• Real Weddings

There’s no denying that Charleston, SC is becoming a hot spot for destination weddings. With all that Southern hospitality, hundreds of luxury hotels at affordable costs, and of course the plethora of charming wedding venues. These are only a few of the many reasons you should get married in Charleston, SC.
To give a little taste on how incredibly lovely a Charleston wedding can be we have Jamie and Nick's wedding held at Lowndes Grove Plantation. Put together by a top-notch group of Southern wedding vendors. You must look on to see all the prettiness, checkout all the steal worthy ideas, read through this couples full budget, and take in all the Southern charm. See every last detail in the full gallery here, all photographed by only the best - Austin Gros.

We truly believe in greeting your guests in style. Especially at a destination wedding! The bride, Jamie Krywicki Wilson who also just happened to be the event stylists and stationer put together quite a few steal worthy ideas for her Charleston wedding. Including the personalized welcome box above. Super cute ... right?  Read on for more words from Jamie and keep scrolling down to see Jamie and Nick's full budget breakdown.

From the hundreds of glass jars that lined the family style tables to the small guest list. I wanted to ensure that each detail was unique within itself and simple. No two groomsmen suits and ties were the same, nor the bridesmaid dresses or shoes.

I didn't do anything for the wedding that didn't remind me of who Nick and I are as a couple.We both wanted our wedding to feel like it was in our own backyard. The ceremony songs were atypical and our vows written were from the heart. You could say Nick and I are a bit old fashion and chose Charleston based on it's nostalgic atmosphere and the venue, Lowndes Grove Plantation, based on its historic riverfront location and old southern charm. To us, Charleston was the perfect meeting point for my family from Pennsylvania, his from Tennessee, and for our friends scattered throughout the Southeast.

The Story of how we met:
In October of 2008, in Atlanta, Georgia, one brave move would plant the seed for a lifelong relationship.  That night, Jamie Krywicki and Nick Wilson were on two separate buses, with two separate dates, headed to the Fox Theatre for a sorority formal.

While at the formal, Nick "Ladies Man" Wilson was displaying his remarkable dance moves, when he caught someone’s eye from across the room.  Jamie had her eye on Nick all night, and once she saw his dips and twirls she knew she had to make her move.  She slipped in for a spin, and they danced the night away. When the formal was coming to a close, the youngsters took a break off to the side. This is where the brave move comes in.  Jamie, being the bold Krywicki that she is, casually grabs Nick’s phone and says, "“So, I think you should get my number",” and types her name and number into his phone. Four years, two kids (golden-doodles that is), and one diamond ring later, that number is still in Nick’s phone and in May of 2013 he and his bold blonde bombshell became dance partners for the rest of their lives.

Shout out to these super cute wedding favors! All you need is cute jars of your choosing, tea bags of your favorite tea (feel free to have groom and bride specific flavors to mix and match a bit!), small lemons, a little bit of sugar and lots of love! Put everything in the jars and top them off with a cute custom tag.

Advice From the Bride:
1. Lay down the law early in the planning process. By that I mean… Remember it’s you and your fiance's wedding. Not your mom’s, sister’s or best friend’s, it’s yours. Your mom has had her day and everyone else will have theirs. I’m not saying be bridezilla by any means, but I think brides tend to be swayed by everyone’s opinion, forgetting her own. My mom was 100% hands-off. She trusted what I was designing in my head (interior + graphic designer by profession) and was there for me when I needed her to be. It was the BEST support I could have asked for and I think our wedding was reflective of that.

2. Would I have done anything differently? My gut reaction says, “I wouldn’t have changed a thing”. However, if you’re a bride in a penny pinching situation, I would forgo an expensive favor and write a personal note thanking those who supported you on your wedding day. Most people tend to forget to pick-up a favor on their way out, or simply toss it when they get home.
Budget Advice and Breakdown:
If you’re on a tight budget and have to cut costs, cut your guest list. Food and alcohol is by far the biggest ticket item. Weddings are expensive and you shouldn’t feel bad if you don’t invite everyone under the sun. Our rule of thumb when creating our guest list was that we only invited those who we both knew personally or grew up with since childhood. That eliminated great aunts and uncles, friends we haven’t talked to in years, and co-workers we just met at a new job. What about your parents’ friends? Those that are super close with your parents will be super close with you, they’ll probably make the list. If your parents are like mine, they know A LOT of people. Instead of begging us to invite everyone, they played by our rules and threw a post-wedding reception with all their friends to celebrate the occasion. It’s a win-win for everyone. I actually wrote an entire blog post on this topic here.
Food/Bev/Cake: 15642
Photographer: 5075
Music-Reception: 4600
Music-Ceremony: 675
Chairs/Tables/Flatware: 2416
Lighting: 2420
Officiant: 250
Flowers: 1494
Table Succulents: 200
Day-Of-Coordinator: 540
Groom Attire: 560
Hair/Make Up: 200
Bride's Dress: 1300
Welcome Baskets: 80
Misc: 155
Total: 35242

• Coordinator: Finger Snappin' Events
• Event Designer & Stationery: Jamie Krywicki Wilson
• Event Planning & Design: Attia Events
• Flowers: Wildflowers
• Groom & His Men: Express Men
• Groom & His Men: J. Crew
• Groom's Tie: Divine Domestication
• Hair: Renee Parenteau
• Lighting, Entertainment & Photo Booth: Charleston Virtuosi
• Lighting, Entertainment & Photo Booth: Technical Event Company
• Photography: Austin Gros
• Rentals: Snyder Event Rentals
• Table Succulents: Succulents Galore
• Venues: Lowndes Grove