A Magnolia Plantation Wedding

We love Magnolia Plantation, and this Fixer Upper inspired wedding will make you fall in love with it too!

Our beautiful bride, Libbie, channeled her favorite HGTV designer Joanna Gaines when planning her dream wedding. Event decor featured rich textures, a soft color palette and typographical elements. Read all about Libbie's inspiration (and the vendors that we collaborated up with) at theweddingrow.com.

 

Congrats to Libbie and Kaleb! We had so much fun catering this event!

 

Speaking of fun (and Joanna Gaines worthy typography), check out this gorgeous bar setup...

The spectacular photos were provided by Dana Cubbage Weddings

 

Planning a Charleston wedding or event? Customizeable bar packages are available through Relish Distinctive Catering. Schedule a complimentary consultation to learn more about this and other full-service catering options. 

Congrats to Lorrie and Bert

We recently had the pleasure of catering a reception for our dear friends Lorrie and Bert Griggs. They threw a fabulous party out at the Patriots Point Pavilion that featured tons of locally sourced seafood. Land-loving guests enjoyed a mini biscuit bar with mouth watering jellies, butters and bacon, along with fried green tomato and pimento cheese sliders...

We also enjoyed a little slice of paradise courtesy of Cakes by Kasarda...

Congrats to Lorrie and Bert! We wish you a lifetime of love and leisure.

Want to book the Pavilion at Patriots Point for your event? Relish Distinctive Catering is a preferred vendor, and one of our event coordinators would be happy to assist you. Contact us to learn more. 

Summer Highlights from the Pavilion at Patriots Point

We're looking forward to fall, but summer was truly amazing! Here are a few highlights from one of our favorite summer weddings out at Patriots Point...

Congrats to the Murphys, and thanks for allowing us to play a part in your special day! For more photos of the beautiful wedding (including a bridal shoot on the USS Yorktown), visit CharlestonWedding.com.

 

Want to book the Pavilion at Patriots Point for your wedding? Relish Distinctive Catering is a preferred vendor. Learn More

Shower Tips and Charleston Venues

Planning a baby or bridal shower? We’ve put together some dos, don’ts and local resources to make the process easier…

 

Do Consult with the Guest of Honor

Consult with the bride-to-be/mom-to-be well in advance. Find out when she is available and where she is registered. Present her with a few party date options so that she can share them with her closest friends and relatives. You won’t find a date that works for everyone, but it’s important to get buy-in from your guest of honor, her mother and potential co-hosts. 

 

Don’t DIY It All

If hosting a party in your home with DIY decorations and a made from scratch menu sounds stressful, it’s because it is. Pinterest-y party themes and DIY details are great, but limit your focus to one major area—decorating or cooking. Don’t attempt house cleaning, menu planning, decorating, meal prep, entertaining and more after-party house cleaning single-handedly.  

 

Do Leverage Friends and Family

If a friend or family member offers to contribute, let them! Have an open dialogue about what you are planning and how they would like to be involved. You may be able to form a coalition of co-hosts who are willing to share food, venue or other party costs. 

 

Don’t Plan Too Many Games

Guests don’t enjoy super goofy party games, and chances are, neither will your guest of honor. Limit entertainment to one game or party activity so that there is plenty of time for food, conversation and gifts.

 

Our favorite party game for baby showers is "Name that Baby" (mom-to-be attempts to identify the baby pictures of her party guests). For wedding showers, we like The Newly Wed Game (bride-to-be answers questions and answers are compared to her fiance's). Both of these require a little work on the front end (gathering pictures or quizzing the groom-to-be), but they are tons of fun and aren't completely embarrassing. 

 

Do Put an End Time on the Invite

Let your guests know how long the party will last, and stick to the commitment. Limit party activities to ensure there is enough time to open gifts. No one, including your guest of honor, wants to spend 6 hours on a Saturday opening gifts. 

