Mount Pleasant ~ East of the Cooper

When researching venues, don't forget to check out Charleston's sister city, Mount Pleasant, just east of the peninsula across the Cooper River. Named one of only ten new All America Cities for 2010, Mount Pleasant has all the southern hospitality of the Lowcountry, with some modern twists.

The Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina has it all. Set along the banks of the Cooper River, your guests can grab a cocktail from The Reel Bar and relax pool side. Looking for more adventure? Stroll over to Patriot's Point and the marina for some sailing lessons, or take the water taxi to downtown Charleston and historic Fort Sumter. The private beach can be a beautiful setting for your ceremony. And with the on-site Indigo Grille and new spa (coming soon!) this resort has all the trimmings for a great, all-inclusive wedding destination!

Shem Creek, home to Charleston's shrimp boat fleet and just a few miles up the road from Patriot's Point, boasts both a jumping nightlife, and a foodie's dream come true. With fresh seafood brought in daily, you will be hard pressed to find better shrimp anywhere else in town. For classic Lowcountry fare, have your rehearsal dinner at Water's Edge Restaurant, recipient of Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence six years in a row, or stop by Vickery's for brunch. If you want to grab a few drinks with your wedding party, head over to Red's Ice House. With three bars to choose from -- an inside bar, the main bar outside overlooking the creek and the upper level deck -- Red's is a fun place to kick back and relax, any time of year. And if the party gets too wild, sleep it off at the cozy Shem Creek Inn, where every room has a private balcony with a view of the marsh.

Some other great locations east of the Cooper include the historic and breathtaking Boone Hall Plantation, one of America's oldest living and working plantations, and the inspiration for some scenes in "Gone With the Wind". Tidewater Chapel & Reception Hall, with its intimate, classy ambiance, was constructed exclusively for weddings, with vaulted, timber frame ceilings, a receiving garden and a main courtyard. The Creek Club at I'On, Alhambra Hall and the Cottages on Charleston Harbor are also very distinctive, very gorgeous sites that offer a variety of pampering and details that are sure to make your Big Day everything you ever dreamed it could be, and more.

What's a DW? Who is my MIL?

Often times, forums and blogs will use acronyms when discussing the details of a wedding, and everything ~ and everyone! ~ involved with it (such as "DW" for Destination Wedding, or "MIL" for Mother-in-law). Here is a list of common acronyms that you may find while planning out your Big Day...

BCP ~ Birth control pills
BF ~ Boyfriend or Best Friend
BM ~ Bridesmaid or Best Man
BP ~ Bridal Party
B-pics ~ Boudoir Pictures
DH ~ Dear Husband
DOC ~ Day-Of Coordinator
DW ~ Destination Wedding
E-ring ~ Engagement Ring
E-party ~ Engagement Party
E-pics ~ Engagement Pictures
FG ~ Flower Girl
FH ~ Future Husband
FI ~ Fiance/e or "Future Intended"
FIL ~ Father-in-law
FILs ~ Future in-Laws
FBIL ~ Future Brother-in-law
FFIL ~ Future Father-in-law
FMIL ~ Future Mother-in-law
FSIL ~ Future Sister-in-law
GF ~ Girlfriend
GM ~ Groomsman
GTG ~ Get Together
HM ~ Honeymoon
JP / JOP ~ Justice of the Peace
LDR ~ Long-Distance Relationship
MIL ~ Mother-in-law
MOH ~ Maid / Matron of Honor
NWR ~ Not Wedding Related
OOT ~ Out-of-town
RB ~ Ring Bearer
RD ~ Rehearsal Dinner
SO ~ Significant Other
SDR ~ Short-Distance Relationship
STD ~ Save the Date
TTD ~ Trash the dress
VIP(s) ~ Very Important Person, referring to wedding party and immediate family
WIC ~ Wedding Industrial Complex

Pick a date, book your dream site!

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

Such can be said about destination weddings, especially if you don't give yourself enough time for all of the planning! Charleston continues to rank as a hot spot among the top five cities across the country for destination weddings, with Kiawah Island being named Most Romantic Beach by America's Best & Top Ten in 2009.

The city is home to dozens of fabulous restaurants and countless hotels and historic homes, but venues fill up quickly so you'll want to pick a date and make booking your dream wedding site your first priority! As a general rule of thumb, give yourself at least nine months to plan ~ or a full year, if you can swing it! And when you and your FH are discussing dates, be open to some flexibility; May and June tend to be the most popular months for Charleston weddings, followed closely by late August, September and October.