hilton head monthly & hiltonheadbridalshow.com present...
2013
bridal GUIDE inside
a fairy tale come true | welcome 12 little things that must be perfect two if by sea | late night bites
PHOTO BY HUNTER MCRAE
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 57
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
1/23/13 7:31 PM
bridal guide | FAIRY TALE
A
fairy WEDDING tale PHOTOS IN THIS SPREAD BY HUNTER MCRAE
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 58
1/23/13 7:32 PM
FAIRY TALE | bridal guide
welcome There’s an almost ethereal romance to the Lowcountry that makes it the absolute ideal wedding destination. It breathes in every breeze rippling through the Spanish moss. It glows with the vibrant hues of a Lowcountry sunset. When you’re stepping down an aisle that leads to a future of bliss, you want everything to be perfect. And there’s no place to make that happen like right here. Our Bridal Guide will show you how, starting with the inspirational wedding you see here, a fairy tale come true at Rose Hill Mansion. Read on for more.
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 59
1/23/13 7:32 PM
bridal guide | fairy tale
A fairy tale comes true As J.K. Lloyd and Laura Richards prepared for their wedding, there were two obstacles facing them. The first, and easiest to overcome, was that the couple did not live in the area. They had chosen the Lowcountry for their destination wedding because of its immense natural beauty and host of acclaimed wedding professionals. The second was the tricky one: They had four months from the start of planning to their big day. “Their biggest concern was to have the fairytale wedding Laura always dreamed of as a little girl,” said wedding planner Leah McCarthy, who scrambled to create a memorable big day for the happy couple. “She always imagined a beautiful location and arriving in the horse-drawn carriage — she got both wishes.”
photos by hunter mcrae
The event, held at Rose Hill Mansion, had all the trappings of a fantasy wedding come true, with a carriage, bagpipers, and a cleartop tent lit as if by magic.
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 60
2/8/13 3:34 PM
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 61
1/23/13 7:32 PM
bridal guide | fairy tale
vendors
photos by hunter mcrae
Photographer: Hunter McRae Catering: Downtown Catering + Events Rentals: The Tent Factory Lighting: JLK Events Cake: Publix at Festival Center Bagpipers: Westwind Entertainment Carriage: Magnolia Carriage Company, Savannah Transportation: Silver Oak Transportation Planner: Weddings With Leah, Leah McCarthy Flowers: Flowers by Freshcuts
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 62
2/8/13 3:34 PM
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 63
1/23/13 7:33 PM
bridal guide | fairy tale
The tent Lighting was key under the tent, with guests dancing the night away under the signature lavender that carried throughout the wedding. the food Southern cuisine was the order of the day, with barbecue, mini fried green tomatoes and buttermilk biscuits. photos by hunter mcrae
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 64
1/23/13 7:35 PM
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 65
1/23/13 7:35 PM
cake
technology
signature
drink
photography
shoes
rings
departure garter toss
bouquets
moms’s
dress
heirlooms attendant
attire
The 12 little things that absolutely, positively must be perfect on your wedding day.
your By Marianna Barbrey
Or else.
wedding day is so much more than just you and your spouse-tobe standing in front of God and family to declare your love for one another. It is a minefield of possible disasters that you must avert at all costs. It is a lovely chance to reconnect with family. It is a crisismanagement gauntlet you must run while looking fabulous every step of the way. And it is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to express yourself. All of this, the good and the not-so-good, makes up your big day.
And here are the 12 things that you must absolutely get right. HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 66
1/23/13 7:35 PM
re
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 67
1/23/13 7:36 PM
bridal guide | 12 things
1
photo by john brackett
Attendant attire When selecting bridesmaids dresses, don’t narrow your choices down to dresses designed specifically for bridesmaids. Shop local boutiques and department stores for a dress your bridesmaids love (and that can actually be worn again.) Once you find a dress, don’t forget to inquire about discounts for placing a multiple item order. Many boutiques will provide discounts and complimentary shipping or tailoring.