Bridal Shower at Snee Farm Country Club

Bridal Shower at Snee Farm Country Club

Shower Venues in Charleston

Relish Distinctive Catering serves two beautiful venues in Mount Pleasant that are well-suited for baby and bridal showers—RiverTowne Country Club and Snee Farm Country Club. Venue fees include chairs, tables, linens, flatware and china to make event planning easier and more affordable.

 

Already have a venue in mind? Our team is equipped to serve any venue that allows outside catering. Home delivery and pickup services are also available. Please contact us for more information.

Kensington Plantation

We’re excited to announce that, as of 2016, Relish Distinctive Catering is the exclusive caterer for Kensington Plantation! This beautiful wedding venue, located on Huger Creek, features water views, grand oak trees, a rustic barn and an adorable one room schoolhouse. 

Kensington Plantation Schoolhouse
Kensington Plantation Wedding
Kensington Plantation Barn Wedding
Kensington Plantation

Kensington Plantation was originally part of a 12,000 acre tract of land known as Cypress Barony. The land was divided in 1709, and a portion was given the name Kensington in 1740. The rice plantation was purchased by the Stoney family in the 1950s and was submitted to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. The Stoney family still maintains ownership of the property. 

Kensington Plantation is now available for private events of all sizes, and it is gaining popularity among Lowcountry brides. Brides who book Kensignton are encouraged to take advantage of our comprehensive catering services. In addition to food, we are equipped to provide...

Linens

glassware

flatware

china

day-of coordination

 

Visit South-Carolina-Plantations.com to learn more about Kensington’s history, or contact us for details. We would be happy to help you reserve the space! 

 

One Last Look at Summer

As we gear up for fall weddings and the holiday party season, we wanted to give you one last glimpse of summer…

Photos by Amy-Marie Kay Photography and featured on The Wedding Row

Photos by Amy-Marie Kay Photography and featured on The Wedding Row

 
We had the pleasure of catering this bright and sunny wedding in June, and we loved every last detail.

Pepper Plantation Wedding Charleston
Pepper Plantation Wedding Charleston
Pepper Plantation Wedding Charleston

 
This event (ceremony and reception) took place at Pepper Plantation in Awendaw, SC. Relish Distinctive Catering provided reception stations and day of coordination services. Please visit theweddingrow.com for a complete list of vendors who helped make this event a success.   
 
It’s never too early to start planning for summer 2016! Please contact us to schedule your complementary consultation.

A Lavish Charleston Wedding at Patriots Point

We had the pleasure of catering a lot of beautiful weddings this summer! Every event is special, and one of the best parts of our job is sharing those experiences with you. Today we’re divulging some details that are truly spectacular!
 
The following images (courtesy of Riverland Studios) are from a wedding at the Pavilion at Patriots Point. Vibrant and stylish, the celebration was a true reflection of the fun loving bride and groom. The waterfront ceremony and tented reception were elegantly decorated in shades of white and blue. Tall floral arrangements, special furniture, textured linens and colored lighting created a modern and whimsical atmosphere, while personal touches, like Korovai (Russian wedding bread), kept family traditions alive.

The Pavilion at Patriots Point

A lot of wonderful vendors collaborated on this event! If you would like to make them part of your wedding day dream team, please reference the links below. 

Venue – Pavilion at Patriots Point (Email ldavidson@rivertownecountryclub.com for venue information.) 
Flowers and Décor – Charleston Flower Market
Linens, Bars and Umbrellas – Ooh Events
Cake – Laney Cowan of Delicious Desserts
Russian Wedding Bread – Lisa McDonald (307-250-4633)
Gelato – Paolo’s Gelato
Lighting – Charleston Uplighting
Photography – Riverland Studios
Transportation – ACW Limo
Rentals/Tent Pole Covers – Snyder
Ceremony Music – Charleston Virtuosi, Other Brother Entertainment
Band – Risse, East Coast Entertainment 
Mosquito Spray Service – Mosquito Squad
Caterer and Coordinator – Yours Truly, Relish Distinctive Catering

Late Night Munchies

Charleston wedding goers certainly know how to party! Drinking and dancing ususally last late into the evening, and dinner is a distant memory to famished guests who haven’t eaten for four hours. Cake is a nice pick-me-up, but sometimes you just need some cheesy, greasy goodness in your life.
 
