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destination weddings CHARLESTON “I followed my heart, and it led me to Charleston.” weddings Charleston is the place where my personal love life flourished as well as my love for the wedding industry. Charleston holds such a special place in my heart and I am blessed that I have been able to help others curate their own dream wedding in this town and even where I have uttered my own vows! Here are my top ten tips on planning a wedding in Charleston. Hire a planner Your planner will be your most influential hire. Finding someone who fits with your personality but that can also meet your expectations of your wedding day is important. Many venues in Charleston have multiple pieces to the puzzle when it comes to vendor management. The properties are a blank slate, we are bringing in lighting, chairs, tables, catering rentals and occasionally power and restrooms. You need a pro- fessional to handle this under- taking. Budget is key It is important to come up with a budget that makes sense and your planner should be able to help with this. Charleston isn’t an inexpensive place to get married, but it is important to be sure you know what you want to spend before you splurge on a venue or a band then leave little room to work with for everything else. Be flexible and creative. One of my favorite ways to stretch a budget, if needed, is to offer unique ways to change it up to still offer an amazing guest experience. A brunch wedding is a great way to save on costs. You are able to have a smaller band, less alcohol and zero lighting! If you are the type of person who loves a Bloody Mary or breakfast food, this could be for you! Book a venue quickly Some of the top venues in Charleston are booking 12-18 months out for peak Saturday dates. Start with your top three I always have my clients tell me what their top three priori- ties are. Band, floral and bar is usually what I hear. But what- ever they are, I always like to remind them of that during the planning process. Not everything can be the most important. Get insurance and don’t look at the weather I always suggest wedding insurance for my clients and now, some venues are even requiring it. Being a coastal city and hurricane season spanning some of the most popular wed- ding months it is important to have no regrets and be covered. There is no point in looking at the weather until the week of the wedding because it is con- stantly changing. You can’t con- trol it so don’t waste your time! Get wild with your food Who says you have to pick a menu based on what you see in their package info? Think outside of the box, do you love Mexican food, and everyone knows that about you? Serve that! Did you meet at an Italian restaurant, let’s get the recipe for that dish and have the chef create it for you. As a reminder, your guests can eat cheese and fruit any day but usually wed- dings guests are more adven- turous for a small canape during cocktail hour! It is your wedding, make sure everything reflects that It doesn’t necessarily cost more money to make every- thing branded to your event. You need cocktail napkins any- ways, so make them say some- thing that is reflective of you. You have to have bar signage — add your favorite cocktail selec- tion! The details are key Your planner should help you keep everything cohesive from day one. Even starting with your save the dates they should reflect your style, color palette and overall feel for your big day. Trust your vendors If you have hired profes- sionals, they have you covered and you likely won’t know any- thing that goes wrong on your wedding day. It is our job to put out fires before you even know they happen and you likely will never know. Enjoy your day and let go. Truly sit back and relax. Haley Kelly is founder and designer of Haley Kelly Events. Contact her at haley@haleykelly- events.com or 843.297.8884. By Haley Kelly 14 | TOWN BRIDE SPRING 2020