2
Bouquets
Bridal bouquets are slimming down in both size and frills. If a bridal gown is very detailed, there is no need to compete with an equally ornate bouquet. Many brides even opt to carry a bouquet that is exactly the same as their bridesmaids’ bouquets. If florals are not important to you, then this is an area in which you have the opportunity to preserve your budget.
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 68
1/23/13 7:36 PM
do good
look good
fe e l g o o d
Located in Old Town Bluffton | 12 State of Mind Street
843.757.5762 www. s a lonk a r ma s c . c om
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 69
1/23/13 7:36 PM
photo by ashley seawell
bridal guide | 12 things
3
Wedding cakes
On your wedding day you should have your cake and eat it too. No, seriously, you should eat your cake – the whole thing! Tiered wedding cakes can really get up there in cost, and while traditionally the bride and groom have saved the top layer to eat on their first anniversary – why wait? Who gets excited to eat year-old frozen cake anyway? Serve your guests the whole cake, save some money and free up some future freezer space at the same time. And, unless you plan on using them in the future, there is no need to purchase a matching cake knife and server. This is an item that you can definitely borrow from a friend or relative. Or better yet, don’t use a traditional cake knife at all. If you are active military then you could use a saber, firefighters can use an axe, or surgeons can use a scalpel.
4
Photography
Quality wedding photography can be expensive and time with the photographer should not be wasted. Make the most of the allotted time with your photographer by making a list of the shots that are important to you. Provide this list to your photographer well in advance and together you can make a wedding day game plan. Schedule reception events such as the first dance, cake cutting, bouquet and garter toss closely together so that no special moments will be missed. And if you don’t want to waste any time posing for photographs on your special day, consider rescheduling a shoot for the day, or even the month, after the wedding. This will allow you to take your photos at alternative locations without being rushed or distracted by the wedding day hustle and bustle. HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 70
1/29/13 12:07 PM
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 71
1/29/13 12:07 PM
you’re invited to the 2013...
HILTON HEAD
by Hilton Head Monthly
featuring...
Beauty Demonstrations • Photography Wedding Cake • Delicious Food Samples Live Music • Beautiful Blooms Latest Bridal Fashions • Fabulous Giveaways* *Giveaways include a $250 gift card from Best Buy, special gifts from participating vendors, and a two-page spread in an upcoming issue of Hilton Head Monthly for one lucky couple! Don’t miss the Lowcountry’s premiere wedding event that brings together the area’s finest wedding professionals who offer invaluable services and insight for the wedding of your dreams.
1- 4pm February 10, 2013 at Hampton Hall Tickets are $8 in advance. Purchase online at hiltonheadbridalshow.com or call 843-842-6988 ext. 231. Tickets can be purchased at the door the day of the event for $10. Call now or visit us online for more information.
FIRST EVER Grooms Only Workshop!
HH_BridalShowcase_0213.indd 72
*ATTENTION BRIDES-TO-BE! Bring a photo of the happy couple to the Bridal Showcase for a chance to have your wedding featured in a two-page spread in Hilton Head Monthly magazine. The photo will be displayed online for your friends and family to vote for you to win this ultimate wedding keepsake.
1/23/13 8:28 PM
MeWha Photography
MeWha Photography
Mark Williams Studio
Hampton Hall is proud to host the 2013 Bridal Showcase For many families, weddings are reunions. For weddings in the Lowcountry, weddings are a weeklong affair, a chance to not only spend quality time with loved ones but to see the sites. Imagine a wedding ceremony and reception that occurs all in one place amid live oaks draped by Spanish moss and a picturesque bridge crossing a lake.
