Which Boutonnières Do You Like, Honey?

When it comes to florals, our Sweetgrass Social brides typically have a design scheme in mind that include some of their favorite flowers... but at what point do the doting gentlemen have a say? Well, according to us, they have a say in anything and everything. However, one thing we always like to include our guys on is the kind of boutonnières they'll don on their special day. Here are a some very handsome boutonnières from our past Sweetgrass Social weddings.

10 Things You Must Do Before Your Honeymoon

Thanks to SheFinds, here's a list of ten VERY important things that you and your future hubby must take care of before you leave for the honeymoon! This article is directed at one of the gals at Sweetgrass Social; her wedding is less than two weeks away! While some of the things on the list seem trivial, they really are not. It is essential to complete each of these them ahead of time so that there is no last minute stress for you and your loved ones. Now read up, take notes and get moving!

Get your name straight . Whether or not you’re planning to take your spouse’s last name, it’s best to book your airline tickets under your maiden name. The name on your tickets must match the name on your passport, and since changing the name on your passport requires a marriage certificate and a wait of about three weeks, you probably won’t have a chance to make the update before you leave for your honeymoon.

Say thank you. Writing out thank-you notes by hand can wait until you’re back from the honeymoon, but not much longer so make a note to yourself to get on it right when you’re back. In the meantime, post a mass thank you to your wedding guests on your Facebook page. Guests will appreciate a sort of ‘wrap-up’ to your wedding. (Your bridal party, on the other hand, do need a real thanks before you leave. Make sure to tell each one of them how much their participation meant to you.)

Deal with your dress. Assuming you plan to keep your wedding dress in some way or another, it’s important to get it cleaned by a wedding dress specialists as soon as possible. If you don’t have time to drop it off before you leave, ask a friend or family member to do so. You don’t want to risk having stains settle into your dress.

Move your cake.. If you plan to freeze the top tier of your wedding cake, make sure to move it from the fridge (where it should go directly after being cut) to the freezer before you leave.

Return tuxedos.. If you wait (or forget) to return rented suits or tuxedos until you return from your honeymoon, you’re likely to rack up some extra fees. Again, if you don’t have time for this errand yourself, ask one of the groomsmen to take care of it for you.

Collect presents. Don’t leave any presents (or just as important, cards) at your wedding venue or anywhere else guests could have dropped them off. Do your very best to keep cards and gifts together – you really don’t want to come home to a “who gave us the blender?” nightmare. If you’re not going home after the wedding, ask your parents if they’ll take them until you get back from your honeymoon.

Settle your bills.. Pay all your vendors in full before you leave town, if you haven’t settled the bills already. It’s just not considerate to make them wait the few weeks of your honeymoon–and it also gets a task out of the way for you, so your entire focus can go to enjoying your vacation.


Refresh your nails. This may seem a little trite compared to the other items on the list, but your hands are going to be getting a lot of play in honeymoon photos. Plus, in warm weather destinations, you’ll be spending lots of time barefoot or in sandals. Your wedding mani/pedi will probably get a little worn on the big day, so a refresh can’t hurt. For your honeymoon, pick a light natural or clear color that will grow out well and match everything.

Pack right (and early). Don’t wait until after your wedding to pack–you’ll be way too tired/excited/emotional/any other possible feeling. Do your research well in advance and make sure you know what you’ll need at your destination. And don’t forget to check out what amenities your hotel offers–if things like soap, shampoo and conditioner are provided, don’t waste the space and headache of packing them yourself.

Stay Healthy.You do not want to get sick on your honeymoon and staying healthy on vacation starts with healthy habits at home. Eat right and stay fit in the days, weeks and months leading up to your honeymoon.

One-of-a-Kind Registry Gifts

Whether you're doing the buying or you're the "giftee", these one-of-a-kind registry gifts are bound to be a home run! Registries are typically full of the practical things, the things we predict we need for our new life together. However, the girls at Sweetgrass Social think registries can also be personal and fun! Listed below are some truly unique ideas from Martha Stewart.

A Stylish Coffee Table Book
We often top our coffee tables with vases and bowls, but why not cover it with a book on your favorite subject?!

