Samantha & Rich's Intimate Asheville, North Carolina Elopement at Battery Park Book Exchange | International Destination Elopement, Micro & Pop-Up Wedding Planners | Scarlet Plan & Design

Our most memorable and favorite couples usually tend to be bold, adventurous, unconventional and give us creative freedom to make our magic while we put their weddings together; Sam & Rich checked all those boxes and then some! During our first conversation with Samantha we knew immediately that their wedding was going to be a blast to work on! This fun, quirky couple wanted to truly elope, just the two of them, in Asheville, definitely one of the BEST cities for funky offbeat weddings. With the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains, a rad downtown art scene, wineries and vineyards galore, the Biltmore, food trucks and breweries, and some of the most inclusive and community minded vendors we’ve ever met, Asheville truly has something for everyone!

Sam’s wish list was hilariously short:

1. the venue must be something funky, weird and artsy,

2. they love books, maybe we can find a way to incorporate that?

3. a bad ass vintage car to surprise Rich with because he loves vintage cars,

4. make all the creative decisions and just tell them where to be and when! Haha!

Easiest bride ever, right?! Well, I’m pretty sure we delivered on everything she wanted! We found the Battery Park Book Exchange, a rad used book store & champagne bar to be their venue. Then we snagged a KILLER vintage Chevelle and did their first look in front of the car for a double surprise Rich would never forget! Honestly, their wedding was not only one of the most fun elopements we’ve ever planned, but one of the most heartfelt and genuine as well. Ahem, thanks for making us ugly cry, Sam & Rich!

:: badass Asheville wedding vendors ::

planning, design & floral design: Scarlet Plan & Design | photography: Natalie Schwartz Photography | Venue: Battery Park Book Exchange | Vintage car: REV, Rare Exotic Vehicles | Hair & Makeup Artists: AnaRie | Officiant: Jay Webb for Asheville Marriages | Getting ready location: OMNI Grove Park Inn

Vintage vibes abound with Sam’s sleek, elegantly sexy, low-back bridal gown paired with a vintage fur stole and deep plummy lip color. Isn’t she a stunner?

Her face really kind of says it all, right? Sweet Samantha was sooooooooo excited about surprising Rich, a serious vintage car fan, with this dope 1959 Oldsmobile 88 so we combined the car reveal with their First Look to create a one-of-a-kind surprise and hands down our new favorite!

Sam loved the girl rocking beer can curlers in her hair so much that they HAD to have her in at least one pic! Haha! Keep Asheville weird, y’all!

Congrats again, Sam & Rich!! We wish you countless years of health and happiness together!!!

Callie & Chad's Lowcountry Wedding Bash on Edisto Island | Charleston Spring Wedding at Cypress Trees Plantation by Scarlet Plan & Design

No great story ever starts with someone eating a salad, right? And this story is no different.

So, we met at a bar… no really, that’s actually how Callie and I met! Last summer I was out at a brewery catching up with one of my favorite past brides in the whole land, Noel, when we happened to run into Theresa of the French Eclectic (y’all know she’s my sister from another mister) who was out hanging with Callie. Obvi, much squealing and hugging ensued, introductions were made, we all hit it off, insert shenanigans, lots of beverages and the four of us made a night of it.

I guess at some point in the evening I must’ve mentioned being a wedding planner (or perhaps the Scarlet logo on my t-shirt gave it away!), but when Chad popped the question just a couple weeks later, Callie hit us up to plan her wedding. And we couldn’t have been more thrilled!

Aaaaaand, let the wedding planning adventures begin!! We got together again at the same brewery, Chad included this time, laughed until I couldn’t breathe and we all became best friends. Duh. Fast forward many, many months + many planning (mostly laughing) sessions later and these two hilarious lovebirds finally tied the knot at Cypress Trees Plantation on Editso Island in April.

One of my favorite parts of planning weddings is when both partners are equally excited about the planning process and sweet Chad was not only excited, but incredibly invested in every decision we made and had lots of his own great (and hysterical) ideas of his own. I mean, just LOOK at his face in the photos! C’mon, could anyone possibly look happier to marry the woman of their dreams? And seriously, Callie is a straight up babe, y’all! Insert heart-eyes emojis here!

