|Charleston Wedding & Event Planner| |Fraiche Events|

Pinterest Perfection at Magnolia Plantation

admin — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:00:24 +0000

If ever there was a pin-worthy wedding, surely this is one. I loved all (and there were SO many) of the gorgeous details of this Magnolia Plantation wedding. The mother of the bride spent countless hours gathering vintage glass bottles, sewing lace edged burlap runners, framing bridal portrait photos in old window frames, making seating cards to clothespin to framed chicken wire… the list goes on and on. In addition to the beautiful diy details, I love the freestanding mantle and wine barrels we used for the ceremony, the beautiful flowers by Charleston Flower Market and the gorgeous lace detail on the wedding cake. Hamby Catering was fantastic, as usual, and their food and service was fantastic. They were very involved in the design process for this event, and I could not have been more impressed with their work. Enjoy some of the beautiful photographs below by Megan White Photography.

Peacocks and Pizazz at Legare Waring House

admin — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 18:41:00 +0000

I have a confession to make. I have a ton of Fraiche Event Design weddings that I have not shared with you yet and I am long overdue in posting. Forgive me! The first event I need to share with you is a beautiful peacock themed wedding at Legare Waring House. Unbelievably, this wedding was planned in one month and was a bit of a whirlwind! Sarah and Philip were such a sweet couple. Thank you for allowing me to share in your special day!

I love all the bold purple and blue details and peacock feather accents in the decor for this wedding. We designed the flowers for this reception, and I like the purple orchids, purple hydrangea and peacock feathers in the bouquets. So fun!

Legare Waring House in Charleston, South Carolina is a great venue. The outdoor patio is perfect for an evening reception. The string light canopy was designed by AV Connections. They are a great company to work with for your lighting and audio needs. Affordable and professional, I always recommend them to my brides.

The catering and bar service was provided by BigHorn’s Sports Grill.
The thought of hiring a sports grill to handle your catering might seem odd, but I must say, they were one of the most professional catering companies I have ever worked with. They went above and beyond for the bride and groom and I was really impressed.

The wedding cake was a very traditional style, with purple orchids and hydrangea, but the grooms cake was a fun touch – a transformers cake!

All of these gorgeous photos were taken by the lovely and talented Mell Bell of Richard Bell Photography. I could spend all day showing you photo after beautiful photo, but I will leave you with just a few more of my favorites. Happy planning!

Casey+Brett – A Fun Fete at Island House

admin — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 12:00:30 +0000

What do you get when you mix a laid back bride, a fun loving groom, cowgirl boots, sorority gals, a tent on the water and Firefly Lemonade? A perfect Lowcountry Summer wedding! We celebrated Casey and Brett’s nuptuals out at the Island House on Johns Island. We love events at Island House because it is a beautiful venue with everything you need for a great event – a tent on the lawn, a great waterfront view, a nice breeze, and staff that treat your guests like family.

Navy blue and a sunny yellow were the perfect palette for this event – bright, fresh and fun. We also incorporated burlap and palmetto roses for a traditional southern feel.

This was one of those weddings that was bittersweet for me because while I was so happy for this sweet couple to be married, I was sad that our work together was coming to an end. I am not usually a crier when it comes to sappy love stuff, but I can neither confirm nor deny whether a tear may have squelched out during their first dance to “Give In To Me”.

The sweetgrass inspired cake and mini cupcakes by Molly from D’Lish Desserts were fantastic.

After the ceremony, all the bridesmaids changed into cowgirl boots. The bridesmaids were all so beautiful! I loved the navy dresses with the cowgirl boots, so fun.

Fun details like monogrammed suckers for the kids and customized koozies for the adults gave this wedding a playful, personal touch.

Coral Wedding Flowers

admin — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:48:50 +0000

Hello friends! Take a peek at a few of the flowers from a wedding this past weekend. The bride said she wanted a tall bouquet with calla lilies and that she wanted to tie in the coral color of her bridesmaids’ dresses. The bridesmaids each carried a single large white calla lily with a coral ribbon wrap. For the family flowers, I kept it super simple with coral Hollywood roses, coral Hypericum (coffee berry) and mini callas.

