February 20th – The Williams Duo, father-son guitar and violin duo performed a wedding ceremony at the Boardwalk Inn, located at Wild Dunes on Isle of Palms. One of the spots to get married at the Boardwalk Inn is the Grand Pavilion. Being the centerpiece of the Boardwalk Inn beach front, it offers unparalleled views of the ocean as well as plenty of cover to fit most sized ceremonies and smaller receptions. It is a wonderful choice if you want to have a beach style wedding without having to worry about outside elements such as precipitation.

We arranged and performed two new songs specifically for this wedding, by the Alkaline Trio.

For the prelude, we threw in a song by the Drifters which everyone turned and smiled to, called Under the Boardwalk – very fitting since we were at the Boardwalk Inn. Below is the line up of the song choices for the ceremony:

Performing Ensemble
Violin and Guitar Duo – Williams Duo

Wedding Party & Bride’s Entrance
This Could Be Love – Alkaline Trio

Recessional
Help Me – Alkaline Trio

 

We played for a beautiful ceremony in the historic Unitarian Church in downtown Charleston. The church has wonderful photo  spots with the dramatic Gothic-styled ceilings and vibrant stained glass work.

The Adagio by Mozart is a very lyrical piece and has a nice tempo for the mothers to walk down to. It would be very comparable to something like Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. Its a good choice if you are looking for something a little different but want to keep the traditional style going.

The Hallelujah Chorus is a great choice since it has a nice uplifting mood but if you want to add a little humor to the ceremony (Hallelujah, we’re finally married after all this wedding planning!) this is a perfect song to end with.

So here is the lineup….

Grandmothers and Mothers: Adagio – Mozart

Bridal Party: La Rejouissance from the Royal Fireworks Suite – Handel

Bride: Air on the G String – Bach

Recessional: “ Hallelujah Chorus” from The Messiah – Handel

 

The William Aiken House is one of the quintessential venues that defines what the ideal downtown Charleston wedding is about. Its right in the heart of downtown and features its famous wrap around piazzas facing the expansive courtyard. What is great about this venue is the different areas where you can house your ceremony and reception. Many people have the ceremony in the central part where the reflecting pond and white trellis are. The reception can be tented in the courtyard or can be indoors utilizing the terraces and magnificently furnished interior.

The ceremony took place in the back part of the courtyard where the guest house is. This is a nice tucked away spot on the property which offers more privacy and is good for smaller sized weddings.

The tented area was furnished and designed beautifully using classic royal blue and white colors, simply clean and fresh.

 

The Thomas Bennett House is one of those nicely tucked away downtown venues that has a private feel for being in the city.  So if you are looking to have the essential Charleston wedding, this is a great venue to show that!

The courtyard is setup very well, having the grassy area behind the fountain for the ceremony and having the tented reception directly to the right. You can also have the reception inside as long as there is not amplified music produced.

The long-branched trees allow for cute decor to be hung such as the flower balls like in the picture below. It is simply a wonderful spot for a wedding especially in the spring and summer months when its very green and the flowers are in full bloom.

Here is another good example set list of traditional music for the ceremony we did:

Grandmothers and Mothers Processional

Ave Maria by Schubert

Wedding Party

Rondeau by Mouret

Bride’s Entrance

Trumpet Voluntary – Clarke

Recessional

“Spring” from the Four Seasons by Vivaldi

 

Another one of Kiawah’s breathtaking views, nestled on the banks of the Kiawah River, the River Course is a great alternative to the Sanctuary’s Grand Lawn. Bob and Mike Williams (my father and I) had the privilege of performing the ceremony and cocktail reception afterward on January 2nd, 2010.

 

We performed our classical repertoire for the wedding ceremony including Canon in D, Ave Maria, and Purcell’s Trumpet Tune. For the cocktail hour, we lightly amplified our acoustic instruments and performed a mix of Jazz and Popular tunes. Our goal is to happily surprise our clients when they hear our unique sound performing popular artists such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, Jack Johnson, and more on the guitar and violin. We are not just to be ‘background music’, but to entertain in a unique way which no other group can emulate.