As a senior sales manager at The Dewberry, Elliott Erickson had seen her fair share of wedding planning when her beau Harrison Boals proposed in October 2023. So she decided to do things a bit differently: forgo the stress of a drawn-out engagement and the traditional nuptial route in favor of a surprise wedding for their nearest and dearest. The notion immediately felt right to the couple, who briefly dated while at Bishop England High School and then picked back up in earnest after college. And so, the following January, with the help of a clever engagement party cover story and the planning expertise of Laura Hall Events, Elliott and Harrison wed in an intimate ceremony before surprising all of their guests with a bash to remember at South Carolina Society Hall. The atmosphere was electric, with an extra level of excitement and joy radiating from every attendee.
Charleston Weddings (CW): Why take the surprise route?
Elliott: Harrison and I wanted something intimate, not a huge production. We hate speaking before crowds, and walking down an aisle in front of 200 people is my nightmare! We’d seen surprise weddings on social media, so the day we got engaged, we threw out the idea. By the next week, we were like, “Wait, is everyone on board? Should we actually do this?”
CW: What made you choose South Carolina Society Hall?
Elliott: Since we were surprising everyone, we wanted a venue that didn’t scream wedding. We toured many, but Society Hall just felt right. Come to find out, my in-laws hosted their reception there 30-plus years ago. That made it so sentimental.
CW: Did you involve others in planning?
Elliott: A wedding day is about a couple and their love. As more people get involved in the planning, that starts to get overlooked. The way we saw it, this was our one day, and it should be exactly how we want it. For us, planning was collaborative. Harrison joined all the venue tours and appointments. He also picked out the food and bev.
CW: Talk about shaping the guest list.
Elliott: We had to be really selective, even cutthroat! People get in their heads about hurt feelings. The reality? Not everyone has to be invited to everything. We gave our parents 40 guests each; Harrison and I had about 90 people. We asked ourselves if we’d talked to them within the last month and how relevant they were to our lives today.
CW: With just four months to plan, how’d you pull off such a tight timeline?
Elliott: So much of wedding planning happens in a short time frame, which those outside the industry don’t really realize. We didn’t have a huge vision—we just wanted it to feel like a big party. I told our florist, Whitney Randall with Festoon, we wanted something beautiful, classy, and chic but not formal. I gave her a color scheme and shared a flower I hate. The result couldn’t have been better in my wildest dreams. Vendors do this for a living. Trust them!
CW: Share a favorite part of the night.
Elliott: Our first look helped us both feel calm, cool, and collected. I was all nerves before, but after that, walking into the ceremony felt like walking down the grocery store aisle, just like any other day—in the very best way.
CW: One parting piece of advice?
Elliott: Don’t stress the small stuff—it truly doesn’t matter. Your guests don’t know what was supposed to be, so they won’t know if something goes wrong. People get worked up over the smallest details, and that takes away from the day. It shouldn’t!
Vendors
Venue: South Carolina Society Hall
Planning & Design: Laura Hall Events
Photography: Marni Rothschild Durlach, Samantha Jean Becker (assistant)
Florals: Festoon
Rentals: Curated Events
Catering & Bar: A Southern Affair & Saltwater Cowboys
Beauty: Brianna Adams (hair), Blair Reid Mathis (makeup)
Bridal Attire: White on Daniel Island (boutique), Anne Barge (gown)
