Get an exclusive peek into the world of Patrick Properties — we share a few of our favorite moments from recent events and happenings.
"Neighbors helping neighbors. That’s the mentality of Patrick Properties Hospitality Group." -- The Post and Courier Newspaper
Our historic wedding and event venues are nestled in the heart of flourishing communnities here in Downtown Charleston - one of the many reasons Patrick Properties Hospitality Group is passionate about giving back to our neighbors. We're honored to be surrounded by the friends, families and fellow businesses that share our vision for preserving these special places, and in return, make it our business to support them!
This commitment is never so rewarding than in service to local organizations like the Florence Crittenton Home. Located just three short blocks from Lowndes Grove Plantation in the thriving neighborhood of Wagener Terrace, this non-profit organization offers a safe, supportive environment for pregnant young women and parenting mothers in need. Through counseling, education, medical care and social support, Florence Crittenton has helped these women become self-sufficient, responsible mothers - ensuring their little ones grow up happy, healthy, safe and loved - for more than a century.
With days before Christmas, PPHG invited these young women to share some holiday cheer with a special evening in their honor on the grounds of Lowndes Grove Plantation. They were welcomed with hot chocolate and freshly baked cookies, and as CEO Randall Goldman explained, were given free reign to explore and kick back on their own terms. Little did they know we also had arranged a few surprise treats!
Our good friends and Charleston photographers amelia + dan dedicated their talents behind the camera lens to take individual portraits set against a twilight backdrop of live oak trees and the Ashley River. Each photograph would be delivered to the Florence Crittenton Home as a framed keepsake, thanks to Duncan-Parnell Printing Group. The girls even found their own gifts waiting for them among the Christmas tree branches!
Spending time with these ladies at Lowndes Grove was very much our privilege, and we could not be more grateful to our fellow partners. Special thanks especially to Jade McDuffie of The Post and Courier, who highlighted the important work of Florence Crittenton Home as a follow up to the evening in her feature article, "Florence Crittenton residents celebrate holiday at Lowndes Grove."
These are the moments that matter.
In the wake of recent events, we want to take a minute to help guide you through a few key things to consider when planning your Charleston wedding. From flower arrangements to seating charts, the list of details to coordinate is long enough without additional thought to all of the “What If” scenarios. However, if there was ever a time to prepare for the unexpected, it is now.
Your wedding is one of the biggest investments of your life – not just financially, but also in the time and energy you devote to bringing your loved ones together in celebration of your special day. And just like any investment, you need to protect it.
Our team is dedicated to helping you create the occasion you’ve always envisioned at any of our historic wedding venues in Charleston. That’s why we want to make sure you’ve taken the right steps to prepare for any circumstance that might pop up when you least expect it.
Here are a few tips from the PPHG event pros that will help ensure you’re never caught without a back-up plan:
Know your contract before you sign on that dotted line, especially when it comes to cancellation policies, property fees and food & beverage clauses. Many venue rental deposits, including those for PPHG properties, are non-refundable and non-transferrable, including in the case of unfortunate circumstances, and apply only to the date specified in your contract.
A back-up plan should always be in place for every scenario. Make sure to have this conversation with your coordinator, who will be able to help you consider all of your options - from rain plans to outdoor heaters to reserve on stand- by for chilly evenings.
Purchase event insurance that will cover what you haven’t thought of – from travel delays and inclement weather to natural disasters. There are a variety of plans available with different levels of coverage at very affordable rates. While we do not endorse our plan over another, we do highly recommend event insurance be considered.
Work with reliable vendors who will help you through these situations. We are happy to recommend vendors who have established relationships with our Charleston wedding venues.
We know it may be just another detail to add on your list – but in so many ways, it is also the most important. Having a solid plan will give you peace of mind in the days leading up to your wedding, allowing you the complete freedom to enjoy this special day as it was meant to be.
For more helpful tips on contingency planning, check out this guide on TheKnot.com.
Pink is the color of flamingos and bubble gum, cotton candy, and Barbie’s jeep. It is also the color of the day on June 23 every year. While the origin of National Pink Day is a little bit ambiguous, every girl knows you don’t need an excuse to appreciate the perfect shade of pink. Of course we’re all about weddings here at PPHG but I’m going to refrain from the obvious photo of the “blush” and “bashful” draped church. Instead, here are some perfectly lovely ways some of our brides have incorporated pink into their Charleston plantation weddings.
Satin Bows made this happily ever after fit for a princess. I’m practically drooling over this pretty-in-pink accent.
Sugar and Spice and all things nice, that’s what wedding cakes are made of. And by “all things nice” we of course are referring to the blooms of color that add just the right touch to this confectionary beauty created by Fish restaurant Pastry Chef Susie Ieronemo.
As for the guys, this groom proved once and for all that real men really do wear pink. And I have to hand it to him, he does it well!
The view from the River House at Lowndes Grove contrasted beautifully with the precious shade of pink chosen for the tabletops. This is why we love Charleston plantations!
We agree with these ladies, there is not a “right way” to use pink. Incorporating opposite ends of the color spectrum, these weddings were featured in Southern Living Weddings 2012 and The Wedding Row with bridesmaids that looked absolutely tickled pink for the ceremony!
Photos thanks to
As we all know, Charleston is the No. 2 destination wedding city in the country, and for good reason. Wedding season, which happily coincides with beach season, is upon us, so the weather is gorgeous, the flowers are blooming and the people are smiling.
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Image from Charleston Real Estate Guide
So, future, brides, if you're in the process of planning your wedding and you're considering Charleston, you'll probably want to visit sometime soon. Here are my suggestions for a cheap weekend visit to check out our fair city.
