The first category of friendor is someone who doesn’t work weddings on a regular basis. It takes some great timing to ensure the bride and groom, their guests and their vendors are on the same page. For example when a couple goes to cut their cake I always ensure that they are ready (nothing like calling the couple up when one of them is in the restroom), that immediate family is in proximity and that the photographer is ready to capture the shot and the DJ is ready to make the announcement.

Another example of a popular friendor category is that of emcee. One of the purposes of the emcee, ideally the band or DJ is to let the guests know what is happening, but the second and equally important purpose is to get the party started!  Simply announcing “time for the bouquet toss” is not going to send the ladies running onto the dance floor.

The second category of friendor is someone who is a regular wedding vendor. One of the issues with this type of friendor is when they say “I can help you out with that”. Now do they mean they will provide the service for free, will give you a discount or charge you full price? If they are part of a group does that mean the rest of the group will be free or discounted? For example if they are in a band, would the rest of the band play for free? Another consideration would be will the band require any special equipment such as staging?

As a planner one of my biggest challenges with friendors is that there is usually nothing in writing for me to work with. I now require clients to provide written information that a vendor normally would provide such as arrival or delivery time, departure time, what they will be providing, what they will charge, etc. In the event that the friendor and I have a different opinion and I don’t have anything in writing I then I have to turn to you on your wedding day to get the answer, which really defeats one of the purposes of having a planner. I encourage anyone who is using a friendor to write down everything that is agreed upon. This is not only to help your planner or someone else who is helping out, but to ensure the two of you do not end up in a dispute which leads to…

What will you do if your friendor does come through for you? Are you willing to take the chance without the protection of a contract and could you live with the outcome of either being disappointed at your wedding or losing a friend? You might be able to live with food that was lukewarm, but how would you feel if your friend messed up your wedding photos? Again, would you be willing to lose a friend over this?

If your friend is going to act as a professional on your wedding day then treat them like a professional. Put all of your expectations in writing and you will do everyone a favor.

Charleston is known for its gorgeous weather, making it an ideal destination. If you are not from the south you might not be prepared for the summer heat. Outdoor weddings without climate control are not recommended June through to September. As Charleston is a coastal community the temperature can vary greatly in a short period of time. The temperature can drop 20 degrees in just a day.

Average temperatures:

January                      48F/9C                                   July                  82F/28C
February                    51F/10C                                  August             81F/27C
March                         58F/15C                                  September     76F/25C
April                            65F/18C                                 October          67F/19C
May                             73F/23C                                 November      58F/15C
June                            86F/26C                                 December      51F/11C

Degrees in Fahrenheit & Celsius

Hurricane season in Charleston goes from June to December, which is more than half the year. Brides, especially those with outdoor weddings may wish to consider special event insurance.

Items to pack: Sunglasses. Even in December it can be bright enough for sunglasses. Sunscreen can also be required year round. Bug spray is also recommended for all outdoor ceremonies.

Peak Season

Peak Wedding season in Charleston is completely dictated by weather with March to May and September to the beginning of November being peak season. May and October are by far the most popular months for weddings. Brides with wedding dates in these months are advised to consider making venue selections a year or more in advance.

Brides can get great venue discounts in low season. Some vendors will also offer low season discounts. If you refer to the event schedule below you will notice that there are no major events held in Charleston in June and July, primarily because of the hot weather. While you may not want to feel the heat of an outdoor ceremony, you can get great venue discounts with an indoor ceremony.

Event schedule

January   
Lowcountry Oyster Festival
Charleston Comedy Festival
February   
Southeastern Wildlife Exposition*
Lowcountry Blues Bash
March   
Festival of Homes and Gardens
Flowertown Festival in Summerville
Charleston Food and Wine Festival*
Charleston Fashion Week*
April                  
Cooper River Bridge Run
Family Circle Cup
Battle of Charleston
Blessing of the Fleet in Mount Pleasant
Lowcountry Cajun Festival
May    
Spoleto*
Charleston Maritime Festival
Lowcountry Shrimp Festival
August   
Awendaw Blue Crab Festival
September              
Scottish Games and Highland Gathering
Candlelight Tour of Homes and Gardens
Charleston Music and Heritage Festival
Shrimp n’ Shaggin Festival
October 
MOJA Festival
A Taste of Charleston
Fall Tour of Homes
November
Battle of Seccessionville – Civil War Re-enactment
Festival of Lights James Island County Park

*Festivals that are either large or multi-day and likely to use up venues and a lot of accommodation. If you are aware of the dates and book early the festival can provide added entertainment to your guests. However if you do not book in advance and are competing for accommodation, after you have booked your venue these dates can prove to be very frustrating.

