Blue & Gold Style NYE Elopement (Columbia, SC)
As told by Jessica Hunt Photography: Styled shoots are one of my favorite ways for myself and local vendors to show off what we can do within our fields as creatives. I am so excited to share with you today a styled shoot that myself and several local Columbia, South Carolina wedding vendors collaborated on together! We worked together to design an event to provide inspiration for couples planning either their wedding or elopement on New Year’s Eve. We wanted to provide a unique twist on the tradition of an ‘All White Party’, so we did a little brainstorming and settled on the idea of an ‘All Black Party’! Our couple was dressed in classy tuxes from the Black Tux, both in all black, and the rest of our decor included elements of gold and navy throughout the shoot to elevate our theme of an ‘All Black Party’ to vibe with the feeling luxury and opulence that New Year’s Eve provides.
Traditionally, White Parties are being held for large celebrations, and we thought what better way to throw a version of that than on New Year’s Eve!
Working real weddings with real couples often can restrict our creativity as wedding vendors because we work to please the couple! These means we often do not have much specific power over our couple’s theme, decor, or wedding day’s look. Many of our couples often stick to local trends and decor, so we wanted to use this styled shoot opportunity to show off something just a little bit southern, but also different from what we would normally work on on a local wedding together as a team.
Our elopement venue was the Lula Drake Pastor’s Study on Main Street in Columbia, South Carolina. The Pastor’s Study is a historical location that sits right above the wine parlor below. The study is little room toward the front of the venue, and it was previously the office of the pastor of nearby Ebenezer Lutheran Church. The words “Pastor’s Study” are still painted on an interior door. Pews, rescued from the old University of South Carolina law school, line the walls. John C. Seegers and Christopher C. Habenicht debuted this building by September 1865 as a saloon and brewery. During the 1870s and 1880s, the property served as a meeting place for several German organizations, including the Schuetzen Verein and Freundschaftsbund, shooting and friendship societies. In 1937, an Art-Deco inspired renovation altered the building’s original appearance. That modern treatment was removed in 2015 during the building’s adaptive use as Lula Drake Wine Parlor and the Pastor’s Study, a project that received a Historic Columbia preservation award in 2018. So, not only does the Pastor’s Study have a rich history, but it also provides the perfect secluded location for an intimate and private elopement or wedding ceremony.
All of our vendors involved in this shoot truly went above and beyond in creating their elements for the photos. Our catering vendor, Southern Way Catering, created a luxury three-course meal to fit our couples dreamy NYE elopement. There was even a gold foil on the dinner salads to ensure the meal matched the couple’s day. The Bubbly Bus, a local mobile champagne bar, pulled up on Main Street in Columbia, South Carolina to serve our couple and their guests a few glasses of bubbly to celebrate the new year, too!
Our planner and designer Jevettra from Avila Dawn Events flawlessly organized each of these vendors to create inspiration for other couples on how to host the most flawless intimate elopement experience. She coordinated with each of the vendors to ensure we were all working together to create one cohesive inspirational gallery for couples to use when planning their own New Year’s Eve celebration or wedding!
Our paper goods vendor, Pretty Written Things, went above and beyond with an exquisite invitation suite, complete with gold foil and antique stamps. Andrew Stinson Aifd Cdf with WAS Design Works created the modern and unique floral arrangements for both our grooms and the dinner table, as well! Chandler from Cakes by Chandler crafted a beautiful matte black cake with gold foil to bring everything together for us, too.
All-in-all this beautiful styled shoot was perfectly executed by every vendor involved, and this shoot provides unique and diverse inspiration for other couples planning to host their intimate union on New Year’s Eve!
Location: Columbia, SC
Event Date: December 31, 2018
Event Planner: Avila Dawn Events
Cinema and Video: John Antaki
Makeup Artist: Carly Wilson Artistry
Jewelry: Unforgettable Fine Jewelry
Specialty Foods: The Bubbly Bus
Bakery: Cakes by Chandler
Caterer: Southern Way Catering
Professional: Crisp Event Rentals
Calligrapher: Pretty Written Things
Floral Designer: WAS Design Works
Event Venue: Lula Drake Pastor’s Study
Photographer: Jessica Hunt Photography
