Turn off the Lights | Pump up the romance at your reception when you cut the overhead lights and rely instead on the soft glow of real candles and twinkling trees
When Londoners Lisette and Krysto chose Charleston for their destination wedding, Tropical Storm Bonnie wasn’t even an inkling of a worry. But sure enough, she rained down on their day and forced them off the marsh where they planned to exchange vows and onto the porch of Kiawah Island’s River Course clubhouse. But all wasn’t a wash, thanks to a brilliant use of lighting. Alise Taggart shifted the 70 guests and then set out a multitude of lanterns. “They looked so romantic with all that rain coming down behind us,” says Lisette. From there, the silver linings only got better. “I’ve always dreamt of having hundreds (or thousands) of fairy lights in trees for my wedding,” says Lisette. “And since the dining room was so cavernous for our smaller party size, I wanted to shrink it down.” Bring on the twinkling trees, and tables with at least eight tapers, seven mercury glass votives, and as many clear votives that could fit. Enchanted garden wish? Granted.
Get the Glow
Learn the rules. A venue that allows open-flamed candles (meaning those without a sheath) is the exception rather than the rule, especially in a town with as many historic properties as Charleston. Ask before you book your location.
Choose candles that burn long. Tapers tend to burn an hour per inch of height. Drafts, jostling, and bases that don’t hold the taper erect can diminish the burn time.
Mix light sources. Here, a mix of twinkling fairy lights (20,000 in total), tapers, and votives gave a layered look to the lightscape.
Plan your attack. Light candles using gas sticks about 15 minutes before guests arrive to the reception.
Double up. For the head table, double the number of candles used elsewhere.
Written By Melissa Reardon
Photographs By Lucy Cuneo
A transplant from Virginia, Weston “Wes” McAfee vividly remembers the first time he saw his future bride-to-be. Charleston native Dana Elaine...
An Elegant Affair Proves New Year’s Eve Might Just Be The Perfect Time To Start A New Life Together
By Joanne O’Sullivan | Images by Brandon Lata Photography
Few people anywhere in the...
A Match Made in Heaven
Classic white blooms, greenery, and wooden elements set off this stunning Charleston wedding under the oaks
When it comes to love and marriage, couples who pair well...
A Charleston Winter Wedding Embraces the Season with Sophistication and Glamour
Just a few hours before sunset in mid-winter, Charleston takes on a certain golden glow, unparalleled at any other...
Take Cues from this Intimate Dreamy Blue “I Do”
Amy Bronston and Trevor Pittman’s love story reads like a romantic movie. It was during the 2019 holiday season in Washington DC, where...
This Halloween matrimony perfectly plays up the holiday—with a dash of fun and plenty of class in a scenic coastal Charleston setting
By Joanne O’Sullivan | Images by Anne Rhett Photography...
By Melissa Reardon | Images by Kelsey Halm Photo
Expert Advice for a Beautiful Fall Bouquet
With seasonal change comes an exciting rich color palette and tons of texture with which to design....
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Photos by Dana Cubbage Weddings | Written by Melissa Reardon
They say the greatest marriages are built on teamwork. And indeed, it’s one of the marital building blocks...