Pricing

Charleston is one of the top 3 destination wedding locations in the entire USA, however it is not one of the largest cities so brides may find they are competing for prime dates and venues. As a prime destination location you can expect that the historic and scenic venues may carry a hefty price tag. Beach locations with accommodation and venue space, as well as historical sites and venues with scenic views are in very high demand.

Beach Weddings

Beach weddings are in high demand. Charleston has three main beach areas: Folly Beach, Isle of Palms and Kiawah. Although the ceremony regulations are different in each area, all have hotels, resorts, and beach house rentals.

Charleston International Airport

5500 International Blvd, #101
Charleston SC
843-767-1100
www.chs-airport.com

Currency

Visitors from other countries are highly encouraged to exchange their money before they arrive in Charleston as there are very limited currency exchanges with true bankers hours. A visitor could find themselves stranded over a weekend without being able to exchange their money.

Charleston’s Top Tourist Attractions:

1. Old City Market
2. Rainbow Row
3. Downtown King Street
4. South Carolina Aquarium
5. Gibbes Museum of Art
6. Carriage rides downtown
7. Fort Sumnter Tours
8. Battery Park/Whitepoint Gardens
9. Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry
10. The Charleston Museum
11. Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
12. Middleton Gardens
13. Magnolia Garden
14. Drayton Hall
15. Boone Hall Plantation
16. Patriot’s Point Naval & Maritime Museum
17. Riverfront Park
18. Angel Oak
19. Fort Moultrie
20. Folly Beach County Park

Lowcountry Wedding Traditions

Many brides choose Charleston for their wedding because they want a romantic destination wedding complete with all the southern charm they can muster. If you are one of those brides here are some traditions that can help you achieve that.

1. Locals call Charleston the lowcountry, because well it’s rather flat. Catering companies to photographers will have lowcountry in their names and packages.

2. Food – We have to start with a lowcountry boil of course. The boil consists of shrimp (shell on), sausage, corn and potatoes. With the shells and corn on the cob it is a finger food and a fairly messy one at that. More popular food options: shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, crab cakes, she-crab soup, frogmore stew, mac and cheese, hoppin john, hushpuppies, grouper

3. Desserts – benne wafers, key lime pie, red velvet cake, pralines

4. Grooms cake – a cake dedicated to the groom often idesigned with a particular hobby in mind such as golfing or fishing. Traditionally it is chocolate. It is usually served at the wedding although more couples are opting to serve it at the rehearsal dinner so there is cake for both events.

5. More on food – the preferred food style for weddings is by far stations, either chef attended or not. Some brides also do buffets

6. Beverages – sweet tea is a must. You have your unsweetened sweet tea and your sweetened sweet tea, which is just confusing until you get used to it. If you order tea and do not specify hot tea you will be served sweet tea. Here in SC there is also alcoholic sweet tea called Firefly. It is delicious, you guessed it, with sweet tea.

7. Flowers – Magnolia is the state flower. Hydrangea, freesia and gardenia are also extremely popular

8. Bridal portraits – Most southern brides will have bridal portraits done prior to their wedding. These are photos of them by themselves in their wedding dress, complete with bouquet. They are often displayed at the wedding and in their parent’s homes

9. Trash the dress – Another photo tradition where the bride literally trashes her wedding dress often by swimming in it. Some brides, especially destination may do this on their wedding night while some prefer to do this after the wedding.

10. Carriage rides – particularly popular in downtown Charleston, there are some companies that offer beautiful carriages for weddings.

11. Sorority Sing – On a bride’s wedding day, sisters of many sororities show their love through different traditions often giving their gift to the bride and her new husband right before the guests send them off on their honeymoon. Often done at the reception if there is not a traditional sendoff, the sisters present the bride with a flower and serenade the bride with a song that they had sung together many-a-time.

12. Dancing – southern brides enjoy a variety of music, but the state dance is the shag. Yes, the shag. It’s a little surprising if you haven’t heard the term before it can be surprising. The first dance, father daughter dance and mother son dance are still included in most receptions, with brides favoring the first dance as the first scheduled activity.

When contemplating whether to DIY remember the “F” word. No we aren’t being naughty, this isn’t that kind of blog. F is for fresh. Anything that needs to be fresh on the day of your wedding is not a good choice. This includes flowers, catering and the cake. Ideally all your DIY projects should be done two weeks prior to your wedding. The last few days will be spent tying up loose ends and answering family and friends questions. Do you really want to be one of those brides who is assembling programs the morning of her wedding?

Great DIY wedding projects:

1. Wedding websites – There are lots of free sites out there that allow you to post your wedding information, including maps & directions, pictures, gift registry information and who is in the wedding party. Free, easy & helpful.