They wanted an epic party with lowcountry, coastal vibes, great food, surrounded by the people they love the most, and that’s exactly what we gave them! Anyway, this adventurous, fun-loving couple trusted us to use our creativity and hook them up with a few surprises, their families and friends were excited and hands-on, and Callie’s amazing dad even built their backdrop for the ceremony! How rad is that?!

Enjoy the epic awesomesauce, y’all!!

vendor credits

planning & design: Sara Skinner & Megan O’Donnell for Scarlet Plan & Design | photography: Bette Walker Photography | venue: Cypress Trees | signage, hand lettering and custom oyster shell & watercolor escort cards: Sara Skinner for Scarlet Plan & Design | catering & bar: Thurston Southern Catering | event rentals and lighting: Event Works | floral design: Flower Shop | specialty rentals: Adorn Charleston | linens: BBJ Linens | cake: | ceremony musicians: Ear for Music | reception band: The Secrets | bride’s gown: Lovely Bride | bridesmaids’ gowns: BHLDN, Needle & Thread, Lulu’s | groom & groomsmen’s attire: The Black Tux | bowties: Brackish Bowties | cookie favors: Parker’s Crazy Cookies | invitations: Cotton & Ink Studio

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Nothing on earth could possibly sum up Chad’s personality or excitement over the wedding more than this photo! What a great groom!!

I hope the mismatched bridesmaids gowns are here to stay!! Don’t they all look lovely?!

How dope is that geometric backdrop Callie’s dad built for the wedding ceremony?!

My Big Fat Greek Mamma Mia Pop-Up Wedding! | Scarlet Plan and Design International Destination Wedding Planners

So… Are you like us? Are you dreaming of your gorgeous Greek wedding in Greece?

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We all have dreams, aspirations, hopes… some of us may call it a bucket-list. Here at Scarlet, we dream big, hardcore if you will. Some of us dive deeper into our dreams, well, after a bottle (or two) of our favorite rosé. Collaboratively, whilst watching Mamma Mia! and singing our hearts out to Abba, we thought, “Man, wouldn’t it be gorgeous and amazing to pull this off for someone?” If you’re a fan of the movie (or just Greece in general) and want a wedding there, we share a dream! Additionally, we have some GREAT news for you! After a little time on the World Wide Web, we have found exactly how to have the perfect, beautiful blue and white get-away wedding. Visit the gorgeous island of Skopelos and sea side hamlet of Damouchari; the exact film locations of Mamma Mia and Mamma Mia 2!

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A Little About the Islands…

Yeah…. This could be you… Channeling all those Meryl Streep and Abba vibes..

Located in the western Aegean Sea, Skopelos is one of several islands which comprise the Northern Sporades island group, which lies east of the Pelion peninsula on the mainland and north of the island of Euboea. This tiny but mightily beautiful island has no airport, so you’ll arrive by ferry boat! Creating the feeling of remote, luxurious, unique romance and relaxation. Not to mention, you’ll (probably) be humming the happy soundtrack of Mamma Mia your entire stay and joyous wedding day!

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Is This Your Ideal Reception?

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Whether it is or not, we can make your dreams come true (whatever they are)! If you’re not the type to finish off a local bottle of Grecian wine and throw it into the crowd of your friends and family, don’t worry, we have lot’s of fabulous places on our list that are a little more… laid back.

However, if you’re channeling your inner Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), we found the ACTUAL wedding chapel in which she was to be married in! Even better news, it is able to be reserved for your perfect day! We hope you go through with it, unlike Sophie. But, if you want the dramatic, romantic exit she and Sky pulled off, we can do that for ya, too.

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Okay, Honey Honey’s, Lay All Your Love on Us, the Super Troupers!

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Meryl Streep is us; jumping for joy to plan your destination big day! Let’s jump in, head first and start planning your dream Grecian wedding! Go all out with the same wedding chapel from the movie, located on Aghios Ionnas Island, the bachelorette and bachelor parties, the quaint, blue and white inns and have your Mamma Mia adventure wedding! Or, make some slight adjustments and have a more low-key, exotic, exclusive escape for your wedding. Either way, you’ll make our dreams come true and we’ll do the same for you!

