Things To-Do In and Around Charleston, SC

Charleston has become one of my favorite places to visit. It was "love at first site" when Will and I went for the first time a few years ago and I'll never get enough of this beautiful city filled with cobblestone streets, gas lanterns, plantation homes, and the best waterfront views. Recently, I went back and spent time at Folly Beach for my friend Allison's bachelorette getaway. I had never been to Folly before and had such a great time so I thought it would be fun, and also helpful, to make a list of some of my favorite spots and recommendations in Charleston, Folly Beach, and Isle of Palms (where I celebrated my bachelorette that you can see here and here)!

Charleston:

Places to Stay: Historic Renaissance Hotel for it's top-notch southern hospitality, The Mills House, Planters Inn, The Restoration, Zero George for a great for a romantic getaway, or even the Holiday Inn which is good for a short or last minute stay.

Shopping: King Street is a MUST! V2V, Sassy Shortcake, Copper Penny (I found the most amazing smelling candles here), Luna, and Carolina Girls are a few worth checking out. I honestly haven't done much shopping in Charleston, minus picking up souvenirs for family and friends because I'm always snapping photos and wandering the streets which is probably a good thing since the shopping is endless!

Food: Virginia's On King, Poogan's Porch (they have really cute t-shirts you can purchase here) Toast, Blossom, High Cotton, King Street Grill (get the mac & cheese egg rolls), and Peninsula Grill at Planters Inn (ask to sit in the courtyard if it's available and order the coconut cake for dessert!).

Drinks & Nightlife: The Rooftop at The Vendue has tasty appetizers, amazing views and was my favorite in overall atmosphere. The Gin Joint, Pavilion Rooftop Bar, Prohibition, and Stars Rooftop Bar are a few others. Stars comes in second place for best atmosphere in my opinion.

Activities: Stroll down Rainbow Row (make sure to take a photo), snag one of the wooden swings and watch the sunset at Waterfront Park, take a sunset cocktail cruise with Adventure Harbor Tours (by far my favorite activity we did for my friends bachelorette getaway and will be doing this again), visit the Charleston Aquarium, and ride a horse-drawn carriage to tour the city.

Isle of Palms:

Places to Stay: Wild Dunes Resort, or you can easily find something that will fit your needs by checking out VRBO or Airbnb. 

Food: The Boathouse, Coconut Joe's Beach Bar, Island Joe's (perfect place for when you have a sweet tooth), Sea Biscuit Cafe, Coda Del Pesce, The Windjammer, and Banana Cabana.

Drinks & Nightlife: Coconut Joe's, The Windjammer and Banana Cabana all have live music at night with laid-back atmospheres.

Activities: This one isn't exactly IN Isle of Palms but it is close by and if you like live music then it's worth checking out Party At The Point which my girls took me to on my bachelorette!

Folly Beach:

Food: Lost Dog Cafe, Rita's (have gone here for breakfast and lunch and both were good), The Grill and Island Bar, Taco Boy, BLU, Black Magic Cafe, and Locklears.

Drinks & Nightlife: Snapper Jacks, Surf Bar, Loggerhead's, and the Sand Dollar (cash only).

Activities: Walk the Folly Beach Fishing Pier, visit Morris Island Lighthouse or rent kayaks.

 

Cap Maison

Y'all, it's Friday and I'm getting MARRIED tomorrow! Eek! I can't believe our big day is finally here and the countdown is over. To say we are excited for our life as one to begin would be an understatement. And what better way for us to enjoy being newlyweds then to travel to a destination that neither of us have yet to experience, and to celebrate our first days of marriage as just the two of us, savoring all of the blissful and relaxing moments that we have been dreaming about for months?!

So welcome to Cap Maison friends! The place Will and I will call "home away from home" for a full week following our wedding day. I mean....did you look at those pictures above?! All of the photos came from Cap Maison's website and I can't help but sit here and daydream about how amazing this place will be when we see it in person. We will be staying in an 'ocean view' Junior Suite that has it's own private veranda and even a minibar. Y'all, I can't wait to wake up early, have breakfast in bed some mornings, and some days even outside, and spend our days exploring the property and all of St. Lucia. 

For most of you, you know that I'm a planner, but when it came to planning our honeymoon, we wanted to leave our schedule pretty open. Of course we have a list of things we want to do, but we want our time to be spent relaxing, going with the flow and being as flexible as possible. Something we both struggle with doing and thought would be the perfect time to practice while on vacation. Even though we don't have much set-in-stone, we are looking forward to our helicopter ride from the airport to our hotel once we arrive, going snorkeling, visiting La Soufriere Volcano and the Sulfur Springs Park in Soufriere, checking out the Castries Market and eating lots of yummy food.