I
t’s a place where family members stay together in luxury homes walking distance from tennis and bocce courts, a Pete Dye gulf course, a spa, a swimming pool and health and fitness center and driving distance from Hilton Head Island, Savannah and Beaufort. You can expect all of this and more at Hampton Hall, a luxury gated community in Bluffton. “We are in a central location, flexible and abound with creativity,” said Ashleigh Whitmore, Hampton Hall event planning director. “We have a very personal staff and an incredible chef. And I am on-site to help plan and coordinate from beginning to end.”
The Hampton Hall Clubhouse is relatively new to Bluffton, less than 5 years old. The lake-side clubhouse was originally meant to be a community gathering area, but it soon became known as a great wedding spot. “Our Community Clubhouse is the largest indoor venue open to non-Members in Bluffton, still suitable for intimate celebrations for 60, or more grand scale events,” Whitmore said. “There are so many possibilities. It speaks to anyone looking for a Lowcountry style. Anyone coming in here who has a vision can play with it and make it come to life.” Hampton Hall can accommodate up to
350 people between the dining room and ballroom. They also offer an entire clubhouse that can fit up to 450 for cocktail style receptions/food stations. Catering is included with a delectable, customized menu prepared by renowned executive chef John Soulia, who previously worked for Belfair. “We offer everything,” Whitmore said of the menu. “I tell our brides that we happily customize every menu. If the family from New Jersey would like a certain style of crab cake, or if they’d like the honey cakes their grandmother used to make, we’re here to personalize every detail for their special day.”
For more information on Hampton Hall, contact Ashleigh Whitmore at: 843-815-9336 or awhitmore@hamptonhallsc.com
HH_BridalShowcase_0213.indd 73
1/23/13 8:28 PM
5
bridal guide | 12 things
Departures
Get creative with reception departures. There’s usually no need to hire a limo or traditional get-away car. Ask family and friends who they know that may have access to a vintage or antique car to drive you away after the reception. A wedding guest might actually like to give you this service as a wedding gift. Running through a tunnel of sparklers is a beautiful way to exit a wedding. However, mix things up by providing guests with glow sticks or oversized foam fingers to wave in the air as you depart. The most memorable departures are original and should be planned thoughtfully.
6
Signature drinks
7
Nothing sets the tone for a reception like having guests arrive to trays of signature drinks! This is a great way to get the party started and add a personal touch at the same time. Do you love cotton candy? Try serving it in champagne (seriously)! Do you love ice cream? Work with your caterer to create a custom ice cream cocktail just for you. With the variety of flavored liqueurs, the options are endless!
all photos this page except for boxing bride by ashley seawell
Garter tosses
Get the single fellows (who are usually not an eager group) excited about the garter toss! A large group of single men are not going to wrestle over four inches of satin and lace, but what guy won’t try to catch a football thrown in his direction? Slide the garter on a football and wait for the impending diving dog pile to ensue. Another fun idea is to stash quirky and unique items under a skirted chair beneath the bride while the groom removes the garter. Imagine the surprise when the groom appears to pull wacky items — rubber chickens, bottles of high-end liquor, or even the old magician’s standby, the rope of colorful handkerchiefs — out from under the bride’s dress in his attempt to remove the garter. HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 74
1/23/13 7:39 PM
Harbour Town Yacht Club
H
idden jewel in the heart of Harbour Town. Luxurious Club Room and Rooftop Veranda with unsurpassed possibilities for your special event.
843.671.1400
Jory@htyc.com • www.htyc.com
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 75
1/23/13 7:39 PM
8
bridal guide | 12 things
Rings
Do you have a sentimental phrase, quote or even an inside joke that defines your relationship? These are the things couples are having inscribed inside their wedding bands. Ring inscriptions can also be a fun wedding day surprise for your significant other. Perhaps they might pick out their wedding band, but won’t know what sweet French phrase you’ve had inscribed until after the vows have been exchanged on the big day!
9 10 11 Shoes
Putting a special message on the bottom of your wedding day shoes allows you to share a private message on the big day, as this is a gesture that usually only the bridal party is aware of. Have bridesmaids sign the bottom of the bride’s shoes. Or better yet, have the bride and groom write messages to each other on the other’s shoes. Just make sure the photographer captures it all before you dance those memorable messages off at the reception!
