Southern Protocol

Meet Brooke and Katie, our fabulous new summer interns! Brooke is finishing up at USC this December and Katie will be a senior at USC this fall, both majoring in Hospitality Management with a concentration in meetings and events (yes.. they’re perf!)

Brooke’s favorite food is scallops with risotto and asparagus (omg YUM), her favorite color is blue, and she has a beta fish named little guy

Katie’s favorite food is pasta, her favorite color is pink (YAY), and….. she can wiggle her ears- HAHA!

We are SO happy and lucky to have them around this summer!

While most were enjoying their Sunday afternoon with the family or at the beach, Mt. Pleasant local brides were lining up at Alhambra Hall to reserve their wedding date for 2013.  Camping out for three or four days just to secure a date for a year that hasn’t even started yet seems crazy, but to these brides it’s worth the wait for a waterfront venue.

This, in a funny sort of way, reminded us here at Southern Protocol of the Hunger Games…the future 2013 brides in a battle to secure the best wedding date.  Weddings are the most important days in a woman’s life, & while waiting in line for days to secure a spot at a venue is not as dramatic or as important as fighting for your life, it’s pretty dang important if you ask me!  Not only is “fighting” for a venue one of the only comparisons, but while the brides are standing in line their friends, bridesmaid’s & mothers are coming to relieve them in order for them to leave to gather themselves.  These are what I feel to believe, true supporters.  In the Hunger Games Katniss & Peeta form a bond & stick together to try & support & protect each other, like the mothers & friends are doing for the bride.  As the movie goes on Peeta & Gale both seem to have a undeniable crush on Katniss that we all look forward to seeing how it plays out in the upcoming movies.  When it comes down to it, it is a love story just like a wedding, but sometimes…

it IS just like the HUNGER GAMES!! (:

Ari Seth Cohen has captured style in his new book in a way that many of us forget about. The fashion of our elders is what makes clothing today so fabulous. Taking a look at the timeless beauties featured in this book gives a new meaning to aging gracefully. Advanced Style is available May 22, but Ari Seth Cohen’s blog is available at advancedstyle.blogspot.com.

If you’re wondering why we haven’t been blogging every day, that would be because of the amazing weddings we’ve had the past few weekends!

Two weekends ago, we had Anna and Eric’s wedding at The Legare Waring House. Both being Broadway lovers, we made sure to have the music alive all over! The beautiful day is featured on Elizabeth Anne Designs today, so be sure to check it out for all of the details and pictures!

This past weekend we had Lindsey and Brandon’s wedding at William Aiken House. Imagine this : Coco Chanel hosting a fabulous, fancy party in her cabana, on the shore – in the South of France in the 1920s. Are you visioning it? It was fab. The picture above is just a sneak peak – note the amazing patterned draping.

I had to blog about Alice and Keith’s wedding this past weekend, I just couldn’t help myself. It was quaint, sweet, beautiful, intimate, adorable and fun – if you can imagine all of those things put together…

Their surprise exit on a tandem bike was the icing on the cake and my personal favorite part! The bike theme flowed all the way through the wedding, from the invites, to the programs, to their ADORABLE cake, and to the very last moment of the night as they rode through sparklers on their bike (appropriately decorated with white cans on the back, of course)

What a fun night! Congratulations Alice & Keith

Sale! Ahhh, love hearing that word : ) especially when it is for a good cause. Belk is having an amazing sale on April 21, only for 4 hours, from 6 AM to 10 AM to support People Against Rape (PAR).

People Against Rape was established in 1974 to assist adult victims of sexual assault in the tri-county community covering Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley counties. It has expanded over the years as it now serves child and adult victims of sexual violence and abuse.

What better way is there to support a charity for our area? The entire store is going on sale anywhere between 20% – 70% and 100% of the proceeds from PAR’s ticket sales will stay with PAR.  Any organization can participate by selling tickets, which you can buy directly from PAR.  All of PAR’s proceeds go to their Victim Relief Fund that helps support victims of sexual assault.

We hope you will support PAR with us girls here at Southern Protocol!

Well we tried to keep this website a secret, but, its just too amazing to hide.

The website is called IO MOI — www.iomoi.com and they have every type of accessory a girl could ever want in any pattern a girl could ever want. I love all of the chevron prints, of course, and I love the monkeys that remind me of my Mother’s hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil monkeys. And I love “James the Fox”. I first discovered the website because of its fabulous stationary. My aunt has done her Christmas cards from IO MOI for the past couple of years and I finally looked at the website. Not sure if that was best thing thats ever happened to me, or a huge mistake : )

They have everything from stationary, to i phone cases, to coasters and custom trays, to canvas bags and shoes. It has become my go-to website for gifts and it would make a great place to find some cute and different bridesmaids gifts!

p.s. IO MOI was also featured in the latest issue of Elle Magazine in an article for Rebecca Minkoff’s home. love.

We are so excited for Skirt! Magazine’s ReDo Party tomorrow night!  We love Skirt! here at Southern Protocol (it is one of the first things on our minds on the 1st of every month) and when else do you get a chance to re-wear your gorgeous, expensive, fabulous, special dress from the big day? Never.

The party is to benefit the Skirt! College of Charleston Scholarship Fund, and what a fun way to support the cause. We can’t wait to see all of the beautiful, or not-so-beautiful, wedding and bridesmaids dresses, the crazy hair and pretty shoes. And not to mention what is inside those fabulous “swag bags”. Hope to see everyone there!

