Southern Protocol

Can you believe that we’re already halfway through the summer?? For me, the official “midway” point was always July 4th festivities, and it snuck up on me this year like never before.

What that means for all you chic and happenin’ mamas out there is that you are in the downhill slide to the August start of your kids’ school year! For your lively children it means a return to 8:00 am – 3:00 pm schooldays, indoor voices, and actually staying seated during lunch time… does that make you a tad nervous? Don’t let it!

Southern Protocol is teaming up once again with Charleston Museum to offer a Back to School manners workshop on Saturday, August 7th from 9:00 am – 11:00 am. We’ll cover general manners and etiquette, as always (including behaving in public, introductions, phone manners, etc), but we’ll have a special emphasis on behavior in the school building (including table manners, sportsmanship, public speaking, etc).

As always, the class includes a snack and numerous activities that enforce good manners in a fun and interactive way – they’ll be in polite, school mode in no time

This Petite Protocol class with a twist is only offered for our smaller friends, ages 6-10. Cost is $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Reservations are required; please visit the Charleston Museum website for registration, or contact sthomas@charlestonmuseum.org for more information.

We get loads of questions from our beautiful brides about all things wedding etiquette-related. If you’re having a destination wedding, do you invite everyone to the rehearsal dinner? How far in advance should you send out invitations? How can I include everyone I love? What is the proper wording for invitations? And who is REALLY supposed to pay for everything?

The list of questions is literally endless, and modern times have made traditional customs a bit murky. Instead of navigating through huge, stuffy etiquette books, why not come to a fun and laid-back seminar at Charleston Museum? Thursday, February 25th from 6:30 – 7:30 pm Southern Protocol will hold a Wedding Etiquette Workshop at Charleston Museum.

So to all you brides with millions of questions – grab your mom and best friend and join us for lots of wedding information, drinks and a small appetizer (courtesy of the lovely Cynthia Groseclose of The Canape). We’ll cover wedding etiquette, general timelines, a budget guide… all your questions answered!

The workshop is in conjunction with the museum’s Aisle of Style exhibit; all class participants will get to browse through the praised exhibit with purchase of the workshop ticket. Seats are $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Click here to get more information or to sign up!

Last Saturday we held Part II of our Petite Protocol program at The Charleston Museum. It was a huge success! It’s amazing how much these little ones can truly soak up during an hour and a half.

Last Saturday’s focus? Table manners! We covered both American and Continental styles of eating, place settings (no excuses when you ask them to help set the dinner table!), general table manners, finger foods… and of course tested their newly learned knowledge with a snack. A big thanks to The Charleston Museum and all of our polite children for making what we do so fabulous

See more pictures below! Interested in signing your child up for a manners lesson? We offer private workshops and polite parties that can be tailored to your desires. Southern Protocol will also have camps at both the Gibbes Museum and Hazel Parker this summer – see our “Behave” page or email contact@southernprotocol.com for details!

Our second Petite Protocol session at The Charleston Museum is already upon us!

Saturday’s lesson – for both age groups – will focus on what every parent longs for their children to have, especially in front of company: table manners!

From 9:00 – 10:30 AM our 4-6 year olds will learn American style table manners, as well as how to politely eat finger foods. No more stuffing goldfish by the handfuls into their mouths! Afterwards, from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM, our 7-12 year olds will learn American and Continental styles of table manners in addition to finger food tutorials. Both sessions include fun and interactive manner lessons, activities, and a snack.

Classes are located at The Charleston Museum, and are $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Visit The Charleston Museum’s website for more information, or to RSVP. Both classes only have a few more seats available, so sign up quick!

Hello, Mommies with young children! Stressing about how to find enough activities to fill your and your kids’ time this coming three-day weekend? Southern Protocol and Charleston Museum are here to help!

We are holding our popular Petite Protocol classes at the Charleston Museum this Saturday, January 16th, for two different age groups: 9:00 – 10:30 am for ages 4 to 6, and 11:00 am – 12:30 pm for ages 7 to 12.

The fun and engaging program will teach young children how to be respectful, courteous, and confident in their manners. Your child will have an educational and interactive morning with snacks and crafts! What better way for them to spend their morning? Part I (Part II coming on February 6th) will specifically cover introductions, how to act in public, phone manners, and how to write thank you notes. Plus, after their class is over, the museum is overflowing with cool exhibits and treasures to explore.

To register your children, or for more information, please visit The Charleston Museum’s website. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Lots of wedding-related content today!

For those that haven’t heard, the Charleston Museum is getting ready to open a marvelous exhibit called “Aisle Style: 150 Years of Wedding Fashion” next Friday, October 16th! It’s going to be beautiful and moving, and I can’t wait to see full-bustled wedding dresses from the early 20th century. The exhibit will also display photographs, wedding traditions, bridal trousseaus, and men’s wedding attire (hey, they have to look good, too!). I’m definitely planning on going (it runs until June 30th, 2010) and will let y’all know how it is!

To kick off the fashionable exhibit, the museum is pairing up with Charleston Magazine for a “sneak-peek” party on Thursday, October 15th from 6-8 pm. It will cost $15 for museum members, $20 for non-members, and will include hors d’ouerves, wedding cake and cocktails on top of breathtaking vintage wedding fashion.

I’m so glad that fashion-focused exhibits are the hot trend in museums right now. Fashion is art! We want to get the word out about this trend, so if you ever hear of any exhibit we haven’t mentioned on our blog, be sure to let us know

The Charleston Museum is located at 360 Meeting Street. Daily entrance fees are $10 for adults, $5 for children 3-12, and free for those under three. Please RSVP for the event to (843)722-2996, ext 264 by October 12th.