Get an exclusive peek into the world of Patrick Properties — we share a few of our favorite moments from recent events and happenings.
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
One trend I've been seeing everywhere is a modern Baroque style. You know - usually a black-and-white, symmetrical and flourished design, often on furniture or wall paper. Here's an example:
Image from Baroque & Rococo
So pretty and detailed. And it's a style that has been popular in event design lately, take the William Aiken House wedding of Misha and Jay:
Thanks to The Wedding Row
Baroque everywhere! It's wonderful for weddings because the style is so elegant and clean. But since we're seeing so much of it, I thought I'd give you a little art history lesson in the true Baroque style (with, I hate to admit, a little help from Wikipedia. Eek).
The style first caught on in Rome during the early 17th century. The Roman Catholic church supported the growing popularity of Baroque art and architecture because of the religious characters and motifs threaded throughout. The true defining characteristic of the Baroque style of painting, however, is the use and lack of light. Contrast in the paintings was intensified to dramatize the scene.
Image from Canvaz
This painting by female Baroque Artist Artemisia Gentileschi from c. 1617 is of a brightly lit Mary Magdalen thinking about something Catholic - we assume - in a dark room.
Over time, the style has evolved from its roots into the semi-abstract patterns we see now, but one quality has been preserved for the most part: the use of dark and light. So now you know, Baroque Brides!
For some people, flowers are an afterthought. For others, they're the focus and starting place of the entire wedding design. Personally, I love flowers and I love seeing how brides and coordinators come together to create gorgeous floral designs! One of my favorite parts of my own wedding was the flowers. I held a beautiful small bouquet of green orchids that I absolutely loved. In rememberance of my dear grandfather, I had my flower girls toss yellow rose petals, his favorite, as they walked down the aisle. I just love this idea of incorporating flowers that have a special place in your heart. Did your grandmother have a garden full of beautiful peonies? You should have them in your bouquet! It's a great way to carry your loved ones with you, literally and figuratively, on your special day!
These are some bouqets that are inspiring me today! Enjoy and please let us know what you plan to carry on your wedding day!
So if you're a citizen of the digital universe, you've probably been hearing a lot about Pinterest lately. You might ask yourself such questions as: What is Pinterest? How do I get on it? What do I do with it once I'm on it?
Well good news: I'm here to answer all your Pinterest problems!
Pinterest is something of a modern onomatopoeia; it provides a place for you to "pin your interests." In otherwords, it's like a website where you can collect all your bookmarks or post fun/interesting/useful things you found online and may otherwise forget about. It's helpful, entertaining and super addictive.
So just follow the red arrows and you will soon be a Pinterest prodigy!
Step one:
This is what you will see when you first log on to Pinterest. It is the homepage where posts from "pinners" you follow will appear (Pinterest will assign you people to follow when you sign up based on your interest, you can accumulate more followers the more you pin). Follow that red arrow to travel to your own page.
Step two:
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This is your page, filled with your pinboards. Pinboards are little pages within your page, organized by category, and populated by pictures you find on Pinterest, on the web or that you already have in your computer. Anyone on Pinterest has access to your pins and can choose to "follow" a specific board or all of your boards. If you follow the arrow, you can click on a specific board.
Step three:
Now we are in the Patrick Properties board, "Our Properties." These are the pins we have in there, they are pictures of either Lowndes Grove or the William Aiken House (so far, Fish and American Theatre to come...). Next step will be to look at a specific pin.
Step four:
That is our pin, a photo of a gorgeous, floating-lantern filled William Aiken wedding. Yes please...
Next we will return to the pinterest homepage to search for a new pin. Click on the Pinterest icon at the top of the page, click your heels together three times and whisper "there's no place like home," et voila!
Step five:
I saw this lovely, classic wedding dress and thought it would be perfect for our pinboard, "Classic Weddings." Click "Repin" on the top left...
Step six:
Select which board you want the photo to go to at the top of the little box, then click "Pin it."
And look at us! We just pinned a wedding dress. Now I can access it at any time and so can you. We are Pinterest pros!
Sierranicole Butler: My experience with PPHG
When I applied for the event intern position with Patrick Properties Hospitality Group this past August, I had no idea what I was in for. Yes, there was an overview of requirements for the position and what would be expected of me, but there’s nothing like interacting and being hands on in the industry where you want to build your career.
As a senior at the College of Charleston, interning with PPHG has allowed me to gain real world experience before I enter the competitive event management industry. Seeing various dimensions of weddings from the start in the office to completion has been a very rewarding experience.
The best part of my internship is probably that nothing is ever the same. Each event is new and exciting; there’s always a coordinator who puts a different spin on the atmosphere, a different layout for plated events, and an interesting wedding party to get to know. Duties during an event ranged from bussing tables to carrying out beautiful plates of food to guests, to paying attention to the smallest details.
Each property is distinct and unique. While events at the William Aiken House can be enjoyed on the marvelous piazza which overlooks King Street, family and friends can feel the history of Lowndes Grove while admiring the Ashley River. Working long nights at these gorgeous properties always keeps me busy.
Mr. Goldman, CEO of PPHG always says that “Food is at the nucleus of any successful event.” Working at Fish restaurant—seating guests and prepping food in the kitchen—gave me a lot of insight into the heart of joyous occasions. The chefs crafted beautiful gourmet dishes and take their work very seriously. On my day in the kitchen, I went in knowing that cooking fried green tomatoes can be tedious. But once you slice, bread and batter enough for 350 guests, cooking takes on a whole new meaning! Creating a beautiful dinner is a lot of work, but when the perfect dish is delivered to an excited guest, it all seems worth it.
My time in a managerial role at PPHG is the experience which sticks out in my mind the most. Working as a banquet captain, I was the “middle man” for the event managers and servers. In this role I really learned that every detail counts from the presentation of food, management of servers, and making guests happy. All of these aspects are critical for an event to run smoothly.
I have learned a lot by working with PPHG this semester, about the event planning industry, myself, and life in general. It has taught me how to juggle my classes at the College of Charleston while seeing what the real world is like. Interning is the best thing that a college senior can do for him/herself. You learn what you like and what you don’t like, as well as your strengths and your weaknesses. I hope I will always be in contact with PPHG and the wonderful people who have helped me learn a great deal about event management. Thanks PPHG!