Talk to one of our planners today and let’s get Greek!

psst, that means “let’s do it!” in Greek

10 Wedding Trends That Need to Go Away | Scarlet Plan & Design

Alright, folks. We've rounded up our 10 most hated wedding trends that need to just simply die and they're not what you think they are.

1. Allowing someone's opinion to sway your decisions.

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This day is about you and your fiance. That is all.

Don't let the opinions of some hateful mouth-breather come between you and the wedding you and your fiance want! So what if the blogosphere has declared war on something you really love? Next week they'll find something else to hate, and your so-called basic hipster wedding that they hate right now will suddenly become trendy again.

If you love craft beer, or want ice cream sandwiches instead of a cake, do it! If you want a steampunk, funkalicious anti-wedding, have it! You want fire throwers or a tattoo artist at your reception? Go for it! Do you embrace your PSL-loving, UGG wearing "basic" side and its all-things-fall-loving gloriousness?

First of all, whoever coined the term "basic" as an insult is an asshole. Second, get you a pumpkin spice latte bar, served in mason jars, wrapped in burlap if that's what you want. But please, don't actually do that because it sounds really messy to have drunks people wielding ladles, scooping their own coffee into jars at a wedding.

Check local listings for air times. The show, which follows eight young, brazen adults for a wild summer of extreme fun, will be vacationing in Savannah for the first time but will once again feature the original cast: Daddy, Lyle, Murray, Walt, Hannah, Hott Dogg, Lauren, Mattie and Tiffany.

I know it can be especially hard if you're fighting a parent or a sibling over your choices, especially if the things you want are nontraditional or completely break with the expected wedding "norms". But I can promise you -from my own firsthand experience- YOU WILL REGRET GIVING UP WHAT YOU WANT JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE FINDS IT WEIRD. I promise that you'll cringe with regret every single time you look at your wedding photos and wish you'd just stuck to your guns and worn that blue wedding gown or had pies instead of a cake. 

Life is too short not to eat pie or wear a blue wedding gown, y'all.

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2. going into debt to pay for the wedding

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This should really be a no-brainer, but sadly it is not. If you have to take out a loan or put yourself in debt to pay for an extravigant wedding, please take a step back and try to reevaluate your priorities. Do you really want to start your new married life together in debt? 

And don't you DARE start a crowd-funding campaign to make other people pay for your wedding.

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3. Having unnecessary plastic surgery to "look your best" for the wedding day.

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First of all, you're already perfect. Second, are you fucking kidding me? When did this become a thing?! Third, tell me who said you're not a freaking goddess and I will whoop their behind.

HOWEVER, if you personally want to have some work done because that is YOUR heart's desire and you're doing it for YOU, then I got your back.

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4. Going "Venue Poor".

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Venue Poor - when you've blown a big ass iceberg sized hole in your budget on a venue that's waaaaaaay outside what you can afford and now you don't have shit left to pay for the rest of the wedding.

Yeah, your venue is gonna be super pretty...but that's about it. It's also gonna be pretty empty because you couldn't afford decent rentals, you're stuck with a Craigslist photographer, you're making your guests pay for their own drinks with a cash bar (CRINGE), Bojangles is catering and your decor came from Walmart, all because you didn't read the fine print before signing a contract.

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5. An obscene amount of bridesmaids/groomsmen.

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Child, you don't need no 23 people in the damn wedding party.

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6. Unrealistic budget expectations.

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I'm looking right at you, Pinterest, and your punk behinds over at BRIDES, Wedding Wire and all those janky Facebook groups. They're like the Four Horsemen of the Wedding Apocalypse spreading lies, misinformation, #fakenews and contributing to the overall demise of realistic budget expectations. Come at me, bro.

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No, you cannot host a lavish, luxury wedding for 150+ guests for less than $10,000 and no amount of "negotiating" is gonna change that. You can't walk into Louis Vuitton and start haggling with them like an old fishwife. You can't expect to buy a brand new Maserati for the same price as a beat up Yugo. Why? Because that isn't a thing.