Technology
all photos this page by ashley seawell
Encourage guests to use social media on your big day. Invite those who use Twitter and Instagram to tag all photos and posts from your wedding weekend with the same hash tag (i.e. #ThomasHHIWedding). It will be fun to review the pictures and comments in the days after the wedding and even up to a year later! Also, this will allow the bride and groom to see wedding day moments and details they might have missed. Guests can send the newlyweds special messages, congratulations and pictures. Put a note in the program, hotel welcome packets or a sign at the entrance to the reception encouraging guests to participate.
Your mother’s wedding dress
Are you super sentimental but refuse to wear your mother’s avocado trimmed wedding dress with matching sun bonnet? No problem, you have options. You can still include your mother’s dress in sentimental ways in your wedding. You may use bits of lace from her dress to wrap around your bouquet or sewn onto a handkerchief for the groom. A beautiful button or fabric piece from her dress can be lovingly transformed into a piece of wedding day jewelry. A popular option is to have a swatch of fabric from your mother’s wedding dress sewn into the lining of the bridal gown. For an even more fervent touch, have the fabric monogrammed in blue with your wedding date and maiden initials and voila - instant heirloom!
12
Mother-of-the-bride dresses
Just because you are old enough to have a child getting married does not mean that you are required to dress like a matron. If you work hard to maintain your figure, then show it off! Wedding pictures are going to be displayed in your home for years and you don’t want to second guess the choice you made on that frock your mother thought was “appropriate.” Everyone involved in the wedding should feel great about how they look on the big day! HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 76
1/23/13 7:39 PM
Full service entertainment for your Special Day. Music for your Rehearsal Dinner, Ceremony & Reception. Classical musicians, guitarists, DJs, variety bands and more. contact us today For booking inFormation 843.689.3445 | www.HiltonHeadEntertainment.com cheriehhe@hargray.com or jessicahhe@hargray.com
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 77
1/23/13 7:39 PM
sea
TWO IF BY
PHOTOS IN THIS SPREAD BY JOHN BRACKETT
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 78
1/23/13 7:39 PM
two if by sea | bridal guide
the allure of the lowcountry Part of what makes the Lowcountry so alluring as a wedding destination is the ocean that gently laps at its shores. And when your sea-going wedding includes a trip aboard a 63-foot yacht between ceremony and reception, you know you’re planning a fairly large wedding. But when that boat trip is just part of a lavish wedding that includes bagpipers, the Sea Pines trolley, and a commissioned portrait of your big day, you’re rewriting the definition of what a wedding can be. Call McMillin and William Shell relied on local wedding planner Serena Crumley to plan their big day, and Crumley pulled out all the stops. “After the ceremony, they took the Sea Pines Trolley to a bus to a 63-foot yacht from Palmetto Bay Marina to Wexford. They had a keyboard player and a saxophone player playing ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ and a ukelele player doing ‘Rocky Top,’” said Crumley. HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 79
1/23/13 7:40 PM
photos by John Brackett
bridal guide | two if by sea bridal guide | ??? wedding
vendors Photographers: John Brackett and Bo Milbourne, 33 Park Photography Plants: Circle of Life, Flowers by Sue Limo: David’s First Class Limo Musicians: Liquid Pleasure, Kenny Mann, Earl Williams, Westwind Entertainment, Tim McLendon Tent: Sperry Tent, Tim Woodland Planner: Concierge & Co., Serena Crumley Cake: Mollie Stone
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 80
1/23/13 7:40 PM
cuts | coloring | keratin treatments | bridal
Call Terra for an Appointment
843.682.HAIR (4247) Hilton Head Island
Voted Best Hairstylist
A Wedding By The Sea Carl Schroeder Wedding OffiCiAnt
Voted the “Best Wedding Officiant” 2011 Island Packet’s Readers’ Choice Awards
carl@hargray.com 843.683.7999 www.aweddingbythesea.com HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 81
1/23/13 7:40 PM
the details Everything about this wedding was personalized, from the painter (“That’s really interesting; you don’t see that very often,” said Crumley) to the linens. “The napkins were to die for,” Crumley added.
