Charleston destination wedding to remember

I was walking by one of the historic homes in Charleston the other evening and happened upon a wedding reception just as the bride and groom entered the courtyard.  The home is one of those often used for a Charleston Destination Wedding, and it’s also one that works beautifully for the occasion.  It’s not unusual to see a Destination Wedding in Charleston, and these folks were obviously all from out of town. 

As I strolled by the courtyard, I saw how the wedding planner had taken the architecture of the stately old home and added just the right touches to enhance the atmosphere of the place.  Beautiful lighting treatments created a warm glow in the courtyard, and simply elegant floral treatments hung from wrought iron gates.  The tables were strategically placed around the courtyard fountain, and Magnolia Blossoms were floating in the water gurgling around the fountain.

That’s what makes Charleston Destination Weddings so wonderful is the ability to choose from a number of interesting locations.   (In fact, it’s probably the key reason Charleston Destination Weddings is big business for the area which places Charleston among the most popular destinations for weddings in the country.)   It provides the event designers in Charleston with a number of possibilities as they create their designs, and wonderful canvasses on which to “paint” their design.

Charleston Destination Weddings can involve a little bit of everything, from historic homes to various outdoor plazas to Oceanside nuptials.  There are at least 75 different venues for weddings in the immediate Charleston area, and you can just bet that Charleston Destination Weddings are happening in many of them almost every weekend.  Some of my favorite locations are the numerous plantation homes that dot the area, with their relaxing gardens and sweeping live oak trees filled with Spanish moss.   Some of the simplest weddings are the ones you happen to see on the beach, where all the participants are dressed in their finest  . . . without shoes, of course. 

I was married in Charleston 20 years ago at one of the oldest churches in the country, St. Phillip’s Episcopal Church.  What a magnificent place for a wedding!   Although I was living here at the time, I could see then why Charleston Destination Weddings are so popular.  There was really no need to decorate the church.  How could flowers compete with the historic beauty of the church?   And, instead of a limousine to the reception, my bride and I took a horse drawn carriage to the reception at one of the oldest hotels in the city.  As we passed through the historic area, Charlestonians perched on their verandas lifted their cocktails as a mock toast to the happy couple. 

As I walked past the historic home the other night, I was taken back to my wedding day with a smile.  I remembered what a nice time everyone had visiting Charleston and experiencing the historic church.  It’s easy to see why a Charleston Destination Wedding does help create a memory for a lifetime.