I loved this summery coral and crisp white color palette, it made me think of prosciutto and melon, one of my favorite Summer snacks. How about you? What color combination are you loving this Summer?

Momtrepreneur’s Market-July 19th Vendor Sneak Peek Take 2

admin — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 12:00:43 +0000

Hey guys! I am back with another peek at some of the awesome vendors who are going to be at the Momtrepreneur’s Market this Thursday, July 19th out at Mixon in Park Circle. Here’s a few more vendors I want to check out:

Urbane Baby – Liz Reeder of Urbane Baby is one of the co-founders of the Momtrepreneur’s Market along with Rachael James of Lily Carriers. The girls’ apparel is adorable – great dresses for little girls in bright colors and fun patterns like these. I also love the witty onesies by Urbane Baby like this Johnny Castle “Nobody Puts Baby In A Corner” (ok, may be I am a little corny, but who didn’t have at least one Summer where they watched some combination of Grease, Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Dirty Dancing at least once a day, and anyway, it is totally a classic).

The Oak & Acorn – Cloth diapers and natural baby products can be found here. I like that they offer products by local artisans. We are ending our cloth diaper phase with the little guy and have begun potty training now, but I have a few soon to be mama friends that might need something special from The Oak & Acorn.

Pink Lemonade – I can’t wait to see the unique jewelry that Keri Lee Sereika of Pink Lemonade brings to share. Poking around on her blog I found these awesome pieces…

I like that these pieces could be dressy or casual. I have a lot of ladies in my immediate family and jewelry tends to be a safe bet when it comes to gift ideas. I might need to pick out some earrings or a necklace for one of them. My brides, this would be a great stop for a gift for your bridesmaids!!

Fairlight Kloxin – I can’t wait to see what Fairlight has for us at the Market! Fairlight is a great seamstress and her work tends to be vintage inspired and full of whimsy. I love this handstitched pillow she made, it would be great for a child’s room. Expect handstitched items, handmade crafts and holiday decor from this vendor.

Daisy MaeMe – Brandi Wolfe of Daisy MaeMe will be bringing you all things girly – tutus, headbands and hair bows. I love these sweet tutus and big flowery headbands, so fun! These are just a few of over 15 vendors who will be joining us at the Momtrepreneur’s Market. Stop by our booth to check out Fraiche’s Cookies and Cocktails Tablescape, gnosh on some delicious charcuterie and desserts and see Dodeline’s stationary and holiday cards. We can’t wait to see you there!

Momtrepreneur’s Market – Christmas in July
Thursday, July 19, 2012
7:30 PM
Mixson at Park Circle
4400 Marblehead Lane
North Charleston, South Carolina 29405

Momtrepreneur’s Market – Thursday July 19th

admin — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0000

We are gearing up at Fraiche this week for the Momtrepreneur’s Market out at Mixson in Park Circle on Thursday night. We are celebrating the many small business owning women in the Charleston and Summerville area. Wine, hors d’oeuvres, mini desserts, and over 15 local female owned and operated vendors selling handmade goods including jewelry, holiday cards and stationary, childrens’ clothing, babywearing gear and home goods, to name a few, this would be a great girl’s night out. This time the market’s theme is Christmas in July, and I am hoping to do a little Christmas shopping (maybe even some shopping for myself?!) while I am there. I am blown away by all the awesome vendors who are coming out and I am proud to be a part of the group. Here’s a little sneak peak of what you can expect from just a few of my favorite vendors:

Dodeline Design – Sarah Reed of Dodeline Design is a master at creating quirky, modern designs for everything from holiday cards to wedding invitation suites to websites. Sarah is my go to gal for invitations – for my clients and for all the parties I host. She also designed the Fraiche website. Oh, and did I mention she designed this adorable Yippee! tape that is on my wish list? So cute! I heard on the Dodeline blog (which you really must check out) that Sarah has designed this year’s holiday cards, and I hope to see some of them at the Momtrepreneur’s Market this week.

Sablee – Monica Jaramilo-Tatis of Sablee is a fantastic pastry chef who will be joining us at the Market. From wedding cakes to mini desserts, Sablee custom designs delicious pastries and chocolaty goodness for each client. Come by the Fraiche booth to see a dessert display by Sablee with some delicious desserts for sale. (Come early, before we gobble them all up!)

