Charleston SC Wedding Guide

A Charleston South Carolina Wedding A lovely beachside ceremony with the sun reflecting diamonds off the water, bare toes are warmed as they burrow in the sand and your nuptials are celebrated into the wee hours with an old-fashioned clambake until the stars come out and decorate the sky. A fine and formal Cathedral service followed by a ballroom type affair held in high style bursting with bouquets, crystal and candlelight. Perhaps an intimate backyard gathering with a simple champagne toast will be how you choose to seal your vows.

Of course to a degree, budget will determine the size and venue of your wedding but certainly will not determine the type of wedding you choose. With the right amount of research and planning, you can have that formal wedding on a modest budget if that's what suits you as a couple. Or, even if the sky is the limit for your wedding ceremony and reception resources, it is most important that your ceremony reflects your religious, spiritual or moral foundation for taking your vows. It's equally as important that your personal style should choreograph how your wedding day and reception comes together.

Start with the questions: What do we want to say to one another on our wedding day? Who do we want to witness our vows and share in our day with us? What will best signify our celebration of a new life together? When you've answered these foundational questions, you'll likely have an idea of what location you want to take your vows and what type of reception you'd most enjoy as a couple: inside or outdoors, secular or religious, formal or informal, large or intimate, traditional or innovative.

No matter what your vision, the planning for your perfect wedding day starts long before the choice of dress, venue, flowers or food. From jewelers for the symbolic engagement ring as much as a year ahead, to the last detail of the romantic cruise you take for your honeymoon, consult Charleston's Finest Wedding Guide to find the support and information you'll need to plan for your wedding day as well as all the pre and post wedding day arrangements.

You may want to begin your planning process by finding the right events planner for your wedding to assist you in the legwork in settling all the details. Once you've interviewed planners and found one with whom you are compatible, then you'll begin the process of making decisions about a guest list and selecting a venue. Once you have chosen your wedding venue, then the fun begins with flowers and centerpieces, music and menus, gifts for the bridal party and all festivities leading up to your moment. You may choose to select one venue for all your wedding needs, for example, choose a hotel with a grand ballroom like the Francis Marion or Market Pavilion at which your out of town guests and bridal party can stay. Fill out the online group form and receive bids from several hotels for a group price to offer as a courtesy to your special party members. If you so choose, the hotel may also have an intimate dining room in which you hold your rehearsal dinner.

There are so many wonderful restaurants in Charleston, though, you may wish to make arrangements at one of the hundreds of world-class, gourmet establishments by reading Charleston's Finest Dining reviews for menu type, ambiance and ratings to narrow down your choices. For your formal wedding affair, consult the resources in the Charleston's Finest Wedding Guide to find all you will need to create a flawless day for you, your spouse to be and your guests.

The informal wedding is becoming more popular as people step away from tradition and begin to develop their own vows, choose alternative venues and incorporate a personal sense of style into the process. The beachfront wedding for example is well-liked in the Charleston area, naturally because of the balmy weather and pristine beaches. This type of wedding requires a different planning process and certainly sets the tone for a less formal but no less lovely reception. One can have the beach style clam bake reception already mentioned but just as easily, a beach ceremony can be taken indoors to a venue such as that on Folly Beach to a lovely hotel restaurant venue that continues the beach theme. Here too, arrangements can be made for guests to stay right in the hotel. Consult Charleston's Finest Hotel Guide for the Holiday Inn Express, Folly Beach venue.

Of course, an outdoor, beach wedding does not preclude formality if that is what you desire. The best of both worlds can be had at a chic venue like the Wild Dunes Resort which offers patrons all the luxury of a formal wedding, gourmet meals and catering, a dance floor and pavilion with enough space for a live band, all easily arranged outdoors, just steps from the beach. With the help of the wedding guide, the world is your oyster…as it should be on your wedding day.

All the extras and tradition of the bridal showers and rehearsal dinners are enjoyed by all but by no means necessary. For the non-conformist or do-it-yourselfers, you may choose a wine tasting for your prenuptial gathering or to take your vows on family property. You may choose flowers that have more of a wild and natural look to compliment the garden flowers already growing at the wedding venue of choice. Transform your back yard into a magical space for both your ceremony and reception Consult Charleston's Finest Wedding Guide for tents, chairs and rentals for everything from linens to glassware. Find the perfect band to compliment your theme. Getting the smaller details finalized ahead of time goes a long way to creating a seamless, stress free wedding day.

Find and book your wedding planner, hotel for guests, caterer, reception venue, rentals, florist, limousine or horse and carriage, disc jockey or band, chapel or temple, minister or Officiant early. No matter what type of wedding you have in mind, there are just the right service providers out there. Let us help you find them with the Charleston's Finest Wedding Guide.

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