For years, Los Angelian Jenna Benjamin dreamed of traveling to Charleston. Two years into dating Matt Cook, she got her wish and then some when Matt proposed at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens. When choosing a Big Day venue, the indoor-outdoor possibilities at the posh Belmond Charleston Place stole Jenna’s heart. Jessica Cruz of Cruz Coordination helped the couple pull off an intimate destination wedding there with a ceremony in front of the hotel’s Market Street Circle fountain, a cocktail hour in its hidden courtyard, and an elegant dinner in The Palmetto Café. The night flowed seamlessly from space to space, including one surprise: mid-reception, Matt asked Jenna to walk with him across King Street, where she found their names emblazoned on the marquee of the Charleston Place’s 1939 Riviera theater. Talk about a cinematic touch to one heck of a romance!
Top Tips...
• Keep it in-house. Having all the festivities an elevator-ride away from their hotel rooms made the weekend more relaxing for both the couple and their guests.
• Know that bigger isn’t always better. Thanks to the couple’s modest guest count (77), the banquet chefs who cater events at The Palmetto Café could make everyone’s dinner to order.
• Take advantage of a one-stop shop. Belmond Charleston Place supplied the day’s florals, linens, cake, catering, and bar, and Rick Burton—the hotel’s chief concierge—officiated
the ceremony.
• Minimize decisions. Since the couple was planning from afar, a venue that would be visually impressive without elaborate added décor was a major plus.
• Stick to a theme. From the cake design to the bride and bridesmaids’ bouquets, if it wasn’t dripping with orchids, it didn’t make the cut.
It might not have been “love at first sight” for Travis and Jessie, who met at their apartment community in High Point, North Carolina, but it surely ended up turning into something special. At the...
Halloween is over, so no tricks here, just treats! From showstopping wedding gowns to an inspirational storybook love story, we’ve rounded up our top five Instagram posts from October. Follow @...
Sara and Mike, who met through mutual friends after moving in the same Washington D.C. circles for years, plan to say “I do” with the help of Charleston’s Gregory Blake Sams Events in the coming...
One of the boons to hosting a destination wedding here in Charleston? Giving your guests a true taste of the city. So it went for Washington D.C. residents Jessica Friedes and Garrett Nichols, high...
Lauren and Blake crossed paths in Summerville, South Carolina when she was nannying for a coworker of his. They started dating and fell in love, they say, while boating on Wappoo Cut when a...
Dreary Fridays like today call for a little dose of sunshine, don’t you agree? Well, you’re in luck because this proposal session of a lifetime—no exaggeration here—is bringing not only the sun, but...
If you ask Evan how he met Borden, he would say that they crossed paths while studying at Wake Forest University. However, if you ask her how their story got started, she would say they met two years...
Tucked away on the grounds of Charleston’s first settlement, Charles Towne Landing, The Legare Waring House is surrounded by rich history and romantic views of lagoons, rolling lawns, and oak allees...
