The only thing better than celebrating your engagement is when said celebration happens to be planned in the hands of lovely little details. Along with the likes of Chelsea Petaja, Southern Fried Paper and the other talents behind Bliss & Bokeh, she put together a styled shoot chock-full of inspiration, and thanks to Patricia Lyons you can pin each and every bit.
From Lovely Little Details…Bliss + Bokeh is a luxury wedding photographer retreat which takes place in one of my very favorite places on earth, Charleston, SC. I was responsible for creating the finale dinner and wanted to design a night for the attendees to enjoy but also to show a realistic inspiration for an engagement party. We chose the little plot of land right on the water at the Cottages on Charleston Harbor and thanks to the many talents and vendors, pulled off a “Lowcountry Boil” – aka a southern version of a clambake with shrimp, shellfish and so many quintessential southern treats cooked with love by Cru Catering. Our models had recently been engaged and were living up the engagement shoot while braving the chilly elements! Lula Kate designed the most gorgeous (and perfectly fitting for our location) dress and we really tied in decor around the slate blue + cream striped skirt and lace top.
I wanted to use old-school camping plates as chargers, but doubled their use by working with Chelsea Petaja to hand-letter the menu and Chelsea Carpenter of Southern Fried Paper printed them on a clear laminated sticker so I could affix them to the plates. All the guests took the plates home afterwards as a little keepsake! Lemons served as place cards (hand-lettered by Chelsea of course) and doubled as a garnish for the seafood bounty. I used dahlias and garden roses in shades of butterscotch, pale yellow, cream and a tiny pop of mustard to set the table with a “just foraged” seasonal look. I Do Linens created custom napkins for us with just the right stripe style and mustard velvet ribbons finished off the place setting to tie all the colors together. Event Haus came in as our knights in shining armor by installing a sailcloth tent at the last minute when the weather called for rain and with the twinkling bistro lights, heaters and good company around the tables, the ambiance was one that I’m sure any guest would enjoy.
Photography: Patricia Lyons | Caterer: Cru Catering | Transportation: Tri Country | Venue: The Cottages On Charleston Harbor | Concept, Design + Florals: Jacin Fitzgerald Events | Custom Linens: I Do Linens | Dress + Bowtie Designer: Lula Kate | Hair + Makeup Artist: Mikel Rumsey | Menu Label Production: Southern Fried Paper | Musicians: Wedding Music Charleston | Paper Design + Hand-Lettering: Oh My Deer Handmades | Rentals, Lighting + Tent: Event Drs | Retreat: Bliss & Bokeh