If you haven’t already seen the Spring 2012 Charleston Weddings Magazine, you must go get a copy! Everything in it is absolutely stunning and Lizz has two amazing features, “Sunny Shade” and “Petal Power”. We are so proud of her!

Here is the link for Brittany and Will. This is one of my favorite weddings. It was southern, charming and quaint and every little detail played into the “glamourous 1940s affair” at Lowndes Grove.

http://www.charlestonmag.com/weddings/feature/sunny_shade

Jennifer and Michael’s wedding was absolutely gorgeous as well. They’re goal was “rustic meets glam” and it was perfect for the William Aiken House. Lizz and Anne from Stems made the perfect team!

http://www.charlestonmag.com/weddings/feature/petal_power

Happy Day of Love! We hope everyone is eating as much chocolate as possible, because today is the only day its appropriate, right? Thank goodness for chocolate covered strawberries and candy apples…

I love this Valentine’s Day Card from GADABOUT, so simple but so fun : http://www.agadabout.com/happy-valentines-day/

And this quote out of the Spring 2012 Charleston Weddings Magazine I thought was too perfect for today :
” Life is the flower for which love is the honey ” by Victor Hugo, so sweet.

And for those of you who are still planning your dinner for tonight… a girl can’t go wrong with some delicious pasta and bubbly. Eat Live Run has this amazing recipe for Engagement Scampi…yum! http://www.eatliverun.com/engagement-scampi/

xoxo

Want to help share some love this Valentine’s Day? Whitney from Branch Design Studio shared this story/website with us, and it absolutely broke my heart to read

A family from James Island recently had their adoptive daughter, Veronica, taken away from her because of the Indian Child Welfare Act…. since she has 1% Cherokee blood in her.  According to the website, the birthfather wanted nothing to do with Veronica while her birthmother was pregnant with her, and still didn’t even after she was born. Now he wants her back, and because of this law he won custody over her.

The SC Supreme Court has accepted Veronica’s case, but a court date hasn’t been determined yet. I hope that Melanie and Matt (her adoptive parents) can get her back!

Whitney and Molly are putting together flower arrangements and cupcakes to deliver on Valentine’s Day around Charleston and 100% of the proceeds will go towards helping this family get their little girl back. Below is the Facebook event link they put together

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1517843460&ref=tn_tnmn#!/events/246703645407305/

If you want to get involved or sign the petition, click on the following link:
http://www.saveveronica.org/veronicas-story/

Everyone loves Vera, how could you not? Did you see Sofia Vergara in that dress at the Golden Globes? To Die For. And after following her on Twitter (follow @VeraWangGang) and drooling over her new line, we love her even more! If thats possible. And she loves chocolate, cake andd donuts.

Vera’s Spring 2012 line is so amazingly gorgeous (don’t forget you can your own Vera dress right here in Charleston at Maddison Row!). Our favorites are the Gemma ( strapless sweetheart mermaid gown with asymmetrically beaded bodice and cut organza blossom hem with blizzard beading ), the Genevieve ( modified mermaid strapless sweetheart gown with asymmetrically draped peplum bodice and multi-tiered back over-skirt with horse hair bias trim ), the Georgina ( Strapless mermaid gown with fusions of shadow and chantilly lace and multi-tiered tulle skirt with cascading bias horsehair trim ) and the Ghillian ( Strapless sweetheart full a-line gown with asymmetrically draped drop–waist bodice and chrysanthemum organza blossom skirt ). We actually absolutely love all of them and it took forever to narrow it down to only these four!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous week so far

So February is just around the corner, can you believe that?! I feel like it was just yesterday that we were all drinking our bubbly at the fabulous end-of-the-year sweets and champagne party. And with February a week away, we are getting so close to our 2012 weddings to begin and one of the first holidays of the year…. Valentine’s Day! So to prepare for this loooovely holiday (hehe), and the fact it’s a Tuesday morning in the office, I have found some delectable drinks to share with you.

Ok so maybe I didn’t find these… Pinterest may have helped a little… but here we go:

Pink Champagne Cocktails

One bottle pink champagne

200 ml bottle Limoncello (suggested 120ml all up)

2 tblspns pink sugar

Place pink sugar on small plate.  Wet edges of champagne glasses under tap then dip in pink sugar.

Fill champagne flutes with 1/4 Limoncello then fill the rest with champagne.  Serves around 10.

White Sangria with Pomegranate

1 bottle white wine

3 cans 7up or sprite

Grand Marnier (just a few ounces)

Seeds of 1 pomegranate

Slices of 2 limes

Ice

Pour all the ingredients into a punch bowl and wait for the seeds to float- then enjoy!

I know its already the fifth (?!) but, Happy New Year to everyone! Thank you, everyone, so much for such a wonderful year, we truly could not have done it without you. We had such a blast at the Bubbles and Sweets party (filled with champagne, lemon bars, chocolate truffles, red velvet cupcakes, cheesecake bites and mini molten chocolate cakes – YUM!) and having all of you there only reminded us of how lucky we are to work with you all.

Things are already super busy here in the Southern Protocol office and we are so ready to make 2012 the best yet! We wish everyone a happy, healthy and fun 2012