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Book It | Reception magic, flower power, and common sense advice

In Weddings by Tara Guérard (Gibbs Smith, December 2009, $30), we get what we always crave when we peek at the author’s work—more, more, more! Those who cherish Tara’s first tome, Southern Weddings, will be happy to see that the South’s premier wedding designer (and Charleston’s own) is as innovative, classic yet chic, etiquette-smart, and lavish as ever in these new events illustrated with the ever-evocative images of photographer Liz Banfield. Pick up a copy and you’ll not only take in ideas large and small, you’ll also get schooled on theme, palette, and how details make a special day into a Big Day. Look, too, for recipes and tips to make your wedding eco-friendly—stylishly so, of course. (For a recent wedding she designed, click here.)

Speaking of talent, Heather Barrie of gathering—floral + event design is another one of Charleston’s many event designer gems. (See “Citrus Goes Chic,” page 134). She and I paired to create Southern Bouquets (Gibbs Smith, April 2010, $24.99) with frequent contributing photographer Peter Frank Edwards. The premise? Simplicity rules. We used only blooms that grew in our own gardens, John’s Island ditches, and on plantation grounds (picked with permission), and then shot them in Charleston cottages, courtyards, and cobblestone street manses. We hope you’ll find fresh and easy ideas for your bridal luncheons, wedding showers, receptions, and brunches.

Last, in this day of wedding websites, e-vites, texting, bridezillas, bottom lines, and TMI galore, it’s time that we heard some back-to-basics etiquette advice. Enter Miss Manners’ Guide to a Surprisingly Dignified Wedding (Norton, January 2010, $24.95). A common question: Can I fire a bridesmaid? Answer: Maybe. Thank goodness there’s someone to step in to remind us all how to, as one staffer often reminds me, “act right.” After all, we are hostesses of the country’s most polite city, aren’t we?

The Wedding Row

January 29 2019
What do you get when you mix a love for the outdoors with the inherent girly-girl style that comes when you run a hair and makeup company? Mason and Alex’s well-rounded wedding, of course! Bride...

January 28 2019
Chanel and Alex’s courtship reads like a rom-com, so buckle in for the ride. The two (he’s from Boston and she’s from Atlanta) met during their sophomore year at College of Charleston when Alex...

January 25 2019
We love it when neighbors from “Off” come to Charleston with a fresh look at some of our favorite old stomping grounds to give brides ideas anew. That’s what we’re showcasing today, thanks to...

January 24 2019
New Yorkers Mindy and Matt picked Charleston for a destination weekend a scant few months ago (his biz partner is based here, so they’d fallen for the city some time before). In proper Big City style...

January 23 2019
There are wedding hashtags, then there are neon signs for wedding hashtags! Meet Meghan and Beau, who are not only aces at hashtags but also so bold as to commission a neon sign reading #...

January 22 2019
Ever wonder how a super fancy blockbuster wedding gets pieced together while still coming off as personal? We took a look at Mary and Reid’s fantastic Fenwick Hall wedding, planned exquisitely by...

January 21 2019
So does all the heart candy in stores have anyone else out there seeing red–in the good way? Us, too. Thus we bring you Devin and Scott’s enchanting wedding at Lowndes Grove Plantation...

January 18 2019
Can we just say we love how Caitlin and Michael operate? The pair, who live outside Indianapolis, Indiana, wed on a Sunday last summer with a handful of family and little ones in tow at The William...