Lily Carriers – Looking for the perfect gift for a new mama? Once you swing by our booth for hors d’oeuvres and hellos, Lily Carriers’ booth should be your next stop. Rachael James of Lily Carriers handmakes beautiful ring slings that free up mamas’ hands and makes babies relaxed and happy. Rachael also makes organic cotton play mats, baby cloths and carries raw amber necklaces. Along with being super crafty (and making the best key lime pie ever) she is a wealth of knowledge of all things natural mama – breastfeeding, natural living, attachment parenting, etc. Rachael is also one of the founders/organizers of the Momtrepreneur’s Market.

My Sweet Clementine – A local house cleaning company who provides an all natural cleaning to your home with homemade cleaning products with names like “Happy Lemon Mint Bubbly Scrub Cleaner”.

Lana Bella – Artisnal herbal teas, herbal salves and balmes, cold-pressed soaps, bath teas and soaks, Lana Bella offers a wide variety of handmade products to pamper and soothe your skin. I have my eye on a few soaps with interesting names like Orion the Hunter (sage, juniper and cypress), Blue Moon Beer with Orange, and Karma Soap Dirty Hippie (patchouli, orange, pine, lemongrass, etc).

These are just a few of over 15 vendors who will be joining us at the Momtrepreneur’s Market. Stop by our booth to check out Fraiche’s Cookies and Cocktails Tablescape, gnosh on some delicious charcuterie and desserts and see Dodeline’s stationary and holiday cards. We can’t wait to see you there!

Momtrepreneur’s Market – Christmas in July
Thursday, July 19, 2012
7:30 PM
Mixson at Park Circle
4400 Marblehead Lane
North Charleston, South Carolina 29405

Fraiche Baby – Baby Showers and Mother’s Blessings

admin — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 22:11:54 +0000

With Spring comes a celebration of new life, from the flowers and vegetables we planted in our garden, to the baby finches hopping around on the cobblestones. Charleston is really alive this time of year. Nothing celebrates the promises of new life and new beginnings like a baby shower or mother’s blessing. I love baby showers and mother’s blessings because they tend to be intimate and low key. We have designed a number of showers and blessingways in the past few months, but this one is one of my favorites.

From casual farmhouse inspired brunches to country club cocktails, every event is customized based on the guest of honor’s style. Creating a cohesive theme for your shower begins with a good invitation. The invitation sets the tone for the event and lets your guests know what to expect. I always look to Dodeline Design for help with my invitations and paper details for showers.

Next comes the floral design. I like to keep the flowers simple, nothing too busy. Here we wrapped square glass vases with vintage eyelet from an estate sale and burlap band and finished with a vintage brooch. White hydrangea, peach carnations and peach hypericum berries kept the floral design fresh and clean and decidedly southern.

Dessert is the best part of any meal, and for a southern country club shower, you can’t beat Carolina Coconut Cake. This cake is Fraiche’s special recipe.

The final touch for a perfect baby shower is a great take away favor. For this shower, we knew we had to have Palmetto Pastries’ french macaroons. Delicate and delicious, they were the perfect ending to this sweet day.

These lovely images were taken by David Mandel of Ampersand Wedding Photography & Short People Photography.

Laura and Chris (Unitarian Church and McCradys)

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:16:03 +0000

I am long overdue in sharing this beautiful wedding with you. I love the clean, fresh details. This wedding was understated and sophisticated, much like the bride and groom.

Hyer Images captures a romantic moment as Laura and Chris steal away for a few preceremony photographs.

I love the lace and indigo details.

These scrumptious strawberry rhubarb handpies were courtesy of Bakehouse and vintage rentals from Curiosity like this birdcage, cake stand, vintage wooden crate and table.

Details from fabulous Etsy vendors – love the vintage fork table number holders, table numbers and this awesome sign.