Ensure your guests make it to the after party with late night munchies! Our personal favorites include nachos, pizza bites, pimento cheese sandwiches and sliders…

Sliders
Photos by Riverland Studios


Mini hot dogs or a chicken and waffle station are also fun options. 

Every couple is different, and every wedding should be unique! We would love to help you think outside the traditional plated dinner or buffet station. Schedule your complimentary consultation today!

6 Ways to Save on Catering Services

Food and drinks are the quickest way to blow your wedding budget. After crunching the numbers, you may be ready to burn your guest list and elope… Yes, catering services are likely to make up at least 30% of your wedding expenses, but there are certainly ways to get more for your money. Here are a few of our favorite tips for keeping catering costs low…

1. Serve Hors D’Oerves by Hand

Cocktail hours are increasingly popular. It’s a great way to keep your guests busy while your bridal party takes pictures, but Grandpa Joe can’t drink on an empty stomach. We recommend passing out appetizers by hand rather than having guests serve themselves. Your guests are likely to eat 40% less with this method, and that’s okay! They should save some room for dinner anyway.

Image courtesy of Richard Bell Photography.

Image courtesy of Richard Bell Photography.

 
2. Get Creative with the Menu

There are creative ways to impress guests without blowing the budget. Want to serve seafood? Soup shooters may be a great alternative to a large (and more expensive) seafood display. A talented chef will be able to volunteer cost saving options (like a delicious sauce paired with a less expensive cut of meat) that won’t compromise guest experience.

Image courtesy of Richard Bell Photography.

Image courtesy of Richard Bell Photography.

3. Eliminate Extra Courses or Stations

Your guests just finished cocktails and appetizers, so a 5 course feast is completely unnecessary. Eliminate extra courses or stations if and when possible.

4. Save on the Bar Tab

Liquor is expensive, and you can save a lot by sticking to beer and wine. Keep the menu interesting with one or two signature cocktails. 

Signature Coctails

 
Signature cocktails save money, AND they are tons of fun!

5. Get an Accurate Guest Count

When you send out invitations, make sure your reply card has a return date of at least two or three weeks prior to your wedding. Call to follow up with guests who don’t send reply cards back. Over-ordering is the worst way to blow a catering budget! There’s no reason to pay for guests who won’t be attending.

6. Package Services to Save More

You can save even more money by taking advantage of packaged services. Planning more than one wedding weekend event? Relish Distinctive Catering offers a significant discount when you book multiple events. Best of all, packaged events don’t need to be wedding related… book a birthday party, catered company meeting or another event of your choosing. Contact us for more details!

Tips from a Charleston Wedding Photographer

Venue and catering choices usually top the wedding planning to-do list. As such, our team has an opportunity to discuss vendor options (for flowers, lighting, sound, photography and more) with couples early in the decision making process. We thoroughly enjoy the open dialogue... It helps us to better understand bride and groom preferences, and we can offer recommendations that make wedding planning (and the day-of details) easier. 
 
Photography is often a topic of conversation. There are plenty of talented Charleston photographers to choose from, but Richard Bell Photography is one of our all-time favorites. The company has a long history, lots of happy clients and a staff of “preposterously creative photographers.” 
 
We recently interviewed Owner and Photographer Nathan Bell because we want to ensure that our brides and grooms are expertly prepared for their wedding day photo shoot! Nathan had lots of great information for us, and here is some of what he had to share... 

Question: Should brides do a ton of research and provide their photographer with examples? 

