A Tented Private Estate Wedding Inspired by the Ralph Lauren Store in NYC

Lauren Megerdichian
December 22, 2023
Categories: The Blog

[section title=”The Planning”]

[field title=”Wedding Colors”]Earthy tones that reflected the coastal South Carolina location of the reception and the seasonal time of year – browns, bronze, greens, white and natural colors. [/field]

[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

My mom and I drew original inspiration from the Ralph Lauren store in NYC. When we visited in December 2021, it was decorated for the holidays and felt inviting and understated-ly elegant. The store was full of winter greenery, cozy neutral rugs and throws, antique accessories, and many natural elements (antlers, wood, leather). I was not involved much in the planning. (by choice!). My mom has great, timeless taste and an eye for design. I trusted her completely to make the important decisions with Blake and his team. The only request I had is that I really hoped it would “snow” at the end of the night!

We wanted to get married near my parents’ beach house, where I grew up spending summers with family and many dear friends. Over 20+ years I fell in love with the coast’s natural environment, vibrant wildlife, and rich history. Marshall and I are happiest when we are outside (especially on or near the water!), and we hoped our wedding weekend would allow our guests to experience a piece of this magical place! We got married in Prince George Winyah Parish Church in Georgetown. This was an easy pick! It is a beautiful and historic setting: It is one of the only church buildings in South Carolina that dates back to the colonial period. The church has “box pews” instead of rows, which were apparently common in the 1700s. Who knew? In an unexpected stroke of serendipity, the church hired a new rector in 2020 who happened to be my dad’s former college roommate (and a groomsman in my parents’ wedding)! We loved that the person who married us had a special connection to our family. The reception venue was a private residence nearby.

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]

We got engaged in August 2021 at my family’s beach house in South Carolina. Marshall suggested we go for an early morning beach walk, and I was immediately suspicious since it was actively tropical storming and he is not a morning person! He asked me to marry him at the bottom of our boardwalk, I said “yes!,” and we walked for about 4 minutes before we had to turn around and go home because of all the wind and rain. We enjoyed the day just the two of us and had a celebratory dinner with both sets of our parents the following night.

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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]

[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

The dress is a classic A-line cut with a sheer corsetted bodice and leaf embroidery and a full skirt. I loved how comfortable it was and how versatile my wedding-day look could be without changing out of my dress (I didn’t want to leave that party!). I wore a long-sleeved bolero for the ceremony, removed the bolero for the reception, and added a cropped white fur jacket for our snowy exit! My “something blue” was Mom’s sapphire and diamond ring. For my “something borrowed,” I wore my bridesmaid Ashley’s veil. This was special, as her wedding was when Marshall and I reconnected in 2019. Her veil was simple and elegant and worked perfectly with my dress!

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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]My bridesmaids wore simple but elegant black dresses with square necklines and cap sleeves. They also wore earrings from The Goldbug Collection, designed by Mini Hay Avant and Kathleen Hay Haygood, 4th generation jewelry designers at their family jewelry store Croghan’s Jewel Box in Charleston, SC. [/field]

[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]Marshall wore a tuxedo from Grady Ervin, my uncle’s menswear store on King Street in Charleston, SC. [/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]

[field title=”Food & Drink”]Cru Catering did a wonderful job with the food. Marshall, my parents, and I loved everything their team put together for the menu.

We had passed hors d’oeuvres and a gorgeous hors d’oeuvres spread covering two antique mahogany tables and served everything from deviled eggs and fried oysters to tuna sashimi and shrimp cocktail. We also had multiple carving stations and the shrimp and grits were my favorite! Late night snacks included mini chicken biscuits, short rib bao buns, and a boozy milkshake.

We had a full bar and champagne of course, but also featured Moscow Mule and Old Fashioned cocktails as our specialty drink. [/field]

[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

Blake and his team designed the tent decor by incorporating outdoor earthy elements – lush seasonal greenery, oversized clay and metal urns filled with magnolia branches and paperwhites, and magnolia leaf garland. It was so nicely layered and warm and felt perfectly suited for a winter wedding.

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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]The classic all-white cake was Almond Amaretto flavored and had six layers with no decoration other than textured frosting resembling tree bark. [/field]

[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]We had a bagpiper play Highland Cathedral for my processional, an ode to my maternal grandfather’s Scottish roots.

Outside Cocktail Hour Entertainment – Charleston Virtuosi

Inside (Piano) Cocktail Hour Entertainment – Heather Rice

Reception Entertainment – Sol Fusion (East Coast Entertainment) “Our band, Sol Fusion, brought the house down!”

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Reception – Sol Fusion (East Coast Entertainment)

URL: https://www.bookece.com/

Outside Cocktail Hour Entertainment- Charleston Virtuosi

URL: https://charlestonvirtuosi.com/

Inside (Piano) Cocktail Hour Entertainment- Heather Rice (Other Brother Entertainment)

URL: https://iamheatherrice.com/

https://otherbrotherent.com/ [/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #1″]Digging up the bourbon after the ceremony with my parents, new husband, and in-laws! There is a funny southern superstition about how burying a bottle of bourbon at your venue will help you avoid bad weather on your wedding day…it worked, so I won’t ask questions![/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #2″]The trolley that was supposed to take me to the church got stuck on its way to pick me up. At the last minute, my bridesmaids, parents and I had to self-drive to the ceremony, and we were late! The highlight of my ride was Dad saying “Hey Siri, play ‘Going to the Chapel’!” as we flew down the highway to the church! And one of my bridesmaids was covered in dog hair from the backseat of my mom’s car. It was hilarious. [/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #3″]For our exit, Blake’s team worked some magic to make it snow at the beach! It was magical![/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Weekend Events”]

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