A Classy Keg Holder
This is a gift for both her and him - bring the best part of the pub home and have fun playing bartender! Draught beers from a five-liter keg housed in Krups BeerTender B100.

A Tech-Savvy Kitchen Essential
For those of you with an iPad or E-reader, why not expand its use and pretend it's part of your recipe book collection? This Twelve South "BookArc" Stand keeps the recipes on your tablet in full view as your cooking.

A Wine Collection
If you and your spouse-to-be are wine connoisseurs, do as the Europeans do and get yourself a collection!  Use bottlenotes.com to ask guests to stock your cellar.

Warmth on the Go
This miniature, glass and cast iron Fuego fireplace by Stelton creates the warmth of a fire almost anywhere. It's perfect for cool summer nights on the beach, as well as for use as a small space heater.

Save the Date! Charleston Fashion Week - Bridal Show

Good afternoon! It's non-stop raining here in Charleston but that won't stop us wedding planners from working!

We wanted to make sure y'all save the date for Charleston Fashion Week this upcoming spring. While Fashion Week is great fun for us girls, the Spring Bridal Show is really our favorite part! The show is put on by Charleston Weddings Magazine as a part of Charleston Fashion Week, which is put on by Charleston Magazine as a whole.  

The Bridal Show is scheduled for March 23rd and lasts all day long. Tickets to attend the Bridal show range from only $45-55 and are already on sale. Secure your tickets today to see amazing designers like Anne Barge, Callie Tein, Jodi Moylan, Liz White, Rachel Gordon and Brooke Ray. Don't wait and join the gals of Sweetgrass Social at the show!

White Friday at Maddison Row!!

Y'all this is big! Calling all newly engaged Charleston brides...Maddison Row, a Charleston wedding gown boutique is having a White Friday sale. We know about Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, but White Friday caters to all things wedding! Maddison Row is located at 171 Spring Street, Charleston SC. Up to 75% off of big name designers such as Monique, Vera, and Carolina Herrera! No appointment necessary! Put this one on your calendars, y'all. Have fun! 

Date Night at Home: Breakfast in Bed

After a delicious, hearty breakfast on this crisp morning, the girls of Sweetgrass Social decided the best way to Date Night at Home this week would be in bed... with brunch! How great does a lazy morning sound, snuggled in the warmth of your bed with a delicious breakfast and your future hubby by your side?! Everything about that just sounds perfect. We've got savory, healthy and of course sweet!

Hearty Breakfast Biscuit Stacks
Ingredients
1 recipe Flaky, Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
12 slices bacon
1 1/2 Fried eggs
Vegetable oil for deep-fat frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
1tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk
6 chicken breast tenderloins

Directions
Prepare Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy.
Cover gravy and set aside until read to use.
Cook bacon until crisp and prepare fried eggs; keep warm.
In a deep-fat frier or large deep saucepan, heat about 1 inch of oil to 365 degrees F.
In a shallow dish, stir together flour, garlic salt and pepper. Pour buttermilk into another shallow dish.
Dip chicken into flour mixture, turning to coat. Dip into the buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off.
Dip again into flour mixture, turning to coat.
Fry chicken, half at a time, in hot oil about 5 minutes or until coating is golden brown and chicken is no longer pink.
Remove chicken and drain on paper towels.
To assemble, ladle 1/4 cup of the gravy onto a serving plate.
Split a biscuit and place the bottom half on the gravy. Top with a fried chicken piece, two slices of bacon and another 1/4 cup gravy.
Add a fried egg to the stack; top with the biscuit top.
Repeat with the remaining biscuits, gravy, chicken pieces, bacon and fried eggs.
Serve and enjoy!

Kale Goat-Cheese Frittata
Ingredients
2 cups coarsely, torn fresh kale
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tsp olive oil
6 eggs
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup drained oil-packed dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Directions
Preheat broiler.
In 10-inch ovenproof non-stick skillet, cook and stir kale and onion in oil over medium heat for 10 minutes until onion is tender.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl whisk together eggs, egg whites, salt and pepper.
Pour over kale mixture in skillet.
Cook over medium-low heat.
As egg mixture sets, run a spatula around the edge of the skillet, lifting egg mixture so th euncooked portion flows underneath.
Continue cooking and lifting edge until egg mixture is almost set but still glossy and moist.
Sprinkle egg mixture with dried tomatoes and goat cheese.
Broil 4-5 inches from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until eggs are set.
Cut into wedges to serve and enjoy!