photos by John Brackett
bridal guide | two if by sea
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 82
1/23/13 7:41 PM
Christine Smith
master stylist make-up artist color & extension certified
843.757.7516
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 83
1/23/13 7:41 PM
photos by John Brackett
bridal guide | two if by sea
The party The nautical theme continued after the couple got off the boat and got under the enormous Sperry sailcloth tent.
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 84
1/23/13 7:41 PM
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 85
1/23/13 7:41 PM
bridal guide | LATE NIGHT BITES
LATE NIGHT
bites the latest wedding trend burns the midnight oil BY ROBYN PASSANTE
T
HE WEDDING RECEPTION CANDY BAR IS A THING OF THE PAST. THE MAKEYOUR-OWN S’MORES STATION HAS BEEN PLAYED OUT. MINI CUPCAKES? SO 2009. So what hidden menu surprises are brides and grooms offering their guests these days? The answer, oddly enough, is a late-night snack. You might think offering wedding guests a late-night snack after serving them cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a sit-down meal and a slice of fancy cake is excessive. But wedding experts say it makes sense when you think about it not as an extra course, but as the right complement to a moment in time. After all, you’re drinking, you’re dancing, it’s been awhile since dinner. Everyone loves to have a little something extra at that time. Some of the tastiest options on the table are sweet, like cookies served with a shot glass of milk guests can spike with Kahlua. Others are savory, like a paper cone of Cajun fries drizzled with ranch dressing. Katie Rosenberry was sold on the idea before her big day. “I had seen all kinds of little finger foods and stuff as trends, and when I met with Leah (McCarthy of Weddings with Leah) I brought that up,” said Rosenberry, who married Geoff Rosenberry on Oct. 13, 2012, at a private home on Myrtle Island. “I wanted
something really different, and Leah suggested fried egg sandwiches.” Rosenberry had never had one before – “I wasn’t a big fan of fried eggs” – but she knew Geoff would love the idea. That has been a hook with the late-night snack concept, McCarthy says: It’s a way to get the groom involved, as all guys tune in when talk turns to food – particularly when talk turns to what food will be served after he and his buddies have had a few beers. “It’s nice to do something the groom would really want; it’s a way for him to have a say in something,” she said. At Rosenberry’s wedding there were passed hors d’oeuvres, a buffet dinner, and a formal cake cutting. Then the night opened up to speeches and dancing before the fried egg sandwiches appeared. “Everybody loved them,” Rosenberry said. Perhaps the biggest fan was the bride herself, the same one who had never had a fried egg sandwich before her big day. In typical fashion, she had spent most of the reception mingling and being a gracious hostess, and had eaten very little. McCarthy packed a special to-go box for the bride and groom with four fried egg sandwiches inside. “I was so thankful, and they were so delicious,” Rosenberry said.
a few late-night snack suggestions 1 Mini milk shooters topped with chocolatecovered Oreos 2 Mini cheeseburgers topped with American cheese and pickles 3 Mini fried egg sandwiches 4 Assorted glazed Krispy Kreme donuts 5 Mini sorbet cones or ice cream sandwiches 6 Small milkshakes or root beer floats (don’t forget the straw!) 7 Cups of Cajun fries with ranch drizzle 8 Mini PB&Js with a shot glass of milk 9 Slivers of fresh, hot cheese pizza 10 Giant punch bowls filled with fun-sized bags of salty snacks
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 86
1/23/13 7:41 PM
HiltonHeadBridalShow.com
FEB 13 057-088 BridalGuide.indd 87
1/23/13 7:42 PM
SERG_0213.indd 88
1/23/13 8:03 PM