I'll be documenting my time in St. Lucia periodically via Instagram (@mmackvick) and Snapchat (@mscheek) so be sure to follow along over the next week and when I get back I'll be doing a few recap posts. Have a great weekend, y'all! Can't wait to catch up when I get back!

5 on Friday

ONE
I love photography and my sweet pup Miller. Put those two things together and you've got my attention. So it's almost obvious that when I saw that Nikon has made a camera for dogs I almost died. I don't think Miller will ever have one of these but it does make me wonder what his photos would turn out like! What do you think of this camera?

TWO
Will and I have been taking dancing lessons at Queen City Ballroom and I'm actually kind of sad that it's coming to an end! Over the course of 7 lessons, and with 3 left, we've learned so much. My favorite things we've learned have been the tango and swing dancing. And honestly our lessons have turned into a fun activity that we both enjoy. Often it feels like date night when we go. It's an hour out of the week that we can look forward to and get to focus on each other while letting loose and having fun! Our instructor Rachel has also been amazing to work with and has turned into a such a sweet friend. We highly recommend her if you live in the Charlotte area and want to freshen up your dance moves!

THREE
It's Memorial Day Weekend and there are tons of great sales going on right now. I'll defiantly be checking out the ones at ASOS, Banana Republic, Gap, Loft and Baublebar.

FIVE
On Tuesday I wrote a blog post recapping my bachelorette party at the beach. I had the best time with my best friends and am so thankful for all that they did for me to make that weekend one to remember forever. One of the things that I did to thank them was gift them with a candle from Rewined Candles based out of Charleston, SC. Along with the candle, my MOH Emily put together the most adorable little sand buckets filled with everyday beach essentials such as sunscreen, face oil wipes, snacks and the cutest mason jars I ever did see. I was super spoiled by my girls and it was only fair that my girls be spoiled with me <3

Hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!! Can't wait to catch up with you all next week.

Bachelorette Beach Getaway

This past weekend five of my dearest friends and I traveled to Isle of Palms for a long weekend getaway to celebrate my last days as a bachelorette! I haven't had that much fun in quite a while and was in desperate need of relaxing (wedding planning can get stressful ladies!) and girl time.

Side-note; If you follow me on Instagram (@mmackvick) you likely got a good glimpse into what our weekend was like and may have laughed a little at some of the snaps I captured on Snapchat (follow me @mscheek). But for a detailed look into our four days together, continue reading...

We arrived Thursday evening just in time unpack our bags and make ourselves "at home" before heading to dinner at The Boathouse. But before we headed out to eat, the girls wanted to surprise me by decorating and making the place feel super festive, so I decided to go on a walk and explore Wild Dunes Resort by myself while they did just that. And who am I kidding...I played with this new app I just recently downloaded and can't get enough of it called Dubsmash. It's hilarious. Anyways, when I got back to the condo, the kitchen area and living room were decorated in two of my favorite colors; GOLD and PINK! Everything screamed Swoozie's which is one of my favorite stores in Charlotte!

Friday we woke up and headed to breakfast at Coconut Joe's Beach Bar before making our way into Charleston for the day. If I had to describe this city in one word I would have to say it's charming. From the mansions, palmetto trees, gazebos, and waterfront views, Charleston is simply the best. We did lot's of walking, explored King's Street (V2V is a must), walked around The Battery (aka Battery Park), stopped for a quick lunch at King Street Grille (try the Mac & Cheese Egg Rolls) and walked some more before hoping into our cars and headed straight to Party at the Point in Mount Pleasant. There's nothing like live music, dancing, and a cold drink in hand to make for a night full of memories you'll remember for years to come. After Party at the Point, we headed back to Coconut Joe's Beach Bar for a late night snack before heading back to the condo and calling it a night.

Saturday was our day of R&R and consisted of sleeping in, eating breakfast that Emily (my Maid of Honor on the far left in the picture above) made for us at the condo, and heading to the beach for a full day of sun! It was just what I think we all needed. We walked along the water's edge, laid out in the hot sun and even found a tiny little sand dollar for me to keep! Thanks Caitlin!!

Later that afternoon we went back to the condo to make some lunch, rest  up and headed back out for some more sun...this time we ended up at one of the pools at the Wild Dunes Resort. Me however, I sat in the shade and read a magazine because I was so sun burnt from early that day...so much so that the girls wouldn't even let me catch anymore rays even if I wanted to! That night, we took it easy and had a pizza party at the house and then made a quick trip to Island Joe's for ice cream. When we got back, we were so tired but stayed up just long enough for them to shower me with gifts. They truly are the sweetest friends in the whole world and I am SO lucky to have each of them in my life. The saying is true..."some people make your laugh a little louder, your smile a little brighter, and your life a little better".

