We are so thrilled to see Tre and Easton’s Merchants Hall Charleston Wedding recently featured in Style Me Pretty, which you can read here!
Inspired by their home city of Charleston, South Carolina and their love for all things modern and elegant, Tre and Easton celebrated their intimate Merchants Hall Charleston wedding in southern style! The bride, Easton, working with the team at Grove Designs, concocted a wedding weekend design that balanced elements inspired by the Lowcountry region with a contemporary twist. Modern black tie elegance met coastal charm at their wedding, which featured stunning locations throughout the heart of the city, signature patterned linens from Stradley Davidson, chic cream and champagne florals from local floral designer Festoon, and accents of climbing greenery throughout.
The couple desired to incorporate elements of their hometown throughout their wedding weekend for their guests to enjoy – beginning with a waterfront rehearsal dinner, to selecting one of the oldest churches for their wedding ceremony, to an intimate cocktail hour in a local art gallery that featured Lowcountry artists’ work. Upon arriving at Merchants Hall for the couple’s reception, guests were greeted with an elegant, naturally lit reception space filled with long family-style tables covered in signature linens and overflowing floral compotes, climbing greenery, and antique crystal chandeliers. As the sun set over the Holy City, guests danced the night away with the couple on a packed, energy-filled dance floor with music by Dream Day Charleston!
Charleston Proposal
From the Bride, “We met when I was at my cousin’s bachelorette party in Chicago, and our paths crossed by chance at a favorite local bar called The Hangge Uppe. From that first night, we never stopped talking and Tre moved to Charleston after two years of dating. The city we both love turned into the perfect spot for our engagement. Tre told me that our friends wanted to go out to dinner downtown. Little did I know that it was all a setup! On our way to dinner, Tre took me on a detour to walk through a historic area of Charleston near Church Street. Under lots of Spanish moss and golden evening light, Tre got on one knee and asked me if I had ever imagined walking these streets as his fiancé.”
On the very same street where the couple got engaged in the heart of historic Charleston, Tre and Easton chose to do their first look and exchange their private vows before their ceremony! This particular intersection, right around the corner from Charleston’s iconic Battery seawall walk, holds a special place in the couple’s hearts: this is the very spot that Tre proposed to Easton at in the spring of 2022! Featuring a brick-lined residential road, quiet historic homes, and ancient oak trees covered in Spanish moss that bend over the road, it created the perfect backdrop for both their more quiet moments and initial round of portraits. Once their private vows concluded, their wedding party joined them at this gorgeous street for wedding party portraits under the Spanish moss!
Charleston Wedding Venues
Rather than opting for an outdoor ceremony, as many Charleston weddings do, Tre and Easton chose the gorgeous and historic French Huguenot Church for their wedding ceremony. The couple structured their wedding weekend’s festivities so that their guests and families could experience their favorite little city! Tre and Easton decided to have their wedding ceremony in the heart of downtown Charleston at the historic French Huguenot Church. The French Huguenot Church is one of the oldest churches in the Holy City, and is known for its iconic black spires and bubblegum pink exterior.
The couple opted for an intimate ceremony for their 75 guests, however, the church can house over double that for larger weddings! We are absolutely loving the trend of an intimate wedding this year, and hope to see more Charleston intimate weddings in the coming years! Upon conclusion of their ceremony, Tre and Easton’s loved ones and guests greeted the newlyweds on the front steps of the church in a joy-filled ribbon exit and celebration of their marriage!
Prior to heading to their reception at the historic Merchants Hall in the heart of Charleston’s old city market district, Tre and Easton welcomed guests to a unique cocktail hour experience at DELA Art Gallery. The couple wanted to continue their theme of incorporating subtle elements of their home city into their wedding day for their guests to enjoy. Located just steps away from their reception venue, DELA showcases artists and bespoke pieces from the Lowcountry region. Guests were met with drinks and hors d’oeuvres to enjoy while perusing the gallery’s fall collection.
Upon entering the historic building over at Merchants Hall, guests picked up their seating assignment and headed upstairs to the venue’s Trolley Room. This gorgeous ballroom, sitting facing the bustling city centre of North Market Street, features tons of natural light, whitewashed brick, and antique chandaliers. This venue boasts some spectacular views of downtown historic Charleston, too!
Charleston Wedding Inspiration
When searching for the perfect wedding dress, Easton immediately gravitated towards the gowns by American designer Rebecca Schoneveld. Easton opted for their Seraphine gown style, featuring a hand-beaded corseted bustier, a modern square neckline, and three-dimensional floral applique throughout. Working with the team at Rebecca Schoneveld, Easton further customized this stunning gown by adding a soft organza ballgown-silhouetted skirt, rather than the design’s original charmeuse skirt. This subtle change in design created a breathtaking end product, and the easy movement of the skirt made for stunning portraits and moments throughout their wedding day. Easton completed her wedding look with a raw-edge cathedral length veil to add a touch of drama to her church ceremony processional.
