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

February 20 2019

Rachel & Shaun | Harborside East

The Wedding Row: Tell us about how you met. Rachel: It was in Nashville, and Shaun was there on weekend trip for a University of Georgia-Vandy football game. I was there on a whim, on an impromptu...

February 19 2019

Paxton & Ryan | Engagement Session

Ryan and Paxton chose Charleston for their engagement photos because the city holds a special place in the heart—if he hadn’t been a Citadel cadet, the two may never have met. Here’s how they came to...

February 18 2019

Allison & Josh | Wingate Plantation

Allison and Josh met at a two-stepping bar, so we would expect nothing less than a seriously Southern wedding from the two, and as you can tell from the photos, they did not disappoint. After Josh...

February 15 2019

Taylor & Bennett | Rehearsal Dinner

North Carolina natives Taylor and Bennett met when the two were sophomores at N.C. State. Five years after they had become an item, they were in Manhattan where, says Bennett, “The ring was burning a...

February 14 2019

Carly & Chris | The Dewberry

After going to the same high school in Spring Lake, New Jersey, Carly and Chris’s paths finally intersected long after graduation at a mutual friend’s house. “Late nights drinking and playing games...

February 13 2019

Emily & Daniel | The Gadsden House

Trust us when we say that you won’t find a more low-key pair than these two. Nashville, Tennessee couple Emily and Daniel wanted an intimate, family-only wedding for their Big Day, and they chose to...

February 12 2019

Stephanie & Bryan | Lowndes Grove Plantation

OK, prepare yourselves—this is a sweet one. It began when Stephanie was working at the front desk of a chiropractor’s office in the Philadelphia area, one that Bryan’s father frequented. Bryan’s dad...

February 11 2019

Katie & Zane | Harborside East

You really can’t beat Charleston’s sunset views over the water, and Katie and Zane’s nuptials at Harborside East took full advantage of just that with the gorgeous harbor as their backdrop. The...

Feature

Garden Chic

Florabundance motivated Melissa Barton and Carrie Glasscock of A Charleston Bride to fashion a table ruled by subtle patterns and mellow tones

Feature

Ladies Who Lunch

Take time out for a bridal luncheon to reconnect with—and thank—your gals

Feature

Press On, Girls!

The printing mavens from Charleston's Sideshow Press open their online boutique

Feature

Earthy Elegance

<p><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">There’s nothing like an at-home wedding for sentimentality … and to save your bottom line!</span></p>