This review was not written soon enough, but I can sum it up in just a few words: book The…read moreCharleston for your event. Just do it.
We booked for a wedding on a very short timeline for a smallish group, and top to bottom, we had an amazing experience. They made planning so easy, from our amazing point of contact/coordinator Emily answering every silly question I had, to the digital planning offerings so we could make our own floor plans for the team. The owner Summer was also highly responsive when we needed to touch base. Day of, everything was so streamlined that we hardly had to lift a finger beyond getting our decorations out of the building. The staff was on top of every element and they were all so sweet. On top of that, EVERY SINGLE one of our guests commented on how gorgeous the venue is, with some family members excited to find a place for their own events.
We booked a buffet style dinner and added the lighting package, the coordinator upgrade, cake cutting, coffee service, soft drinks, and signature cocktails for a cash bar.
First of all, the food is phenomenal. It's easy to dismiss any sort of banquet service, especially a buffet style, as something somewhat less than a gourmet meal, but not here. Not by a long shot. EVERYTHING is good, from the meats and sides down to the bread (at one point in the evening one of our guests had a plate of about 10 rolls, which was completely understandable.) My husband is a snob about meat, especially steak, and basically cried at our tasting with how incredible it was. We got great feedback from our guests both the day of and afterward about how great the meal was.
The other really standout add on was the cocktails. It's another thing that every single guest (who imbibed) commented on, telling us not just how good they were but also how they loved trying "the groom" vs "the bride" drinks. The Charleston takes its alcohol seriously as a craft, with these drinks being the most truly *crafted* cocktails I've had in a while. It added an amazing element for our guests that they really noticed.
From the "executing our vision" end of planning, the coordinator upgrade was *invaluable.* Emily handled all of our decor setup and strike, including packing things. I overplanned tablescapes, decor, and timelines, which made her job easy, but she's such a pro that she's usually the one to handle such things. (As an aside, she took my concept and ran with it in ways I didn't think of, and I was so thrilled with her execution. Emily, I adore you and your creative brilliance.) The other item we are so glad we added for our vision of the day was the lighting package. It was the thing that took a gorgeous ballroom reception into what felt like a bespoke event, from our spotlighted entrance to the lighting on the floor for our first dance.
There IS an add on package that covered both of these line items and more, but because we wanted to choose some of our own vendors, we opted for only the individual items. I love who we hired, but for simplicity's sake, the larger package would probably be much easier for a couple looking for a "set it and forget it" style of wedding planning.
We loved our experience with The Charleston and I'd book our special day there a million times over. The building is gorgeous and with a rich history, but beyond that, it's so welcoming--not just the people but the vibe there. For us, there was never any other venue for our wedding than The Charleston, and I'll tell everyone who will listen how much we loved it.
I know yall read these reviews, so to the team directly: thank you for everything. It was the day we both always wanted, and you all made it special. We are infinitely grateful.