Sweet Spring!



PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
Sweet Spring! | Celebrate the season in sweet fashion with a feast for the eyes and palate. Gathering Events and a trio of Charleston’s top pastry chefs inspire just that with these swoon-worthy dessert tables

Lace Is Ace: Mother and daughter-in-law duo Deb and Alison Reed of DeClare Cakes have earned a reputation for being maestros of classic hand piping. Above, the pair uses that skill—as well as matching bands of gold fondant—to unify a trio of cakes in a host of heights and hues. “Incorporating three different cakes adds to both the presentation value and the flavor diversity of a dessert spread,” says Deb.


Serves: 150 guests
Price: $1,000-$1,500




Tons of Texture: Though his original concept featured two tiers instead of three, pastry chef Jim Smeal finished things off with a topper of buttercream petals—his favorite element of the design. Add in the middle tier with its impeccable piping reminiscent of the wrought-iron gates found South of Broad, and this confection is the edible epitome of springtime in the Holy City.

Serves: 90-100 guests
Price: Starts at $950




Flower Power: From stationery suites to signage, watercolor artwork has popped up in a bevy of Big Days of late. Smitten with the look, pastry chef Jessica Grossman of Patrick Properties Hospitality Group tried her hand at the trend by painting ranunculus on stripes of fondant. The result? A dreamy, delicious sweet covered in bright blooms. “I love the soft, airy feel of the design,” says Jessica.
 

Serves: 50-60 guests

Price: $750


Vendor List:
Cakes: DeClare Cakes, www.DeClareCakes.com; Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal, www.WeddingCakesByJimSmeal.com; Jessica Grossman of Patrick Properties, www.PPHGCharleston.com
Floral and Tablescape Design: Gathering Events, www.GatheringEvents.com
Location: William Aiken House, www.PPHGCharleston.com
Photography: KT Merry, www.KTMerry.com 
Tablescape Rentals: Polished!, www.PolishedTabletop.com; Snyder Events, www.SnyderEvents.com; EventHaus, www.EventHaus.com; and Ruth's House Event Rentals, www.RuthsHouseInc.com

The Wedding Row

October 23 2018
If how they saved their wedding foretells how they’ll live their marriage, we have every confidence in Jess and Geno. (And yoo-hoo to you other hurricane season brides, listen up extra close.) The...

October 22 2018
The Wedding Row: Tell us about how you two met. Kathryn: Hunter and I met through mutual friends in the fall of 2011 at a bar called Town Hall in Washington D.C. It was the “Clemson bar”...

October 19 2018
With couples getting anointed “Mr. and Mrs.” every weekend in the myriad nooks and crannies of Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, the site’s seen more than its fair share of wedding day décor. And as...

October 18 2018
Becca and Tanner started dating when she was at Sweetbriar College and he was at Hampden Sidney College. Seven years after they started dating, they were happily ensconced in Charleston while he...

October 17 2018
TWR: Where did you meet? Madison: At work. A role in my job “allowed” me to go to Paul’s desk every day. Four months of professional interaction and happy hours led to us dating. TWR: When did you...

October 16 2018
If you’re a bride-to-be whose addicted to happily ever after stories; if you’re a romantic looking for some fuel to add to your hope tank; or if you have a friend who falls into that category (and...

October 15 2018
Katie and Mike met through work (she was the chief of staff for the Republican National Congress and he was her predecessor), so it made sense that his proposal was touched by politics as well,...

October 12 2018
Wimberly Fair not only has one of the coolest names (yep, it’s her real moniker) in the wedding world, she’s also one of Charleston’s biggest, most whimsical talents. Today she shares about the...