Black Tie Elegance Meets Coastal Charm At This Charleston Wedding

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February 12, 2024

The Planning

Design / Vibe / Vision

Inspired by their home city of Charleston, South Carolina, and their love for all things modern and elegant, Tre and Easton celebrated their intimate autumn wedding in Southern style! The bride, Easton, working with the team at Grove Designs, concocted a wedding weekend design that balanced elements inspired by the Lowcountry region with a contemporary twist. Modern black tie elegance met coastal charm at their wedding, which featured stunning locations throughout the heart of the city, signature patterned linens from Stradley Davidson Linen Collective, chic cream and champagne florals from local floral designer Festoon, and accents of climbing greenery throughout. The couple desired to incorporate elements of their hometown throughout their wedding weekend for their guests to enjoy - beginning with a waterfront rehearsal dinner to selecting one of the oldest churches for their wedding ceremony to an intimate cocktail hour in a local art gallery that featured Lowcountry artists’ work. Upon arriving at Merchants Hall for the couple’s reception, guests were greeted with an elegant, naturally lit reception space filled with long family-style tables covered in signature linens and overflowing floral compotes, climbing greenery, and antique crystal chandeliers. As the sun set over the Holy City, guests danced the night away with the couple on a packed, energy-filled dance floor with music by Dream Day Charleston!

Proposal Story

From the Bride, “We met when I was with my cousin’s bachelorette party in Chicago, and our paths crossed by chance at a favorite local bar called The Hangge Uppe. From that first night we met, there hasn’t been a single day passed in the almost four years we’ve been together where we haven’t spoken with one another. We’ve been living in Charleston for the past couple of years, and so it made the perfect place that means so much to us both for our engagement. Tre had told me that our local friends wanted to get together one night for a nice dinner out in downtown Charleston. Little did I know that it was all a setup! Both of our parents and families were also sneakily in town, so on our way to ‘dinner’, Tre took me on a detour to walk through a historic area of Charleston near Church Street. Under lots of Spanish moss and golden evening light, Tre got on one knee and asked me if I had ever imagined walking these streets as his fiancé.” On the very same street where the couple got engaged in the heart of historic Charleston, Tre and Easton chose to do their first look and exchange their private vows before their ceremony! Not only was it a gorgeous, quiet spot, but it provided a full circle moment on their wedding day that incorporated their heartfelt proposal story.

Getting Ready

Bridal Portraits

Flat Lays

First Look

The Fashion

Wedding Gown

When searching for the perfect wedding dress, Easton immediately gravitated towards the gowns by American designer Rebecca Schoneveld Bridal. Easton opted for their Seraphine gown style, featuring a hand-beaded corseted bustier, a modern square neckline, and three-dimensional floral applique throughout. Working with the team at Rebecca Schoneveld Bridal, Easton further customized this stunning gown by adding a soft organza ballgown-silhouetted skirt, rather than the design’s original charmeuse skirt. This subtle change in design created a breathtaking end product, and the easy movement of the skirt made for stunning portraits and moments throughout their wedding day. Easton completed her wedding look with a raw-edge cathedral length veil to add a touch of drama to her church ceremony processional. Once the lights turned down and their reception party got started, Easton chose to change up her bridal look by adding an outfit change to surprise Tre and the guests! The bride selected a white mini dress design from Angela and Alison, featuring a strapless neckline, a corseted top with an A-line mini skirt, and sparkling seed beading throughout.

Bridesmaid Dresses

In keeping with their wedding’s color palette of champagne, ivories, sages, and black, Easton chose to have her ladies in a gorgeous champagne silk to complement her bridal look and overall wedding design. Each bridesmaid selected a different silhouette of gown from Show Me Your Mumu in champagne silk, the very same color and texture that can be seen gently woven into their reception’s design through statement linens, flatware, and their venue’s historic chandeliers.

