping with the antiqued look of the setting, the couple used an old chest from Ooh! Events and wicker sofas for a homespun lounge seemingly pieced together with family heirlooms.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER: Homey knickknacks were placed here and there to up the cozy factor and keep costs down (home décor is less pricey than a floral arrangement.)

BOX WINE: Hinting at a French wine cellar, bottles large and small were nestled into boxes that were filled with moss and tea lights. If you replicate, be sure the flames won’t ignite the box or the moss.

PAIRED DOWN: A patinaed French country bar overflowed with sweets from Cupcake.

MARK THE SPOT: To celebrate their love of reading and the sea, the couple gave guests mermaid and ribbon bookmarks as favors.

LITTLE BITS: (above) Lace-wrapped Mason jar votives gave a homemade spin to elegant hurricane glasses.

NIGHT LIGHT: Ooh! Events’ crystal mini-chandelier contrasted with the rustic surroundings.

June 2013

Real-Life Weddings

Photographs by:

Riverland Studios

Johnny Harbin & Lauren Jones
September 7, 2012
The Cotton Dock at Boone Hall Plantation

After dating throughout middle and high school, Myrtle Beach natives Lauren Jones and Johnny Harbin’s paths split. But three years later, when Johnny moved to California where Lauren was living, they picked their romance back up and in due time, Johnny proposed. They chose Charleston for the wedding location—it made sense for their East Coast families—and went about organizing a day rife with Southern charm and a country barn aesthetic that, when paired with elements rented from Ooh! Events, ended up having a French flair. Lauren tackled some DIY aspects (like the wedding party bouquets), while Ooh! streamlined the overall shabby chic look. When the day arrived, all was in place, rain clouds unfortunately included. After a torrential downpour, though, the skies cleared, and the two exchanged vows in “the prettiest light I had ever seen,” says Lauren.

Vendor List

Baker: Cupcake; www.freshcupcakes.com
Bride's Gown: Nicole Miller gown; www.nicolemiller.com
Bridesmaids' Dresses: Etsy.com; Rachel Pally, www.rachelpally.com;Rebecca Taylor, www.rebeccataylor.com
Catering: Holy City Catering; www.holycitycatering.com
Event Coordination, Design: Ooh!Events, www.oohevents.com
Florals: Wholesale from Horst Wholesale Florist, www.horstflowers.com
Groom's & Groomsmen's Attire: Men's Warehouse suits, www.menswearhouse.com; Clae sneakers, www.clae.com
Linens & Rentals: Ooh! Events; www.oohevents.com
Photographer: Riverland Studios; www.riverlandstudios.com

The Wedding Row

April 17 2019

Kyleigh & Nick | The William Aiken House

Kyleigh met Nick when she was in Cardiff, Wales, getting her master’s degree. (Her friend had convinced her to give Tinder a shot, and her “first, last, and only Tinder date,” she says, was the born-...

April 16 2019

Styled Shoot | Boone Hall Plantation

We don’t know about you, but these past few days of shorts weather have had us daydreaming about summer. Brandy McGhie, owner of local luxury event planning company Classic Planning & Design Co...

April 15 2019

Tricia & Brandon | Founders Hall

Tricia and Brandon were in the same fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary here in Charleston, but their love story didn’t begin until a college football game 14 years later. The South Carolina...

April 12 2019

Lela Rose Styled Shoot | Kate McDonald Bridal

Designer Lela Rose has a saying we can all toast to: “Nothing says chic like matching your drink to your dress.” Fashion stylist Lindsey Nowak took that as a challenge, linked arms with Reagan Barnes...

April 11 2019

Taylor & Samuel | Wingate Plantation

Taylor and Sam may be from Virginia and live in Waco, Texas, but the Palmetto State holds a special place in their hearts. They met at the University of South Carolina when Sam, a freshman fraternity...

April 10 2019

Avery & Henry | Lowndes Grove Plantation

Thank goodness for Joe Quick—the mutual friend who lived up to his name and set up Avery and Henry when all three were in high school in Atlanta. After his pleas for them to meet went unheeded, he...

April 9 2019

Gillian & Philip | The William Aiken House

Gillian and Phil met while studying abroad in Ireland. But because they attended different schools stateside (he was at the University of South Carolina, she was at The State University of New York...

April 8 2019

Emmy & Josh | The Governor Thomas Bennett House

Here’s how Emmy and Josh explain how they became an item: “Josh had been courting Emmy for quite some, and on one evening in June at Dillon’s pub in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, he decided...

Feature

LEGENDS Romona Keveza: Spring 2015

Feature

Orange Twist

Kristen Reavis & Chetan Patel; June 20, 2009, Second Presbyterian Church & The William Aiken House

Feature

Butterfly Garden

Jennifer Koshorek & James Rader, June 12, 2009, Alhambra Hall

Feature

Beach Bride

Looking for the perfect gown? Find it here as you explore the world of portrait-perfect locations amid the beaches, marshes, and wild pastures of Seabrook Island

Feature

Get Inspired: Secret Garden Party

Feature

A Work of Art

A Charleston bride marries her beau at her childhood home amid family, friends, and 4,000 floating roses

Feature

DIY Plus Professional Polish Make a Perfect Union

Emily Mullins & Pepe Diaz-Llaneza; October 18, 2009, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens

Feature

Garden Party Perfection

Allison Thompson & Christopher Unger, May 12, 2012, The French Protestant (Huguenot) Church & Governor Thomas Bennett House

Feature

One Enchanted Evening

This showstopping soiree drew inspiration from the Lowcountry’s lush landscape

Feature

Love Everlasting

Preserve your bridal bouquet with a portrait by one of Charleston’s rising stars

Feature

Southern Comfort

A star-crossed pair of Tar Heels turn a fateful connection into a forever romance

Feature

A Formal Affair

<p> A North Carolina couple enjoys an elegant celebration steeped in tradition</p>

Feature

'Tis the Season

With a ceremony in her childhood church, a reception (for 350!) at the beach club where she grew up, a groom who’s her best friend, this winter wedding was all this bride could hope for

Feature

Give Thanks

Planner Tara Guérard's expert advice on creating a welcome bag your guests will cherish—and use!

Feature

Q&A with Style Me Pretty's Abby Larson

We visit with the wedding guru to see what’s on her mind and why she loves our fair city

Feature

Backyard Beauty

Join us for a garden wedding at one of Charleston’s most storied addresses and get tips for hosting your own haute affair

Feature

Initial Ideas

Turn to South of Libbie for flawless, fresh monogrammed linens

Feature

Top 10 Beat-the-Heat Beauty Finds

We asked the Lowcountry’s top hair and makeup professionals what products they carry in their bag of tricks that can withstand the heat and humidity. For a gorgeous glow and polished locks, check out their top picks. Bonus? The majority of the products are Charleston brands with enthusiastic national followings. Stock up with these tried-and-true besties and you've got your own glam squad