Old Medical College Winter Wedding, Augusta, GA | Valerie + David

Last summer when we met with Valerie and David they were in the midst of planning their destination wedding here in Augusta from their home in Pittsburgh. They had already hired most of their vendors and were looking for us to provide the floral design for their Old Medical College wedding. We were happy to oblige!

Wanting a very modern, clean and sophisticated look for their reception, we stuck to an all-white palate. For the long banquet-style guest tables our floral designers created single-element arrangements of all-white hydrangea, roses, and stock. Wrapped in a variegated leaves it brought the perfect subtle floral element to their overall design. On the round guest tables our team created combinations of all three flower variations and included one of our favorites, magnolia leaves, adding a nice southern touch. 

The same look carried over to the personal flowers as well. A pretty mix of hydrangea, roses and magnolia for the bridesmaid bouquets was the perfect combination for this winter affair. We kept the boutonnieres simple with single white roses but created an extra special orchid boutonniere for the groom. Obviously we also wanted to do add something special to Valerie's bouquet, so we incorporated some of those same orchids into her bouquet as well.

As you can see from the beautiful images below from Atlanta-based photographers, Leigh and Becca, it was a stunning winter day. The weather forecast called for snow and ice but it was all-clear by the time festivities were to get underway! 

We are so happy to have been included in such a talented list of vendors, including Pittsburgh coordinator, Soiree by Souleret, and got to be a part of such a special day in Val and David's lives! Thank you for entrusting us to help bring your vision to life!

Floral Design: Greg Boulus Events and Charleston Street Fine Flowers | Event Coordination: Pittsburgh Planner, Soiree by Souleret | Photography: Leigh and Becca

At-Home Garden Wedding, Augusta, GA | Hailie Hampton + Scott

One of our favorite things about running a wedding business in Augusta, Georgia is that every bride and groom starts to feel like family. In this case, especially so, as Greg has lived next door to the bride's family for years. Keeping with that theme while we were coordinating floral design, family-friend Kate from Soiree Catering and Events, handled the catering and day-of coordination. 

The wedding was held at the bride's family's home, a gorgeous Cape Cod-style filled with incredible family heirlooms and years of laughter and memories. It was no wonder that Hailie Hampton had always dreamed of having her wedding reception there.

The bride's mother has a beautiful collection of silver and Chinoiserie which we incorporated into the floral and event design. The bride's bouquet was composed of beautiful white-toned florals including ranunculus and garden roses while the bridesmaids bouquets were a whimsical compilation that included hydrangea, hellebores, ranunculus, dusty miller, and white fringe tulips.

Our floral designers carried that theme throughout the rest of the wedding reception as well. We collected a few of the mother of the bride's vases for the dining room table and created a beautiful focal of various blue and white florals. For the guest tables outside we placed trios of single-element arrangements in silver vases that were composed of blue delphinium, white tulips and deliciously fragrant hyacinths. As a nod to the beautiful wedding cake that had fern detailing incorporated into the icing, we created a large, lush garland of ferns and greenery to drape over the beautiful front door to greet guests as they arrived for cocktail hour. 

What started out as a drizzly March morning turned into a beautiful, sunshine-filled afternoon and the images captured by the wonderful Ashley Seawell Photography reflect the joy and love felt by all. Congratulations to the gorgeous couple, we wish you many, many happy years to come!

Floral Design: Greg Boulus Events & Charleston Street Fine Flowers | Event Catering, Day-of Coordination, Rentals and Linens: Soiree Catering and Events | Hair & Make-up: Bella Faccia | Bridal Suite: Partridge Inn Penthouse | Ceremony Location: Good Shepherd | Reception Location: Private Family Home

6 Tips for Creating Your Wedding Registry

For those of you who are not aware, Greg Boulus Events has a sister company, Charleston Street Fine Flowers. 

Charleston Street has always been Augusta's go-to shop for all things pretty and around six years ago Greg expanded Charleston Street to include personalized registry services. Since then with our addition of invitation and stationary design alongside our planning and floral services, we have become a one-stop-shop for all of our brides' needs!

Today we thought we would ask our all things registry expert, Blake, to give us some of her tips for when you create your registry. She works with our brides during one-on-one appointments here at the shop to create completely custom registries. Charleston Street carries a large variety of tabletop brands, including Juliska, Arte Italica, Simon Pierce, Vietri, Match Pewter, and L'Objet. There truly is something for everyone and appeals to a wide variety of tastes. Not to mention all the beautiful linens, glass vases & bowls and other home decor to really round out your registry. 

Here are some of our top tips for creating a wedding registry that benefits both you and your friends and family!

1. If you love it, register for it. Blake says that a lot of brides will come into their appointments and are hesitant to register for certain brands or lines because a lot of other people they know have the same patterns. But if YOU love it, that's all that matters. You are the one who will be using it everyday. So don't register for something just for the sake of being different!
2. Go for timeless and long-lasting over trendy. You may be tempted to get those fun patterned plates, or even fun printed pillows, but you will be kicking yourself in ten, maybe not even two years, when that goes out of style. Timeless is always the way to go, and fortunately the lines Charleston Street carries will stand the test of time. 
3. Register for more plates and glasses than you think you need. This is a tip one of our recent brides and fellow employees strongly agreed with. If you are tempted to only register for six or even eight plates because you either don't think you have the room for more or just don't think you will get as much use out of them, you may want to reconsider. Not only will you probably move to a bigger place one day, chances are there will come a time where you will definitely use 12 plates at once. Not to mention plates and glasses break and you will want back-ups just in case!
4. Try and complete your collection. Be conscious that registering for a wide-range of items may lead to not getting full sets of things. And if you are someone purchasing a registry gift for a couple, consider helping them complete collections before buying them that one random gift if you think that is something that will be important to them.
5. Register for special items that will remind you of your big day. This one is a bit contradictory from the last tip but something to consider! We totally understand wanting to take advantage of the generosity and register for that really nice pressure cooker or stand mixer. However also consider registering for those extra special accessories that you'll have forever and when you use them it'll always remind you of your wedding day. Chances are you will replace that blender or technology will improve and you'll get a fancier toaster oven. But a beautiful cake stand, wine decanter or even a beautiful Simon Pierce vase?Those are items that are a little special and will last a lifetime. Something a little different, something you probably won't spring for yourself, something that is a little bit indulgent.
6. This is one you hear all the time, register for items at various price points. Especially if you have a lot of friends and family that you know are a little strapped for cash. BUT also remember not to shy away from those big ticket items simply because you feel uncomfortable about the price tag. This is a very special time for you as a couple and people want to help you start this new chapter. So embrace it a little, it's a celebration after all!

We hope some of these tips help you get an idea of what to expect when registering, and don't forget to make an appointment with Blake here at the shop if you are considering registering here at Charleston Street. You can email her at blake@charlestonstreet.com or call to make an appointment (706) 738.6298. Also if you have any other tips, please leave a comment below! We'd love to hear it!