The Ultimate After-Party?



PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
The Ultimate After-Party? | Charleston influencers Andrea Serrano and Liz Martin stage the bridal luncheon they say you need
Here’s a thought: Why not host a bridal luncheon for your inner circle after the Big Day? That was the thinking behind this shoot put together by the two girl-bosses of The Curated Weekend, a social media managing outfit and content creation group run by Andrea Serrano and Liz Martin. (The two recently embarked on their partnership; Andrea’s known for her Charleston Shop Curator blog and Liz for both her Charleston Weekender blog and Cannonborough Collective boutique, where everything from gifts to seriously ’gram-worthy balloons are sold.)
 
“The wedding weekend becomes so much about the bride,” says Liz, “that scheduling time with your besties gets squeezed in as time allows.” When you all gather post-“I do’s” you can break down the best of the wedding weekend, fill each other in on what was missed, and reconnect for the newest chapters in each other’s lives. And because every get-together goes better with a theme, Andrea and Liz came up with a “The Golden Girls” styled brunch to say “Thank you for being a friend” (for the uninitiated, that’s the theme song from the 1980s show about four golden-years women living together in a tropical retirement community). Take a look at what they put together in the gallery and tune into their takeaways.
 
TRY THESE TAKEAWAYS
 
Hand-address invites.
No matter the scale of the gathering, Andrea and Liz say hand-addressing sets a more intimate tone.
 
Say “Yes” to a staycation.
Make your gathering a getaway and book one of the myriad rentals around town just for the day. 
 
Pick a theme and coordinating palette.
The wedding festivities may have passed, but you can still pamper yourselves with a posh party. Edit your decorations, florals, and palette. Here, they filled the house with tropical plants, rattan elements, and pastels—all apropos for “The Golden Girls” theme.
 
Gift some goodies.
Assemble themed swag for your honorees. The pineapple earrings they picked impart a tropical “welcome.”
 
Slip into something comfortable.
Greet guests with a pair of slippers (like these Birdies from The Skinny Dip Charleston) upon arrival.
 
Outsource.
Consider putting aside a small portion of your wedding budget for your after-the-fact bridal luncheon to allow for hiring a caterer and florist (like Hamby's Catering and Events and Petaloso here).
 
Vendors
 
Shoot design, coordination: The Curated Weekend, TheCuratedWeekend@Gmail.com
Wardrobe stylist: ​Charleston Shop Curator, www.charlestonshopcurator.com
Prop stylist:​ CharlestonWeekender (Liz Martin with Keely Laughlin), www.thecharlestonweekender.com
Location, weavings: ​ sunwoven, www.sunwovenstudio.com
Images: ​Julie Livingston Photography, www.julielivingstonphotography.com
Catering: ​Hamby Catering & Events, www.hambycatering.com
Flowers:​ Petaloso, www.wearepetaloso.com
Nails: ​Lu.nu.la Nail Lab, www.lunulanaillab.com
Place settings, tabletops: ​Vieuxtemps, www.vieuxtemps.net
Furniture (peacock chairs, planters, white lanterns):​ Celadon, www.celadonathome.com
Paper goods, calligraphy: The Town Serif, www.thetownserif.com
Clothing: ​Beckett Boutique, www.beckettboutique.com
Eyeglasses: Celadon, www.celadonathome.com
Favors: Spartina 449 (jewelry, handbags) www.spartina449.com ; ​The Skinny Dip Charleston (slippers) www.shopthedip.com
Beauty: ​Silhouette on Site (makeup), www.silhouetteonsite.com
Models: Liz Martin, Andrea Serrano (@TheCuratedWeekend, TheCuratedWeekend@Gmail.com); Danielle Fabrega (www.thetownserif.com); Duolan Li (www.xiaobaobiscuit.com)

 

The Wedding Row

March 14 2019
Jaye and John fell for each other when both were students at the College of Charleston. Soon after they began dating, the pair headed to Savannah for a short trip and dinner at The Olde Pink House,...

March 13 2019
“My incredibly witty introduction goes here.” With that one liner, sent to Emilie over Match.com, Brian caught her attention, made her laugh and set off the relationship that led to this gorgeous Big...

March 12 2019
Elopements keep cropping up with good reason here: not only can wedding venues be hard to come by in Charleston these days (especially during weekends and on short notice), but also can you blame a...

March 11 2019
Houston, Texas, natives Haylee and Charlie have known each other since childhood; their families have been friends for years, and the two were even on the same swim team when they were eight years...

March 8 2019
Kristen didn’t know many people in Charleston when she moved here for a three-month rotation during medical school. Neither did Morgan, who had recently moved here to begin his residency at the...

March 7 2019
We welcomed in the New Year in a big way with these photos that popped up on our feeds. Two of them aren’t only among our most-liked ‘grams of the month, but are also among our most liked. Of. All....

March 6 2019
Here’s some good news for anyone struggling with that pesky mid-week slump: Your future hubby may be sitting next to you …  at this very moment. At least, that was how it went for Abigail and Grant....

March 5 2019
McKenzie and Ryan met during their junior year at the University of Toledo in northwest Ohio, when she moved in across the street from him. She already knew of a few of his roommates, who invited her...