Gilded Retreat



PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
Gilded Retreat | Southern Protocol time travels to the 1920s for a reception styled in gold-kissed glamour

Never one to shy away from glitz, Southern Protocol’s Lizz Akerman went for the gold when it came to decking out this garden. “We really wanted to play up a gold theme,” says Lizz, who imagined what an elegant dinner party at Middleton might have looked like during the Jazz Age. With uplit marble statues in every corner, crystal chandeliers punctuating the elegant tent, antique sideboards peppered with candelabras, and plump upholstered seating, she succeeded in swank style. “We wanted it to look as though the furniture was pulled out of the house for an intimate celebration,” says Lizz.

At a Glance...
Décor: Southern Protocol mixed china from Polished! and décor from 428 Main Vintage Rentals and EventHaus Rentals for a curated setting. Ancesserie added gold letterpress place cards.
Flowers: Charleston Stems filled bowls with roses, ferns, and hellebores for a gathered-from-the-grounds look. Cru Catering displayed gold-painted vegetables and fresh fruit.
Tent: Stout poles supporting the marquee tent by Sperry Tents Southeast created a sense of permanency.
Catering: Cru Catering stocked a “champagne” tower with mini “baked Carolinas” served in coupes.
Cocktail: In addition to serving a French 75 cocktail, ICEBOX also shared a simple classic: iced water with cucumber slices.
 

Dining Menu
Cru Catering

  • Oysters Middleton
  • Coconut tapioca with fried oyster
  • Red deviled eggs
  • Roasted mini potatoes
  • Pork cassoulet with tomato-bacon marmalade and crispy duck confit
  • Mini baked Carolinas

Drinking Menu
ICEBOX

  • Specialty Cocktail: French 75

Resources

Bar: ICEBOX, www.IceboxBar.com

Catering: Cru Catering, www.CruCatering.com

Florals: Stems, www.CharlestonStems.com

Décor and Design: Southern Protocol, www.SouthernProtocol.com

Lighting and Sound: AV Connections, www.AVConnectionsSC.com

Location: Large Secret Garden at Middleton Place, www.MiddletonPlace.org

Papergoods: Ancesserie, www.Ancesserie.com

Place Settings and Crystal: Polished!, www.PolishedTabletop.com

Photographs: Marni Rothschild Pictures, www.marnipictures.com

Rentals: EventHaus, www.EventHausRentals.com; 428 Main Vintage Rentals, www.428main.com

Tent: Sperry Tents Southeast, www.SperryTentsSoutheast.com


 

The Wedding Row

September 19 2018
The sparks flew for Cole and Nick one fateful night at a mutual friend’s New Year’s Eve party. Truth be told, both admit to not wanting to attend the festivities, but the two tell us that when they...

September 18 2018
Two weeks before Mike graduated from Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, he met fellow student Taylor, who was wrapping up her freshman year. After six years of dating, the two had a thriving...

September 17 2018
So we’re back to the offices after having evacuated Charleston due to Hurricane Florence. While we’re thankful that the Lowcountry was spared devastation, it’s obviously bittersweet relief given so...

September 12 2018
From a flying groom (you’ll see) to a floral installation of 875 tulips (yep, we’re totally serious), our Instagram page was certainly filled with excitement during the month of August. As a little...

September 11 2018
Hot times calls for haute trends. From custom newlywed crests to one cutie of a bar-on-wheels, here are our top five takeaways from the current issue of Charleston Weddings magazine. Click here to...

September 10 2018
The Wedding Row: Tell us about the beginning of you as an item. Emily: In 2014 I was home from grad school and I went to the gym. That’s where I met Justin–a new guy who had just moved from...

September 7 2018
A last-minute opening at Carlos Hernandez’s autumn photography workshop at Lowndes Grove Plantation led to today’s minimalist and moody post shot by Rachel Craig. Her big takeaway from the styling,...

September 6 2018
Lindsay and Andrew, who both grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, first met at the Charleston Animal Society’s Firefighter Calendar Debut party and auction. Yep, you read that right. A PG-version of a “Magic...