July 4th Party!

July 4th is no doubt the best summer holiday.  Nothing beats a backyard, good food and celebrating in red, white and blue!  From summer food favorites like watermelon to burgers on the grill (or watermelon on the grill!) and fireworks to finish the night, a July 4th party is the ultimate summer get-together.  Here are some invitations to get you started with your planning, along with a few decor ideas from pinterest and design sponge.  Be sure to make the party simple enough so that you can enjoy it as well! 

tinyprints.com

tinyprints.com

tinyprints.com

tinyprints.com

tinyprints.com

my favorite!

tinyprints.com

minted.com

pinterest.com

pinterest.com

pinterest.com

designsponge.com

Man's Best Friend Goes to the Wedding

Not sure if its a Southern thing, or just a thing in general, but for some couples, making sure their dog is present is almost as important as making sure Grandma is there.  We've had several couples include the family dog in the ceremony, and it always makes it a little more fun!  At one wedding, the dog was the greeter because he wasn't allowed in the church!  Including the dog is such a fun way to make sure the whole family is present.

 Merle welcoming guests with a fancy collar!

 Sarah and Jamie's sweet dogs Moose and Rusty

even their leashes matched the decor!

pinterest.com

pinterest.com

pinterest.com

Rebecca and Adam's dog Mattingly was included!
 

Charleston Weddings Mag Feature!

Sarah and Jamie's May 2011 wedding was featured in the most recent Charleston Weddings magazine issue.  The pictures from their Lowndes Grove Plantation River House wedding and reception are below!

Summer Soiree Centerpiece

Summer is officially here and nothing quite says summer like an arrangement of big, bright flowers!  There is no better way to embrace this season than creating a centerpiece full of summer's favorite flowers.  Along with some summery extras, like citrus fruits and bright fabrics, centerpieces like these will certainly steal the show of any summer soiree you plan on having!

These arrangements from a summer wedding were created by Sara York Grimshaw Designs. 

The following pictures are from Pinterest!

Adding citrus instantly adds summer to any arrangement!

These brightly colored old tins give this summer party a vintage feel. 

Lauren and Joe on The Wedding Row!

Check out Lauren and Joe's beautiful Kiawah wedding on The Wedding Row here!

Cool Down with a Summer Drink

Since we didn't really have too much of a spring this year, it seems like this summer couldn't get any warmer.  Lucky for us, there's just something about a cool summer cocktail that helps with the fact that its summertime in the South.  Between the fruity juices, the bright colors or the millions of opportunities to make every drink a little different, a summer cocktail never gets old.  Here are a few cocktails guaranteed to keep you cool!

Blueberry Lemonade

Nothing like a Mojito!

Mix fresh fruit with your cocktails to keep the summer-y!

Add straws, pom poms and pendants for a brunch or other girlie party.  

Display with fun glasses and canisters!

Check out these recipes from Food & Wine for a little something different.  Enjoy!

The Ever-Popuar Bar

Well really, the candy bar.  At a Lowndes Grove wedding a few weeks ago, we created an awesome candy bar!  The bride wanted to display candies from locations and places throughout the country that were special to her and her soon-to-be hubby.  The candy variety included something for everyone and it was a complete hit!  There were Georgia peach jelly beans, New England Necco Wafers, North Carolina salt water taffy, Ohio peanut butter buckeyes(made by Wildflour Pastry, along with some Bourbon balls), San Francisco Ghiradelli Squares and a few other goodies.  Needless to say, there weren't many leftovers (unfortunately!).
A few tips for creating a candy bar:
-Allow for several different ties of candy (sour, chewy, chocolate) so there's something for everyone!
-If the weather is warm, make sure to put out the meltable candy at the very last minute.
-Do a container count before hand so you'll know if you have the right sizes
-Make sure to use containers with big openings for things like Ghiradelli Squares.

-Don't forget the serving scoops!