Flowers and Cake by Fraiche

Wedding papers from the amazing Dodeline Design See the entire custom wedding paper suite featuring indigo and lace here

My Wedding Is A Hot Mess (or Why You Need a Wedding Planner)

admin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:32:41 +0000

When my husband and I got married four years ago, I did not need a wedding planner – or so I convinced myself. Why would I want to pay someone to do something I could do myself? I am a type A personality, a strongwilled, take charge mamma. I plan, I organize, I make things happen. I researched, I booked quality vendors, I thought out every detail and I did it all on my own. In addition to being a control freak when it came to the details of my wedding, I am frugal and I hate to spend money unnecessarily. Like most brides, I was on a budget, and I didn’t want to spend money on a wedding planner that I could use on something else – good food, good wine, fabulous photographs… My plan to be the bride, the wedding coordinator, the florist, the hostess, the everything, went off without a hitch… until the day of the wedding. The groomsmen were late, no one could find the bridal bouquets, the band was parked right in front of the venue and wouldn’t move, the guests were standing in the wrong area instead of being seated for the ceremony, I lost my vows, the caterer didn’t set up half of the details I had painstakingly handmade over the course of a year. Why? Why was everything a mess? Why couldn’t anyone take charge for once and step in and make things run smoothly? The short answer is, if you tend to be the person in your family who always fixes things, takes charge and makes things work, the rest of your crew may not know how to handle being forced to take over on your big day. Why should you put that pressure on your mom, aunts, sisters, cousins and office friends to make your wedding perfect when they should be focused on celebrating this special moment with you?

Learn from my mistake and hire a wedding coordinator. Even if it is just a day of coordination. Unclench that death grip from your wedding binder and accept the help of an experienced planner. Type A control freak or not, you need someone else on the day of the wedding to handle the details. I often speak with brides who don’t think their budget will allow for a wedding planner. In response, I tell them, you can’t afford to NOT have a planner. With the savings I generate for my clients from negotiating rates with vendors, handling details in-house and getting a little creative, hiring a wedding planner more than pays for itself. Finding a wedding planner who understands which details truly matter to you, and what is just fluff, is key. At Fraiche Event Design, we love the challenge of a budget friendly wedding because it forces us to roll up our sleeves and get creative. We know the best Charleston wedding venues and vendors for every budget.

If you are a Type A control freak or just a budget conscious bride (or a combination of the two, like I was) who is debating the idea of hiring a wedding planner, do some research, schedule a meeting with a wedding planner and lift the burden off of yourself. Every bride, whatever personality and whatever budget, deserves a stress free wedding day.

Michael and Christine’s Clemson Tailgate Rehearsal Dinner

admin — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 15:22:41 +0000

photo courtesy of Sea Start Arts

I love rehearsal dinners. It is the time when two families really get to spend quality time together and celebrate each of the almost newly weds as individuals. The rehearsal dinner is typically more intimate than the reception and it is an opportunity for funny childhood stories and heartwarming toasts. Michael and Christine’s Clemson Tailgate Rehearsal Dinner took place at Southend Brewery in Downtown Charleston. The brewery is a great venue for rehearsal dinners because it has a casual atmosphere without being overly so, and really interesting architectural elements, like exposed brick and wood beams. It also has an elevator for those guests who may need assistance getting up stairs, something which is often lacking in most historic venues in Charleston. The second floor has a private room with views of the brew tanks that is perfect for an intimate event. Michael and Christine are both big Clemson fans, and the orange and purple tailgate theme was fun and low key. I really loved designing this event with Michael’s mom, Kathy. I wanted something whimsical and bright, with a touch of sophistication.

photo courtesy of Sea Star Arts

To tie in the tailgate theme, we made custom waterbottles and orange chiffon cake pops and The Cake Stand made these adorable photo image cookies.

photo courtesy of Sea Star Arts

I rounded out the decor with these beautiful orange and purple flower arrangements with seasonal dark purple hydrangea, orange asiatic lilies and orange roses in orange glazed flower pots.

photo courtesy of Sea Star Arts

A special thanks to Jeni Rone of Sea Star Arts – Fine Art Photography. If you have not yet taken a look at Jeni’s gorgeous work, you are missing out! Not only is Jeni a wonderful photographer, she has a warm and friendly personality and you just can’t help but to love her. If you are in search for a photographer for your wedding or rehearsal dinner, you have to check out Jeni’s work. I just can’t sing her praises enough.