Sunday was bittersweet as we woke up and had to start cleaning before checking out of the condo. I slowly started to pack up all the wonderful gifts the girls gave me, and sat on the ground for a few minutes thinking back over all the memories we made in the past three nights. I was sad the weekend was coming to an end but ready to be back home with Will and Miller!

I didn't want to end this post though without giving a few pieces of advice for all you future brides or girls that are part of a bridal party that were really helpful in making my own bachelorette beach getaway a success.

First, let loose and have some fun! You don't have to do anything wild or crazy, but this IS the perfect time to laugh, reminisce, and act goofy (even just a little)! In my case, I was getting stressed out and weighed down by all the wedding planning going on that I was in need of a break so this beach getaway was perfect for me. And honestly, it's the last time that I'll get to spend a few days with just my girls so I didn't take that for granted one bit.

Second, remember that this is all about the bride and don't lose sight of that! I've heard horror stories were bridesmaids and guest made the festivities all about them and what they wanted to do. Luckily for me my girls did a fantastic job and this wasn't an issue as I got to have a voice and help plan the itinerary! This leads me to the next tip I have...

Third, plan ahead and distribute an itinerary if possible. We did this and I think it was very beneficial for everyone. Ours included all the details for the entire weekend (with some wiggle room) and the girls loved being able to know everything that was potentially planned. This can also help your girls feel more comfortable spending money since they will have an idea of how many times y'all will go out to eat, etc.

Fourth, drink responsibly! The worst feeling in the world is waking up the next morning and either not remembering what happened the night before, or having to deal with a hangover resulting in having to miss the day's celebrations. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely fun to have a few drinks with your girls and to celebrate one of the most exciting times in your life, but trust me, you'll want to be able to soak up every minute with your friends instead of being stuck in bed with a hangover headache. While getting ice cream Saturday night, we saw a bride out on her bachelorette weekend who was so sick that Emily ordered some water and took it to her group of friends to give to her. I am so glad that wasn't me and none of us girls had this issue...

Fifth, decorate and get creative! Find ways to make your time together extra special. Remember that you don't have to spend a lot of money either! My Maid of Honor got crafty and got sand buckets and filled them with snacks, sunscreen, mason jars and other goodies for the girls to use over the weekend. Caitlin also had Swoozies sponsor a bunch of items that really made our weekend POP! Some of my favorite items that Swoozie provided included our drinking buddies, my mini gold veiled bride crown, my acrylic bride wine glass, and our beach drink spiker's! On Friday, I'll be posting even more photos of all the decorations Emily and Caitlin provided. They are AMAZING!!

Lastly, show tokens of appreciation. Most likely, your getaway/party will have some surprises along the way, and your girls will usually cover all of your expenses and gift you with precious gifts, so take this opportunity to show them how thankful you are for all that they have done for you. One of the ways I did this (on top of the sand buckets Emily created) was by gifting each other my girls with Rose Rewined Candles. I wanted to give them something to remember our time in Charleston and Isle of Palms, and reached out to a bunch of different companies in the area, and settled on these candles for a number of reasons. For one, each candle is in a repurposed wine bottle. On top of that, each scent is selected to "honor" different types of drinks such as the Mimosa, Champagne, Merlot, and Pinot Grigio to name a few.

10 Summer Beach Essentials

Today is What You Wish Wednesday so be sure to link-up at the bottom of this post! 

And don't forget to enter my blogoversary giveaway! 

The winner will be announced Friday morning!

 

Summer Beach Essentials by mscheek featuring a beach tote

It's finally summer and I can't wait for trips to the beach, and for those weekends when I can't leave the city, you can still find me relaxing by the pool! I don't know about you, but I have a list of summer essentials that I can't go without and today I am partnering with Personal Creations on their Fun in the Sun project to bring you a list of my summer beach must haves.

ONE
A good pair of sunnies. I can't live without them and I have a pair with me at all times. I love how versatile sunglasses are and there are so many styles to choose from so you won't have to worry about finding a pair that you don't love. And they protect your eyes which I mean is kind of important ;-)

TWO
A sunhat. Another must in my opinion! For me, I have one floppy hat I wear 90% of the time, a handful of baseball caps and I just ordered this straw bucket hat that I can't wait to wear as soon as it arrives. And the nice thing about hats are that you can wear them off the beach too! Don't think they are limited to just the ocean side. I have a ton of friends who wear them casually all the time! Check them out here, here, here and here.