Answer: I think it’s best for couples to find an artist who’s work they sincerely love, and then set that that artist free to create. A long list of required shots and poses is usually counterproductive to capturing the spontaneity of the day. Establish trust by doing an engagement session or bridal session before the wedding day -- this helps photographers and couples get to know each other better. 

Question: How do you come up with a game plan? 

Answer: We have multiple conversations with the bride and groom to go over timeline and locations. We also want to find out who are the important people in the lives of the couple -- parents, grandparents, godparents, siblings, nieces / nephews. 

Question: Are there important qualities that are often overlooked when choosing a photographer? 

Answer: Flexibility is important. Our photographers build timelines with lots of wiggle room, so that even if one part of the day runs late, we'll have plenty of time to make it up. We attempt to keep to the itinerary as closely as possible whenever we can control it, but timelines do, and should flex a bit throughout the day. Last weekend the reception had dancing scheduled with the band from 8:00 to 9:00 -- but sunset was just so beautiful that the bride and groom got all their friends and family together to go out to lounge and play lawn games during that last 30 minutes of daylight. That unscheduled little bit of the reception ended up being the bride and groom's favorite part of the entire day.

Question: Do certain times of day photograph better than others? Should couples consider this when selecting a ceremony time? 

Answer: A talented photographer can make any time of day look good in pictures. Bright daytime takes a different feel of picture than sunset or dusk, which feels different from evening and night shots. The characteristics of a venue play a big part in this as well. If it's a woodsy venue with tall trees -- sunset isn't going to be a particularly important moment. But on the beach or the marsh, sunset and dusk are significant. Plan the event according to how you want your day to flow, and work with your photographer to see how pictures best fit in that timeline. Working in the south, heat is often a bigger consideration than light. We can do nice pictures at noon in June... but it’s uncomfortable. 

Learn More  

We’ve had a pleasure working with Nathan and his wife, Mell, on several occasions, and we look forward to working with them again soon! To learn more about Richard Bell Photography, visit charlestonwedding.com, or schedule a complementary consultation to learn more about our catering services, favorite venues and other preferred vendors. 

Water View and Waterfront Venues in Charelston

Water is one of the most appealing aspects of Charleston’s landscape. The downtown peninsula boasts harbor views, and the surrounding area offers a mixture of marshlands, creeks, ponds, waterways and beaches. With all that water to choose from, it’s no wonder that venues with a view are popular among Charleston brides.

Magnolia Plantation, Photo by Studio 1250

Magnolia Plantation, Photo by Studio 1250

Our Favorite “Water View” Venues

Here are just a few of our favorite waterfront and water view venues...

  • Alhambra Hall
  • Cooper River Room
  • Island House
  • Pepper Plantation
  • Boone Hall Plantation
  • Sand Dunes
  • Harborside East
  • Boals Farm
  • Charleston Yacht Club
  • Legare Waring House
  • Runnymede Plantation
  • Magnolia Plantation
  • The Pavilion at Patriots Point (contact us for details)
The Pavilion at Patriots Point, Photo by Riverland Studios

The Pavilion at Patriots Point, Photo by Riverland Studios

Waterfront Venues with Benefits

We recently had the pleasure of catering a wedding reception at Alhambra Hall. It’s a great location with a beautiful waterfront ceremony lawn. Tables and chairs are included, and the venue allows for all-day set up (as early as 10am). The facilities have been recently renovated, and there is a kitchen on property. There is also plenty of parking available.

Every venue is unique, and our favorites (listed above) boast a variety of special features. Please feel free to contact us for a caterer’s perspective on a venue of your choosing.

 

Relish Distinctive Catering has exclusive relationships with three beautiful venues, but we are a preferred caterer for properties throughout the Lowcountry. When you choose Relish to cater your event; white linens, glassware, flatware and china are all included. Complimentary day-of coordination (including event set up and breakdown) is also available. Schedule a complimentary consultation to learn more about catering and coordination services.

