Jesslynn + Scott, River Room at St. Paul's | Augusta, GA

As wedding planners, it is always fun when we get to do something a little bit different from the norm. This wedding season has been filled with clients who are asking for something different, unique, and reflective of them as a couple. Jesslynn and Scott came to us knowing that they wanted to do a full Catholic mass ceremony at St. Mary's on the Hill, followed by a brunch reception somewhere light-filled and beautiful. 

After considering a couple of options, we settled on The River Room at St. Paul's. Hidden in plain site, the venue sits right on the Riverwalk in downtown Augusta and is filled with gorgeous, natural light. We tented the patio along the Riverwalk to add some shade for guests to enjoy the absolutely stunning weather that is April in Augusta, Georgia.

It was there under the tent that we staged a DIY mimosa and Bloody Mary bar, because what is a brunch wedding without that? To accompany the tasty drinks, we brought in Jennifer Shuford of Tastefully Yours Catering, to provide the most delicious brunch menu. It included variations of Eggs Benedict, classically Southern shrimp n'grits, and of course her signature charcuterie display. 

Scott knew one of his must-haves was some fun music, so we unlisted the help of Carl Purdy to put together a bluegrass ensemble that added the perfect background while guests mingled. One of our favorite details were the sweet trio of cakes by our friend Lila Greene, as you can see below it was one of our groom's favorite details as well!

Scroll down to enjoy the gorgeous images captured by Ashley Seawell Photography. Thank you to Jesslynn, Scott, and both of their families for entrusting us with your big day, it was such a pleasure to be a part of!

Event Design and Coordination: Greg Boulus Events | Florals & Paper Goods: Charleston Street | Photography: Ashley Seawell Photography | Catering: Jennifer Shuford of Tastefully Yours | Venue: River Room at St. Paul's | Cake: Lila Greene | String Quartet & Bluegrass Ensemble: Carl Purdy | Hair & Make-up: Cucumber & Mint | Bridal Gown: Romona Keveza | Ceremony Venue: St. Mary's on the Hill Catholic Church

5 Ways to Elevate Your Wedding Design | Wedding Planning Tips

We are based in Augusta, Georgia, a city where there are only so many wedding venues to go around and only so many that can fit the large guest counts that our clients typically have. Spaces get booked up fast and clients are always looking for ways to reinvent the look of the space to be reflective of them and their wedding day. It's not an easy task when you have multiple events at the same venues year after year, but we try and keep things fresh and different for each of our clients while also keeping with their needs. 

After being in the wedding business for over 15 years, Greg has learned what elements of the design you should elevate to create the most impact. These can differ in importance depending on the kind of event you are producing, but generally they are the key components that take a standard wedding and make it extraordinary. 

Here are our top 5 ways to elevate your wedding design:

1. Chairs

We find that swapping out the banquet chairs that come with the venue for a decorative rental chair is one of the biggest impacts you can make in changing the look of your wedding or event. Banquet chairs are clunky visually, usually don't come in a great color, and are heavy to move around. Depending on your personal style and what direction you wanted to take the style of your event, chiavari chairs, crossback chairs, infinti chairs, or even ghost chairs are a huge way to change the overall look.

Image by Lauren Carnes Photography

Image by Ashley Seawell Photography

Image by Lauren Carnes Photography

Image by Mark Williams Studio

2. Linens

Your standard catering linens come in white, black, and maybe if you're lucky, ivory. They're a stiff material, with not much flow or softness to them. They may not even reach the floor if they're not sized appropriately. Linens are our next big impact item that we use to change the look of an event. This particularly comes in handy in country clubs and other venues that have a pretty set floorplan that you have to stick to. Linens are a great way to inject color, texture, and pattern. We also love using linen napkins when possible over paper. When your guests sit down to eat at your reception, they will notice the quality of both instantly. 

Image by Ashley Seawell Photography

Image by Lauren Carnes

Image by Robin Gerrard Photography

Image by Lauren Carnes Photography

3. Glassware

We always recommend our clients bring in a beautiful charger for their seated dinners, but where you can really elevate the look of the table is in the glassware. Most catering china is white with a fairly inoffensive pattern and if you need to save, the china is where we would do so. However renting nicer crystal glassware makes a huge impact not only visually (really de-clutters the look of the table with the thinner lines), but also in your guests' experiences. A nicer wine glass is so much more enjoyable to drink out of and to hold. 

Image by Lauren Carnes

Image by Lauren Carnes

4. Lighting

Another huge impact element to bring into your event design is lighting. Whether that be mood lighting, spotlighting, or decorative lighting. Up-lighting not only inside your venue, but also outside is a huge game changer. It defines the boundaries of your space. Decorative lighting allows you to dim the overhead lighting in your venue, which changes the mood instantly (and who likes fluorescent lighting!?). We also love utilizing pin-spots to highlight important elements such as your cake, votive candles to add ambiance, and market lights to make any space feel more festive.

Image by Lauren Carnes Photography

Image by Amy Noon Free

5. Lounge furniture

We've said it once, we'll say it again, soft seating is such a fun way to bring a different look into a space. Not only does it add additional seating for your guests to enjoy, but it also can add texture, dimension, and even color to your wedding or event. We love using lounge furniture around the dance floor to give guests a soft place to land and watch everyone enjoying themselves. 

Image by Lauren Carnes

Image by Lauren Carnes

Image by Robin Gerrard

Sarah + James, Reserve Club at Woodside | Aiken, SC

Today we get to share some of our all-time favorite wedding images. That dress! That bouquet! That floral arbor! That bride & groom! It was such a stunning day, we really can't pick a favorite!

Sarah and James got married May 12, 2018 at the Reserve Club at Woodside located in beautiful Aiken, South Carolina. Originally from the Northeast, Sarah's family has spent a lot of their time in Woodside. Her mother and father are both incredibly involved in the community there, making it a no-brainer to invite all their friends and family from around the world to come experience our little pocket of the South!

Interior designers themselves, Sarah and Carol were such fun clients to work with! They had an eye for detail like no other, every piece of this wedding was touched by their thoughtful choices. We worked with them on developing the feel for the evening, how the day would flow from one part of the celebrations to the next. Creating a seating plan for dinner included mixing rounds and estate seating to encourage conversation and mingling among the intimate guest list. We loved the touch of blue in the linen napkins, the comfortable and stylish seating outside for guests to sit at while taking a dance break, and the ambiance from all the candlelight in the ballroom glowed beautifully in the late afternoon light.

Highlights from the day's festivities included Sarah's incredibly gorgeous Monique L'huillier gown, her all-white peony bridal bouquet, the incredible co-best man speech by James' two childhood friends (they dressed up in Revolutionary War costumes in honor of James' British heritage!), the delicious food provided by The Reserve Club, and last but certainly not least, the nonstop (literally did not take a single break) party provided by the legendary Party on the Moon. 

The day came together so beautifully, we could not have asked for a dreamier setting, better clients or vendor team! Thank you to Sarah, James, and their families for including us on such a spectacular day! It will forever be one of our favorites!

Event Coordination & Design: Greg Boulus Events | Floral Design: Charleston Street | Invitations: Julie Holcomb Printers available at Charleston Street | Venue & Catering: Reserve Club at Woodside | Photography: Lauren Carnes Photography|  Hair & Make-up: Cucumber & Mint | Videography: Hart to Hart Media | Cake: Summer's Temptations | Band: Party on the Moon | Gown: Monique L'huillier | Bridesmaids: Nordstrom- WAYF | Rentals: Snyder Events | AV Production: Innovative Event Services