THREE
A Coverup comes in handy for a number of reasons. Let's say you are in a hurry to get somewhere. Well, they are quick and easy to throw on. Say your at the beach/pool and need to run to the store to pick up some snacks...with a coverup you don't have to worry about getting your regular clothes wet or dirty. There are so many reasons why I love coverups and think they are essential in the summer. And did I mention that they are so cute?!

FOUR
There is nothing better then a big ole' beach bag! In the summer, I fee like I am always toting around a bunch of stuff and want to have it all together. I carry everything from my Chapstick, sunscreen and phone charger to my planner, sunglasses and magazine. The bigger the summer bag, the better. All the more room to tote around a towel, an extra pair of sandals and maybe even a book, and water bottle. I am crushing over this Steve Madden and this over-sized Tory Burch tote.

FIVE
A swimsuit or five or six. Need I say more?

SIX
Sunscreen. I love the kind that comes in a spray so that my hands don't get all greasy and I like that I feel I am able to apply it more evenly. And remember, the higher the SPF the better! You want to make sure you are protecting your skin at all times, even when it's not summer. The sun shines pretty much all year long depending on where you live so it's vital that you take precaution as much as possible.

SEVEN
An iPad or book are always a must when I am spending time out by the pool or relaxing on the beach. Not only does it help pass the time but it's my favorite way to relax.

EIGHT
Sandals. They come in so many different colors and styles and keep feet from burning when walking on the sand if your at the beach. Sandals are also light weight and easy to style with outfits day or night.

NINE
A drink holder. I heard about these last summer and have yet to purchase one but think I will have to change that for this year! They seem so convenient and can even be customized and monogrammed! And plus, these make great gifts for friends and family and can be used for things other then holding your drinks...like your cellphone. Nothing wrong with getting creative! 

TEN
After finding this travel mat in the Fun in the Sun collection, I knew I had to add it to the list. I currently don't have anything I can use to sit on while enjoying an outdoor concert or picnicking and this waterproof, foam-padded has made it onto my to-purchase list! And the fact that it comes with a adjustable carrying strap and can be monogrammed seal the deal.

So I hope you enjoyed this post! What are some items that you find are a must? Be sure to check out Personal Creations on Pinterest in July to see my post and others featured on their "Summer Beach Essentials" board!

An InLinkz Link-up

A Bald Head Island Wedding

Meet Kate. She is one of my best friends and someone I truly admire. A few days ago she was a Miss. waiting to become a Mrs. and is now happily married and getting ready to head off to Thailand for her honeymoon! Our friendship began in 2010, and has grown in so many wonderful ways. Fast forward to this past weekend when I had the honor of traveling down to Bald Head Island to take part in her wedding day and things couldn't have been more perfect. 

As I look back over the weekend, I can't help but smile when I think of Kate and her sweet husband Quint. These two are a one-of-a-kind couple; period. I remember standing up in front of them reading off some bible verses Saturday afternoon, looking back at the two of them as I spoke and couldn't help but feel God's presence in the room. And so this post is kind of a dedication to the newly wed couple and as a way for me to reflect on the importance of marriage. Over time, I've grown to agree that I want a marriage more beautiful than my wedding.

One of the things I love most about BHI is that you will not spot a single car on the island as they are not allowed. Your options of transportation while visiting include walking, taking a tram, renting a bicycle or riding around in a golf cart. This was a few of BHI from the ferry.

THIS is the Village Chapel that Kate and Quint got married in. Talk about breathtaking...

Once inside, you couldn't help but be in awe at the gorgeous views of the waterway, the stained glass windows and wooden beams. Although the space seems on the smaller side, it was a perfect fit.

After the wedding ceremony, all of the guest hopped onto golf carts and heading over to the BHI Club for the reception. No visit to the island is complete without a picture of Old Baldy.

Fun fact: Old Baldy is NC's oldest standing lighthouse!

The draping that hung outside over the dance floor really set the mood for the evening cocktail hour.

Quint and his precious mother had all the guest swooning with their mother-son dance.

Kate's dad gave one heartfelt speech before it was time for everyone to head inside for dinner. I can't imagine how hard it is for a parent to "give away" their child, but the bond that is held between me and my parents is one that I know will never be broken when that day comes for me!

Kate and Quint's wedding cake was not only delicious but beautifully created! My favorite part this go around wasn't the cake! Shocker? It was actually the wedding cake topper which was such a unique and perfect touch! No beach wedding is complete without starfish and anchors.

Every married couple should have a grand exist and theirs was no exception!

How adorable is the get-a-way golf cart they used after they left the reception?

All in all, another weekend has come and gone and I feel the next few months will consist of more and more weddings. It must be wedding season but I'm enjoying every last bit of it.