Sweet Ideas for a Kid-Friendly Reception

Charleston wedding receptions have a tendency to be heavy on the sophistication (and adult beverages). As caterers and coordinators, we live for those things, but we also understand the importance of family too. We’ve put together a fun list of family friendly ideas for those of you who can’t imagine your special day without your favorite munchkins. 

Think Outside the Cake

Wedding cake is great, but sitting through a ceremony, first dance, toasts and a meal is an awfully long time for little ones to wait. Make other deserts available (like the milk and cookie bar featured below) that are sure to keep kids of all ages happy.

Milk and Cookie Bar by Relish Distinctive Catering

Milk and Cookie Bar by Relish Distinctive Catering

Keep the Kids Busy

Kids will be kids (especially after cookies and cake), so make sure they have something to do! We found some great tips on WouldntItBeLovely.com… 

  • Play lawn games (a bean bag toss, corn hole, croquet or bocci ball).
  • Create a kids table or corner with crayons, coloring books, games and snacks.
  • Designate a baby sitter.
Kid Activities

Learn More

If you are planning a wedding in the Charleston area, contact us to learn more about family friendly venues and menu options.

A Colorful Tented Reception

There are a lot of fun and elegant ways to add color to your reception space. Flowers are the most obvious choice, but the cost of floral arrangements adds up quickly. Colored linens can be fun, but they can also make a small space look busy. So what is a color-loving bride to do?

Opt for Paper Lanterns!

Paper lanterns introduce color and whimsy, while drawing your eye up. It’s the perfect addition to a tented reception, and they can be incorporated into an outdoor ceremony as well. These beautiful photos (provided by Riverland Studios) are from a Relish wedding at The Patriots Point Pavilion in Charleston, SC.

Pavilion at Patriots Point
Pavilion at Patriots Point

Planning a Charleston Wedding

If you are planning a Charleston wedding, we invite you to learn more about our catering and day-of coordination services. Relish Distinctive Catering is a preferred vendor for The Pavilion at Patriots Point, one of the most popular waterfront venues in Charleston. Contact Lacy Davidson to learn more about the Pavilion, or visit our venues page to peruse other locations. 

Our Favorite Charleston Wedding Vendors

The 2015 Charleston Bridal Show is almost upon us! The event will be Sunday, January 25th at the Omar Shrine Center in Mt. Pleasant, and many of our readers will be there to shop Charleston’s best wedding vendors.

Relish has had a hand in creating hundreds of events, and we’ve developed a few favorites over the years. You may have an opportunity to meet some of them in person on the 25th, but while you’re conducting a little online research, here are our top picks:

Florist

  • Catherine of  Charleston Flower Market

Photographers

  • Rick Dean Photography
  • Richard Bell Photography
  • Nadene of  Gene Ho Photography

Lighting

  • Charleston Uplighting

Rentals 

Dance Floors, Colored Linens, Runners, Furniture, Etc.

  • Snyder
  • EventHaus

DJs

  • Lucas Wade of Epic Charleston
  • Nick Zareski

Relish clients have access to professional event coordinators, but a full-service wedding planner can be extraordinarily helpful. This is especially true for out-of-town brides planning a destination wedding. If you’re shopping for a wedding planner, give Holly a call!

  • Holly Simpson
  • A Charleston Event
  • 568-5769

One of the most popular waterfront wedding venues in Charleston is the Pavilion at Patriots Point. It, and similar venues in the Charleston area, requires off-site accommodations for guests and transportation for at least the bridal party…

Accommodations

  • Charleston Harbor Resort
  • Shem Creek Inn
Charleston Harbor Resort

Charleston Harbor Resort

Shem Creek Inn

Shem Creek Inn

Snee Farm Country Club

Transportation

  • David Rister of ACW Limo
  • Charleston Limousine

Learn More

Ready to check some biggies off your wedding to-do list? Contact us to learn more about local venues and our catering services.