Book marks the spot

So it's the end of the year, and how will I sum up all the wonderful events that came and went? In a beautiful custom-made book from MyPublisher that is more like a coffee table book than a photo album. I have yet to receive this in the mail, but it looks pretty good online, and I can't wait to bring it to client meetings instead of stacks of photos. I'll keep you posted on the quality, I might even do one for my wedding and honeymoon.

NYE '08

If you're heading out to party on New Years Eve in Charleston this year, check out Club NY at the Gaillard Auditorium. This is the second annual NYE party, and it promises to be a blast... a little birdie tells me to "think South Beach". The Charleston weather gods sure got the memo.

Hurry up, tickets are going fast!

Entertainment will include Dub Island Sound System on the main stage!

Local Photographer: Lea Dales

Rebecca and Jason were married under the oaks

at the Legare-Waring House.

We were getting materials for our lookbook together and I requested some photos from Lea Dales; whom we worked with in September for a wedding at the Legare-Waring House. I thought, instead of just stashing them away in my computer I'd put them on the blog and give a shout out since they are so beautiful! Thanks Lea (she has a great blog, too).

The cake was from Ashley Bakery, still the best I've tasted to date

Flowers were from Tiger Lily, always stunning

The couple wanted a clean contemporary look,

so we clustered some rectangular lanterns above the fountain

photos: Lea Dales

Baby it's cold outside!

Well, it's not cold outside in Charleston today, but in NYC, while there was a chill in the air, supporters celebrated at the New York Botanical Garden's Winter Wonderland Ball under a tent that didn't look like one at all. Love the flat ceiling and projections, making the peaked tent seem like a cozy room, and the draped white walls and black borders gave a luxurious designer flare (a la Candice Olson).

photos: BizBash

Budget Giving

For the host(ess) with the most(ess), here are some fabulous (and frugal) gifts you can give to the entertainer in your life... or yourself!

3-bottle wooden wine rack, perfect size for a small space. World Market, $15 bucks!

Pirate-y ice cubes for an instant ice breaker, Z Gallerie, $10 bucks!

Selma champagne flute, CB2, $7 bucks!

Spring Bride Save the Date

One of our awesome Spring brides just sent us her Save the Date that she created and printed herself, and it's beautiful. Jenny is a graphic designer in New York, who is originally from Charleston, and she's right on target with her original ideas in the last collage photo.

Their Save the Date was designed by Jenny and printed on her home computer on craft paper. I can't wait to see how it all turns out.

I'll be back...sporadically

For those of you who have wondered if I fell off the face of the Earth as of late, you are right! I have been in half nesting mode, and it's getting worse. My husband and I are expecting in February and couldn't be more excited! I will likely post here and there, but definitely not at the frequency as I have in the past, until after Baby Bradley arrives.

I can't wait to share some of Social's events with you through pictures and a bit of commentary, but don't get too excited. When we come back full force, it will be with a bang... I'll keep you posted (pun intended).

Shaking in my knee high boots

So, Halloween is upon us again. What are you going to be? I'm pretty sure my costume will be Bristol Palin... passing out candy to the kiddies in the 'hood, nice!

If you're looking for something to do with your old fishnets or new spiderweb nylons, Hostess with the Mostess blog shows you how they can be put to GOOD use (for once) and create a spooky mood.

As for any cool Halloween parties here in Charleston, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my fave hotel's (aloft) Saints and Sinners Ball, tix just $10. Also, check out Vickery's Wicked Little Halloween Party with DJ MooMoo and Electric Company.

Boo-Yah!

OMG!

Okay, so things are semi-back-to-normal here at Social. A few week(end)s of heavy events and I see a break on the horizon! Thanks for hanging in there and I hope to be back to my regular blogging self in no time. My assistant, Megan, found this and I thought it would be SO appropriate to post in the middle of the hectic "fall" wedding season!

Worst Best Man Ever @ Yahoo! Video

Bienvenue!

Hey there, we had a successful (and RAINY) weekend wedding reception at the Rice Mill on Saturday. Kristin and Russell's Francophilian reception looked gorgeous! Take a peek and we'll be back with more as soon as we get the professional's photos back.

Tasty Sunday

Taste of Charleston is this Sunday at Boone Hall! It's gonna be huge, get there early, traffic's a beyotch. More info HERE.

We have a few events this weekend I'll be sure to post about them ASAP, thanks for understanding.

Social Experiment

What do we get when we mix:

a "Pink" Carpet entrance +

a Diva DJ-- Kelly Trance +

A Wild Blueberry signature cocktail sampler +


a sassy venue +
art +

sushi +dancing =

the aloft Big Bash!

photos: LetsTalkCharleston.com

aloft Time Lapse

Thanx to Svetlana Minx of the City Paper, this was near the beginning of the evening... before the breakdance battles...



What is aloft?

SORRY I'M A SLACKER

Super busy this week preparing for the aloft Big Bash among other things! Be back soon!

Come and play

www.alofthotels.com/charlestonbigbash

Charleston Young Politicos

Political Leaders Luncheon - September 18, 2008 (TOMORROW!)