Groomsman Attire

To celebrate their marriage in style, the groom opted for a custom three-piece tuxedo from Tom James for his wedding day attire. Featuring a slim cut, satin detailing and cumberbund, and the groom’s monogram, Tre topped off his formal look with a Brackish bowtie as a nod to their home in the Southeast. For a modern twist to his classic black tie look, Tre had their floral designer, Festoon, create a bespoke ‘floral pocket square’, rather than a traditional boutonniere, to complete his attire.

Wedding Party

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

The Details

Food & Drink

Tre and Easton moved to Charleston from the Midwest, and a majority of their 75 wedding guests in attendance were going to be from out of town. The couple knew that they wanted to give their guests a proper wedding weekend filled with elements of the Lowcountry they call home, and chose a food menu to complement this theme. At cocktail hour, guests were served a variety of bite-sized hors d'oeuvres, from chicken and waffle bites, to fried green tomatoes, to puff pastry canapes. At dinner, guests were served a plated three-course meal, selecting a main dish of either a braised beef short rib or herb encrusted chicken. Throughout the evening, guests were served their signature cocktail, an Espresso Martini in coupe glasses, as they danced the night away!

Florals & Decor

In keeping with their theme of ‘modern black tie elegance meets coastal charm’, the couple worked with the team at Grove Designs and Festoon to create a contemporary, clean floral design. White English garden roses, white ranunculus, ivory anemones, and sage green Hellebore blooms were woven together in their modern reception design, bouquets, and boutonnieres. Upon entering their reception space, guests were greeted by a custom seating chart constructed of tan rattan and black painted wood accents wrapped in climbing greenery for a modern take on rattan, a classic coastal interior design material. Within their reception space, Merchants Hall, bud vases and compotes alike sprinkled the long, family-style tables that stretched the length of the naturally-lit ballroom. For both bouquets and compotes, the team at Festoon crafted organically shaped, whimsical floral design centerpieces and bud vases spilling with blooms and greenery. Tables were covered in stunning linens from Stradley Davidson Linen Collective, featuring their ‘Archie Cloud’ art deco inspired half-moon patterns in a luminescent white. Guests’ gold-rimmed chargers were adorned with a subtle pelican-themed napkin from Stradley Davidson, and a menu for the evening’s meal. The space’s historic bones still exist to this day, including antique crystal chandeliers, and support beams original to the building that were covered in climbing greenery to frame the dining space.

Wedding Cake

The couple chose a quaint three-tiered vanilla cake filled with fresh raspberries and finished with a buttercream frosting to cut into and share! The cake’s exterior was encrusted in a delicate cloud of baby’s breath, and the cake was seated on a table covered in a unique silver and cream patterned linen from Stradley Davidson Linen Collective.

Special Detail #1

The couple structured their wedding weekend’s festivities so that their guests and families could experience their favorite little city! Tre and Easton decided to have their wedding ceremony in the heart of downtown Charleston at the historic French Huguenot Church. The French Huguenot Church is one of the oldest churches in the Holy City, and is known for its iconic black spires and bubblegum pink exterior. Upon conclusion of their ceremony, Tre and Easton’s guests greeted the newlyweds on the front steps of the church in a joy-filled ribbon exit and celebration of their marriage!

Special Detail #2

The couple chose the stunning intersection of Church Street and Water Street in historic Charleston to share their first look and private vows reading to start off their wedding day. This particular intersection, right around the corner from Charleston’s iconic Battery seawall walk, holds a special place in the couple’s hearts: this is the very spot that Tre proposed to Easton at in the spring of 2022! Featuring a brick-lined residential road, quiet historic homes, and ancient oak trees covered in Spanish moss that bend over the road, it created the perfect backdrop for both their more quiet moments and initial round of portraits.

Special Detail #3

Prior to heading to their reception at the historic Merchants Hall in the heart of Charleston’s old city market district, Tre and Easton welcomed guests to a unique cocktail hour experience at DELA Gallery. The couple wanted to continue their theme of incorporating subtle elements of their home city into their wedding day for their guests to enjoy. Located just steps away from their reception venue, DELA showcases artists and bespoke pieces from the Lowcountry region. Guests were met with drinks and hors d'oeuvres to enjoy while perusing the gallery’s fall collection.

Couple Portraits