Once the lights turned down and their reception party got started, Easton chose to change up her bridal look by adding an outfit change! The bride selected a white mini dress design from Angela and Alison, featuring a strapless neckline, a corseted top with an A-line mini skirt, and sparkling seed beading throughout. This dress change was a surprise to Tre and all the guests as well!
In keeping with their wedding’s color palette of champagne, ivories, sages, and black, Easton chose to have her ladies in a gorgeous champagne silk to complement her bridal look and overall wedding design. Each bridesmaid selected a different silhouette of gown from Mumu Weddings in champagne silk, the very same color and texture that can be seen gently woven into their reception’s design through statement linens, flatware, and their venue’s historic chandeliers.
To celebrate their marriage in style, the groom opted for a custom three-piece tuxedo from Tom James for his wedding day attire. Featuring a slim cut, satin detailing and cumberbund, and the groom’s monogram, Tre topped off his formal look with a Brackish bowtie as a nod to their home in the Southeast. For a modern twist to his classic black tie look, Tre had their floral designer, Festoon, create a bespoke ‘floral pocket square’, rather than a traditional boutonniere, to complete his attire.
Merchants Hall Wedding
Tre and Easton moved to Charleston from the Midwest, and a majority of their 75 wedding guests in attendance were going to be from out of town. The couple knew that they wanted to give their guests a proper wedding weekend filled with elements of the Lowcountry they call home, and chose a food menu to complement this theme. The couple worked with the team at Duvall Catering and Events to concoct a fabulous, yummy Lowcountry reception from start to finish! At cocktail hour, guests were served a variety of bite-sized hors d’oeuvres, from chicken and waffle bites, to fried green tomatoes, to puff pastry canapes. At dinner for their Merchants Hall Charleston Wedding, guests were served a plated three-course meal, selecting a main dish of filet mignon or herb encrusted chicken. Throughout the evening, guests were served their signature cocktail, an Espresso Martini in coupe glasses, as they danced the night away!
In keeping with their theme of ‘modern black tie elegance meets coastal charm’, the couple worked with the team at Grove Designs and Festoon Charleston to create a contemporary, clean floral design. White English garden roses, white ranunculus, ivory anemones, and sage green Hellebore blooms were woven together in their modern reception design, bouquets, and boutonnieres. Upon entering their reception space, guests were greeted by a custom seating chart constructed of tan rattan and black painted wood accents wrapped in climbing greenery for a modern take on rattan, a classic coastal interior design material.
Within their reception space, Merchants Hall, bud vases and compotes alike sprinkled the long, family-style tables that stretched the length of the naturally-lit ballroom. For both bouquets and compotes, the team at Festoon crafted organically shaped, whimsical floral design centerpieces and bud vases spilling with blooms and greenery. Tables were covered in stunning linens from Stadley Davidson, featuring their ‘Archie Cloud’ art deco inspired half-moon patterns in a luminescent white. Guests’ gold-rimmed chargers were adorned with a subtle pelican-themed napkin from Stradley Davidson, and a menu for the evening’s meal. The space’s historic bones still exist to this day, including antique crystal chandeliers, and support beams original to the building that were covered in climbing greenery to frame the dining space.
The couple chose a quaint three-tiered vanilla cake filled with fresh raspberries and finished with a buttercream frosting to cut into and share! The cake’s exterior was encrusted in a delicate cloud of baby’s breath, and the cake was seated on a table covered in a unique silver and cream patterned linen from Stradley Davidson.
Cheers to Tre and Easton, and thank you for entrusting us with documenting your Merchants Hall Charleston Wedding!
If You Are Planning A Merchants Hall Charleston Wedding, a Wedding In The Southeast, Colorado, Or At A Destination Worldwide, And Looking For A Charleston Wedding Photographer, Let’s Get In Touch Today!
Photographer: Sarah Nann Photography
Venues & Catering: French Huguenot Church Charleston, DELA Gallery, Merchants Hall Charleston, Duvall Catering & Events
Planning & Design: Grove Designs Co.
Floral Designer: Festoon
Dress Boutique: White Wisteria Bridal Boutique
Dress Designer: Rebecca Schoneveld Bridal
Cake Designer: Publix
Hair & Makeup Artists: Charleston Bridal Collab, Hair by Kel Rhodes
Custom Seating Chart: Adoré Charleston Events
Mens Formalwear, Accessories: Tom James Clothing, Brackish
Rentals: EventWorks Charleston
Stationery: Bride designed her own, printed by Minted Weddings
Bespoke Patterned Linens: Stradley Davidson
Film Lab: PhotoVision Prints
Reception Dress Designer, Salon: Angela and Alison, Verita Bridal Boutique
Bridesmaids Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu
Officiant: Custom Vows by Casey
Wedding Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Videography:
Reception DJ: Dream Day Charleston
Second Photographer: Crystal Gwenshon
Photography Assistance: Sincerely Eva V
Guest Transportation: Lowcountry Trolley