Vanilla French Toast
Ingredients
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
2 tbsp sugar
tsp vanilla
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmet
8 slices dry white/whole what bread
2 tbsp butter or vegetable oil
Maple-syrup (optional)
Sliced bananas (optional)

Directions
In a shallow bowl, beat together eggs, half-and-half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Dip bread slices into egg mixture, coating both sides.
In a very large skillet or on a griddle, melt 1 tbsp of the butter over medium heat.
Add half of the bread slices and cook for 4-6 minutes or until golden, turning once.
Repeat with remaining bread slices and butter.
Serve with syrup and bananas!

Wedding Day Planning as told by Maressa Brown

Today's blog post comes from The Huffington Post's Maressa Brown and is titled "Wedding Day Planning: The 7 Things You Need to Know". Thanks Maressa for these great tips!

You can read every article in every bridal magazine, every Q&A or checklist on wedding websites, and pick your married friends' brains for months and still be unprepared for some of the "OMG" (both wonderful and cringe-worthy) moments you're bound to encounter while wedding planning and finally walking down the aisle. That's why just about anyone who has ever been a bride has coulda/shoulda/woulda thoughts well after they're someone's Mrs.
While it's not healthy to dwell on those thoughts, it doesn't hurt to dish on what you only wish you had known! Hey, it could be the heads-up that saves another bride's day. Here, seven things brides often wish they'd been warned about before their Big Day.

1. Fights: With potential for emotions to run high, money matters to set people off and family drama galore, you could very well end up having the biggest fight of your entire relationship with your fiance in the lead-up to the wedding. Hell, maybe even on your wedding day! Wedding stress can make even they most even-tempered person act occasionally crazy and out of character. I wish more of us would admit this is perfectly normal and does not mean you need to tear off like a runaway bride. As long as you're able to cool off and talk it over at some point, it's all good.
2. Budget: For various reasons -- season, location, timing, procrastination, etc. -- certain vendors/services/other wedding details can end up costing a lot more than you expected. And while you can do your best to negotiate and trim the fat or DIY as much as possible, sometimes you have no choice but to grin and bear shelling out a few hundred more for that chuppah or extra hour of open bar or summer Saturday night.
3. Emotional Moments: You might get super-emotional about something you didn't expect to ... like the dance with your dad or a speech that comes out of the blue. Just consider it a reason to ask the Maid of Honor to tote some tissues and touch-up mascara in her clutch!
4. RSVP Drama: Guests you thought were shoo-ins find out they have to work or are going to be eight months pregnant or have some other reason they can't attend. Guests you thought in a million years wouldn't show say they're coming and bringing all of their +1s. And worst of all, you may get an RSVP for people who decide not to show at the last minute -- which is why it's always best to tell your venue that you have fewer people, because it's always cheaper to add than subtract at the eleventh hour!
5. Promises: What everyone keeps telling you is supposed to be the happiest time of your life can quickly go south if promises regarding finances aren't kept. Many brides wish they had been warned to get everything in writing when discussing with their parents and their partner who would pay for what.
6. It’s Not Over Til It’s Over: Last-minute requests for things you never even thought about -- a toiletry basket in the restrooms or a Kosher/vegan/nut-free dinner or dessert or cocktail hour option, particular shots taken by photographers, etc. -- can have a way of popping up no matter how much you prepare ahead of time. And be prepared for this to continue even well after your wedding day, whether people expect thank you cards by a particular deadline they deem appropriate or they're hounding you for photos/video, etc.
7. Wardrobe Malfunctions: Whether it's uncomfortable shoes or too-tight Spanx or earrings that aren't hypoallergenic, any sort of wardrobe malfunction that can happen will. Or at least can. Good to have a plan B -- like flip flops waiting in the wings to replace those 4-inch heels wreaking havoc on your tootsies!