2. Paper goods – invitations, programs, place cards, menu cards and thank you cards are all easy projects that can be done ahead of time and save you money.

3. Centerpieces – while tackling florals are on your big day might not be the best idea, there are plenty of non-floral centerpieces you can make in advance. Think candles, feathers, underwater centerpieces, and gemstones. There are a couple of samples on this blog.

4. Décor – anything that can be arranged in advance. Guest books, ring bearer pillows, flower girl baskets are all items you can add a personal touch to without a lot of skills. Most of these items just require a glue gun and who doesn’t love a glue gun?

5. Favors – one of the easiest DIY projects especially if you plan on giving edible favors, especially candy.

Not as great wedding projects:

1. Candy buffet – I admit my bias as this is a service I offer and hope that my clients will purchase from me, but I also know it very easy to spend $300 just on the jars and scoops, which is more than I charge for the service. If you want a lot of jars or plan to resell this is a good project, but if not you might want to leave it to the professionals.

2. Transportation – even if you can’t afford a limo, have someone else drive you to and from your wedding. This is your time to relax and enjoy yourself

3. Beauty – this is one item I think all brides deserve. This is your day to be pampered. Put down that curling iron.

What about when friends say they will help out? Then should you consider the F word? This really depends on what it is and how it is handled. See our blog article on “friendors”

Tanis Jackson
Tanis J Events, LLC

Copyright 2012 Tanis J Events, LLC

Wedding Coordinator’s Chore List

Pre-Event

• Meet with bride and groom or if a destination wedding set up a phone call
• Ensure contract is signed & payments are in order
• Start to complete the client questionnaire
• Visit ceremony & reception site in advance & learn their regulations
• Provide room diagrams and table seating arrangements
• Review Processional and Recessional plan
• Review photo list & song list
• Discuss vendor meals & table
• Develop detailed wedding day schedule
• Review the brides check list to ensure everything is done
• Develop a vendor contact list & email all vendors
• Ensure client questionnaire is complete
• Map quest liquor store, bakery, grocery store & pharmacy near reception sites
• Put addresses in GPS

Night before

• Organize and Coordinate rehearsal
• Last minute instructions from clients
• Items for emergency kit from client & vendor payments
• Check supplies in emergency kit & add necessary items
• Charge phone

Day of at home

• Review plans
• Add personal items – wallet, phone, keys, golf umbrella, food, water, spare shoes, extra outfit, name tags
• Ensure all papers in order: Contact list, Timeline for day, My chore list/timeline, at site list, Aisle order including processional and recessional, Reception entry order for DJ, Song list, Photo list, Client questionnaire
  Some people wonder if all of that preparation is necessary and my answer is yes. Look at the two scenarios below and ask yourself which would you prefer for your wedding?

Scenario 1

The cake is late but no one realizes it until 2 hours after it was supposed to be delivered. A helpful friend tries to fix the situation but doesn’t know who the baker is or how to get a hold of them. The friend has to ask the bride to get the contact information and now the bride spends the next few hours including the duration of her ceremony worrying and wondering if her cake is going to arrive. It does but it is late and has to be brought in during the middle of the reception. By this time the bride is completely stressed out.

Scenario 2

I am the planner at a wedding. At 2:00 I realize that the cake has not arrived even though according to my timeline it was scheduled to arrive at 1:30. I know the name of the baker and have their number in my phone. I call the baker only to discover their delivery van has broken down. I send my assistant to pick up the cake while I finish setting up the reception. My assistant brings the cake on time and the bride never knows there was a problem.

That is the difference between just trouble shooting as problems come up and preparing properly in order to deal with any missteps along the way. My goal is that the bride and groom never know about a single problem on their wedding day.

Now what about the pricing?

I often hear people comment “How come it costs that much for one day?” Rates vary greatly among planners and you should really know what you are purchasing. For example how many people are actually working on your wedding day? Setting up all the tables, chairs, linens, décor, and flowers can take quite a few hours. An average wedding day is approximately 16 hours for me from start to finish. I usually work with an assistant whom I pay and if the wedding has quite a lot of set up or is a larger size I may need to bring in extra help. Even if it is a smaller wedding, but the ceremony and reception location are different I will bring in my assistant so that he can continue the reception set up while I direct the ceremony.

In most cases the rehearsal is also included in a day of package to ensure that your ceremony runs smoothly. If there is no wedding party the client may opt out of this portion.

In addition to this are the planning hours leading up to your wedding. I include approximately 10 planning hour prior to the event to ensure the contracts, the contact lists, timelines, floor plans, recessional and processional are in order.

As you can see what might look like “a day of” work to an outsider is actually a total of 60 labor hours with a team of workers, a 16 hour day, the rehearsal and the planning hours.