The CYP Political Leaders Luncheon is a great opportunity to meet with candidates of the the South Carolina Legislature to discuss local and state issues that might affect your personal and professional future in Charleston!

Location: I'On Creek Club in Mt. Pleasant
44 Saturday Road
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina 29464

Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Cost: $25, $15 CYP Members - Lunch included

Confirmed attendees include:

South Carolina Senate
District 44
Paul Campbell (I)

South Carolina House of Representatives
District 94
Jenny Horne

District 97
George Bailey

District 98
Annette Young (I, unopposed)
District 99
Jim Merrill (I, unopposed)

District 108
Jill KelsoDistrict 109David Mack III
District 110Harry B. "Chip" Limehouse III
District 111
Wendell Gilliard

District 115
Ann Peterson Hutto

District 117
Tim Scott

District 119
Leon Stavrinakis

Please register online. This is a limited capacity event.

Thank you to our Event Sponsors: Charleston City Paper, Clear Channel Charleston, Dish & Design Catering and Events, Dixon Hughes PLLC, I'on Creek Club, Lowcountry Graduate Center, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein, The Post and Courier

For more information, call 805.3102

Real Wedding: Rebecca & Jason

This weekend Social designed and coordinated an intimate wedding at the Legare-Waring House. This beautiful house in Charles Towne Landing was the location for Rebecca and Jason's beautifully simple and elegant nuptials. The couple got married under the avenue of oaks, then entertained their guests with a cocktail hour near the lake, and then danced the night away in front of the historic home underneath the tent with hanging twinkling candles.

Rebecca and Jason wanted a more contemporary feel, so we ordered square tables, a large black and white dance floor, and a small grouping of chocolate brown ottomans which we wrapped in thick stitched grosgrain ribbon to match the wedding colors of a light robin's egg blue and brown. The tables were simple, but the addition of inexpensive contrasting runners gave them a bit more interest at a fraction of the cost.

Social hung lanterns above the fountain as a focal point, and the beautiful cake stood out as a work of art. Not to mention it was ridiculously delicious!

Congratulations Rebecca and Jason!

Vendors: Duvall Decor, OtherBrother Entertainment, DJ Doug, Hamby Catering, Tiger Lily Florist, Lea Dales, Ashley Bakery, Snyder Event Rentals, Legare-Waring House.

Real Wedding: Kristin & Russell

I'm SO excited that I can finally start posting about our real weddings since I've gotten some exciting stuff in. I received our finished invitation suites from talented designer, Kelli Marie Hall, of Carte Blanche Invitation Design, and they are exquisite!

Kristin and Russell's colors are black, white and pink-- all shades from blush to fuschia, and the black envelopes were calligraphed in hot pink, how cute!

The bold, yet chic graphics and patterns of pink peonies and black damask really play off each other well and tie in with another fun theme element - a romantic French evening, as the reply postcard quips "répondez si'l vous plaît". Cute 2.0!

The back (or front) of the reply postcard is the beautiful peony graphic and custom design. I can't even stand it, thanks Kelli!

More to come, this wedding is in just a few weeks!

Damn Crafty

I was ribbon shopping today in some craft stores and couldn't get out of the Martha Stewart Crafts aisle! She sure does make it easy, and chic, to get all crafty for a wedding, doesn't she? Here are some of my favorites:

Customizable beverage labels make those unsightly wine labels disappear (and no one will ever know it's cheap - I mean inexpensive, wine!).

Water Lily place cards look like you spent hours on them, when it was really Martha.

I got this ribbon storage box for me, but also might use it for a wedding we're doing in October where we'll wrap it in damask fabric and hold the ribbon for securing candy bags that guests can cut themselves!

photos: marthastewart.com

Hanna and Ike sitting in a tree

No, this post isn't about an upcoming wedding, I'll be hunkering down for tropical storm Hanna in Charelston today, and preparing for Hurricane Ike and his undpredictable path o' destruction! Post soon!

Mood lighting

What a little lighting can do. It never fails, so many people overlook building a great lighting scheme into their decor budget, they figure string (twinkle, christmas, whatevs) will do the trick, but with that you only get the same ol' thing! I highly encourage looking into professional lighting! See?! What a transformation from day to night.

Below, a great pic of an entire tent lighting scheme, and some other details from this beautiful wedding!

photos: StyleMePretty.com

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

LOVE someecards.com (Thanks Maggie!). Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Baby Got Back!

You've probably seen that show Rock the Reception by now, or been sucked into watching a few Youtube videos of funny first dances at weddings. So here's another one, I picked it because it's fairly short, and very funny, and not to mention it's my favorite karaoke song.

I feel funny saying Furry Affair!

I do feel funny saying Furry Affair, but that's what happened at Memminger Auditorium (obvs the new event hot spot!) this past Saturday evening. The "affair" was a combination silent and live auction benefiting the Charleston Animal Society. Tristan restaurant provided the food again this year, and as always it was delicious. Group Dynamics also sponsored rentals and linens this year-- if you haven't been to their new place on the JI, you should see what they've got.