For those of you who missed out last week on the big announcement, our very own Events + Marketing Manager, Ashley, is engaged and wedding planning is in full swing! The date has been selected, vendors are being booked, and decisions are being made left and right! I do not know about you, but every time I secure each of my favorite vendors, I get a little more excited knowing I am one step closer to being a Mrs. For some of you, decisions such as color palette, wedding attire, ceremony location, and other relatively large details may come easy. For me, the “easy” decision was the location of the reception. Since stepping foot onto the property in 2013, I dreamed that someday I would have my wedding reception at Lowndes Grove Plantation. To say this is now a reality is simply a dream come true. I knew that was where I wanted my dream day to take place since first laying eyes on the gorgeous, white, stately plantation house that overlooked the Ashley River. The location was more important to me than the time of year of the wedding or any of the other relatively large details.

The view of the Ashley River at Lowndes Grove Plantation// Clay Austin

Charleston is home to some of the most iconic wedding venues in the Southeast. If you are looking for a historical home, the William Aiken House or Lowndes Grove Plantation may be right for you. Maybe you are drawn to Charleston by the large Oak trees and hanging moss, in which case Legare Waring House or Boone Hall Plantation offer picturesque settings for your dream day. Whatever your vision is, make sure the location is right for you. For many of these venues, peak season [particularly the months of April, May, September, October and November] book over a year in advance. For me, my heart was set on Lowndes Grove Plantation and with the mild winters we have here in Charleston, a December wedding sounded perfect.

William Aiken House // Catherine Ann Photography

Entrance to Legare Waring House // Shannon Michele Photography

Boone Hall Plantation

The venue selection is a great place to let your groom voice his opinion….after all, it is a very important day for him as well! This also gets him involved early and shows you care about his opinion (especially when he may not care as much about the attire or floral decisions!). Thankfully, after a site visit to Lowndes Grove, my groom fell in love with the property as well. We knew we wanted a relatively short engagement so we checked venue availability and booked immediately.

Whatever your vision is for your dream day, I guarantee you through the support of your fiancée as well as a trusted planner, like A.Caldwell Events, your vision can be brought to life in whatever location you choose.

Be sure to tune in for our next stop as we dive into dress shopping for the bride, as well as the wedding party!