Nobody is trying to take advantage of you by charging what they charge. You already know you're not going to get a one-of-a-kind couture gown from David's Bridal, so why would you expect to get high-end custom floral designs for a bargain basement price?

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And to all of y'all past brides blowing up the comments on Facebook groups: Stop it. Stop telling people how you got married at Maw Maw's farm and only spent $2500, because, honey, honeeeyyyyyyy, your wedding was a BYOB with a pig roast and an iPod playlist. And there's nothing wrong with that, but you're not comparing apples to apples.

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Finally, 75% of the pics on Pinterest are from styled shoots. What's that, you ask? A styled shoot is when a bunch of vendors get together and basically play with some sort of over the top design concept, hire models, pimp out an insane venue and spend hours, nay, sometimes a few DAYS, to get those incredible Pinteresty shots you love so much. NONE of the photos are DIY weddings.

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Honestly the starting tag would be about $200,000+ to turn one of those incredible over-the-top styled shoots into a real wedding. So I hope you're a Kardashian or marrying the heir to a Saudi oil field. Sorry, not sorry. 

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7. Lying to your wedding vendors.

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Seriously, there's some trash advice floating around the internet advising engaged couples to lie to their wedding vendors and NOT tell them its a wedding. Why would they say to do that?! To {insert bullshit cough here} save money.

YES, having a wedding will cost more than throwing a birthday party. Why? BECAUSE IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN A BIRTHDAY PARTY. More time planning, more attention to detail, more staffing, more EVERYTHING. So do NOT lie to any of your vendors.

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8. Wasting money on stuff that doesn't matter if you can't afford it.

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Aisle runners. Over the top escort cards (unless people can keep them!). Useless favors. Can I eat/drink it? Will it help a hangover? If not, then skip it. Throwaway cameras on guest tables. Custom cocktail napkins. Bathroom kits for guests. Flip flops by the dance floor. Trust me, nobody cares and most of it will go into the garbage.

However, if you have the budget for frivolities, please spend it supporting local small businesses.

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9. Cheaping out on the stuff that matters.

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NEVER skimp on photography, food or music. Those 3 things are the keys to a successful event with memories that will last a lifetime.

Your photographer is the only person who will be able to capture every single moment from your wedding day. Oftentimes, the entire day happens in a flash and before you know it, its all over! But a great photographer will be able to document all those memories for years and years to come. Don't cheap out on that. 

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Let's talk about the food and (cringe) a cash bar. You don't have to get Surf & Turf for everyone, but you do need to ensure your guests have GOOD food and plenty of it. And if you're making your guests pay for their cocktails simply because you want to save a few bucks, FFS you better put that on the damn invitations.

*Disclaimer- I'm not talking about when weddings are dry for religious reasons! My side eye is directed at the folks who are too cheap to offer a frosty adult beverage to their guests for free*

Just like IFC, GIFs are always on, slightly off.

Cash me outside wit my flask.

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Music should simply go without even saying. How many of us have had to suffer through weddings with a terrible DJ or an off-key garage band? If you want to dance floor to stay lit all night long, then you MUST hire professionals capable of doing that.

© FOX 2018

And if a price seems too good to be true, just remember, you will get what you pay for 9 times out of 10. True story, I knew a bride who hired a Craigslist DJ for her wedding a few years back and not only did he show up for a formal, black tie wedding in jeans and a hula shirt, but all sorts of random people kept showing up throughout the night. Turns out the DJ literally invited his wife, his friends, her friends, random potential couples to all come and enjoy his jams. But he was only $300, so it's cool, right? Shit. You. Not. 

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10. Doing it for the #gram

If anything you're planning is being done in the hopes of going viral or becoming internet famous, just get out now.

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Internet Famous follows the adventures of five fictional Internet personalities as they travel across the country to compete in a talent competition featuring the biggest, brightest stars online. The winner of the competition receives the chance of a lifetime - their very own TV show. The only problem is...

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Alright, I've said what I came here to say.

#SARAOUT #micdrop

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