Where to stay: Hopefully you have a friend in or around town with whom you can stay for free (excluding the price of a thank-you coffee or bouquet), but if you don't there are a few inexpensive options. Charleston's Not So Hostel is a little, centrally located hostel that ranges in price from $24 for a shared room to $60 for a private room. You can also always check out sites like Hotels.com and Priceline for deals.
As for the $100 weekend, I'm going to assume you do have a friend close by and not include the cost of the hostel. Also, these are the prices for one person. So here we go:
Arrive on a Friday morning:
- breakfast at Glazed: coffee and a donut will be around $4
- window shop on upper King Street: free (depending on what you buy/don't buy)
- Moo Shu lunch at Fish + an alchoholic beverage: $12 ($10 without the drink)
- schedules appointments to take a tour of our gorgeous wedding venue, the William Aiken House. Chances are we'll be setting up for a wedding...
- rent a beach cruiser bike at The Bicycle Shoppe for two hours: $14
- bike up to Lowndes Grove to see our other venues, the plantation itself and the River House for smaller events.
- dinner at Dell'z Deli: average wrap is about $9
- a beer at Closed for Business: pint of Stoney's is $3
Total for Friday: approx. $42
Total left to spend: approx $58
Saturday:
- breakfast at Caviar and Bananas: approx. $6 for coffee and a bagel with cream cheese.
- walk around the historic College of Charleston campus and down to the battery (pictured above): free
- take a tour of the beautiful Edmonston-Alston House: $10 for a regular ticket
- lunch at the Blind Tiger Pub on Broad Street: the acclaimed NY Strip Sandwich is only $8.50
- take a little break. You've been walking a lot! Return to home base and relax for a little while: free
- walk around Charleston's Radcliffeborough neighborhood and check out local wedding vendors Mac & Murphy and Calder Clark on Cannon Street, and Tiger Lily, W.E.D. and Madison Row on Spring Street: free
- dinner and a drink at Lana on Cannon and Rutledge: $16 homemade gnocchi ai funghi and $8 cocktail
Total for Saturday: approx. $48.50
Total left to spend: approx $9.50
Sunday:
- breakfast at Wildflour Pastry: cinnamon bun and coffee will run you about $5
- now get to the airport, you gotta go!
Total for Sunday: $5
Total left to spend at the airport: $4.50, enough for a water and some gum. Safe flight, bride-to-be!
It must be my spring fever talking, but I just can't get enough of these creamsicle inspired colors. Pinks and oranges are so vibrant and beautiful, and just perfect for the season. I also think they look really amazing against the yellow of the William Aiken House, but maybe I'm a little bit biased! I hope you are as inspired as I am. Enjoy!
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images via
etsy.com
maviweddingflorist.com
catrinamaria.wordpress.com
weddingwire.com
aphroditesweddingblog.com
So I'm obsessed with a certain style of wedding. And don't get me wrong - I think weddings are generally beautiful because they represent the beginningof a new family, a new life. I also think they're beautiful because any way a couple chooses to express themselves and their relationship is unique and special (and usually involves colorful flowers, I'm kind of a sucker).
But all that aside, I can't get enough of these vintage/southern/sophisticated/urban weddings we keep seeing. That's a lot of words to describe a single event, I understand, just bear with me.
A recent Lowndes Grove couple, Rebecca and Randall, capture this style perfectly.
LOVE. I love the simple silhouette of Rebecca's dress with the lace detail. I love the mustard-y neutral color of the bridesmaids dresses. I love Rebecca's headband. Just love.
See, there seems to be a school of thought that claims southern and modern, or even southern and urban, are mutually exclusive properties. I beg to differ. Charleston itself is an apt example of vintage, southern (which, by the way, sounds weirder the more you say it), urban and modern - it has a grittiness associated with bigger cities in combination with something of a naïve softness found most often in the South. Altogether these styles make a distinct, attractive character. That is what Rebecca and Randall captured in their wedding.
Mmm, gorgeous!
Luckily for me, I can get my southern/vintage/urban/sophisticated fix at Lowndes Grove practically nonstop for the next few months (wedding season!). Luckily for you, you have fabulous blogs like Style Me Pretty and talented photographers like Amelia + Dan to keep you apprised on all things Old & New South Nuptials. In the meantime, more Rebecca and Randall!
The couple with their ring bearer/son. So cute!
And finally, this photo communicates exactly what I'm talking about. Rebecca's elegant dress, her bridesmaid's neutral wedges, and all of it set on a southern plantation - our southern plantation to be exact. What an amazing ceremony. Congratulations, Rebecca and Randall!
But you just can't beat a Lowndes Grove Sunset.
Thanks to The Wedding Row and Virgil Bunao Photography!
I was looking over these Juliet Elizabeth photos of the Tess and Robert Guinn wedding and of course the first thing I noticed was how stunning the pictures are (and how gorgeous Lowndes Grove looks!), but the second thing I noticed was a curious little bulldog squating, open-mouthed throughout the album.
Only it's not a bulldog, it's a cardboard cutout of a bulldog. A studly dog named Tank, from what I understand.
Tank's daytime appearance is on the left, the beautiful couple on the right.
Later at the evening reception, Tank got a little wild.
And as the night wound down, he remained the life of the party.
Dear old Tank remains a mystery to those of us not in attendance, but I think he was a fabulous addition to the photos and, apparently, to the festivities as well.
While I'm at it, I can't resist sharing these other detail shots!
I love the idea of three small cakes instead of one big one. And those sugar roses - how incredible are they?!
I love the bride's dress with her bouquet - the rose detailing in the skirt and the roses in her hands look so perfect together! I am a huge fan of this wedding, bulldog and all.