Charleston Influencer Luncheon

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to design and attend an incredible event, and I’m so excited to share the details with you! Lauren Taylor Law Firm and I wanted to plan a lovely luncheon to bring some of the top influencers in Charleston together for an afternoon of fun, food, and fellowship.

The luncheon was held at Merchants Hall, which is one of my favorite venues in Charleston. The Market Street location is unbeatable, within walking distance of so many fun restaurants and hotels, and the exposed brick walls and glamorous chandeliers make this space truly special. I was thrilled to be able to introduce my colleagues to the space!

The venue space is so beautiful on its own, but I wanted to add a pop of color to really wow our guests, so I chose bold blue linens for the tables. The French Eclectic helped make the space cozy with a mix of modern and boho furniture, and I was so lucky that they had a couch in the exact shade of blue to match the linens! 

Gold and light pink accents helped bring an airy, feminine quality to the design, and Branch Design Studio tied everything together with fun, textural centerpieces that bridged the gap with both pastels and jewel tones.

What’s a luncheon without incredible food? 5 Church is just steps from Merchants Hall, and they knocked it out of the park with a delicious, exciting menu. To start, we snacked on crudités and local cheese and charcuterie paired with bloody Mary giardiniera. Lunch commenced with a local lettuce salad adorned with local peaches, bacon, pecans, and a green goddess dressing. It was the epitome of Charleston on a plate!

The main course was a fun twist on traditional ingredients: a spicy ahi tuna poke paired with Anson Mills Carolina gold rice, a heritage grain that’s unique to the region. The poke was served in a stunning black bowl, which made all of the colorful ingredients really pop! They rounded out the menu with the most adorable and delicious riff on banana pudding, a banana panna cotta with milk chocolate ganache.

Largo Salon sponsored the bar, providing us with refreshing and delicious drinks throughout the event, and presented all of the attendees with gift cards to the salon, one of my favorite places to get beautified!

We wanted to gift everyone with a favor that they would remember. I’ve always been a huge fan of Harrison Blackford’s artwork, and was so excited to treat each attendee to an art print featuring iconic doors throughout Charleston.

Catherine Ann Photography did a fantastic job photographing the space, event, and all the amazing bloggers and entrepreneurs that came together. She was truly able to capture all of the fun that we had, and I love being able to look back at the memories that we made.

Thank you again to the amazing Lauren Taylor Law Firm for not only hosting this event, but for bringing all of us together, and allowing me to flex my design muscles and plan such an unforgettable day! And of course, I’m so grateful to all the amazing local entrepreneurs and bloggers who took time out of their busy schedules to connect and enjoy each other’s company:

• Alden DeHart Haviland, co-founder of Maris DeHart, a contemporary women’s lifestyle boutique located in the heart of the historic French Quarter district of Charleston.
• Ian Jacob and Michael Stettner, the faces behind I Love That For You, Charleston’s first and only LGBTQ+ lifestyle blog, which compiles the Texan couple’s passion for home decor and exploring the Holy City.
• Portia Smith, Seattle-based travel and lifestyle blogger behind Obsessed by Portia, where she offers her take on family travel and top trends in beauty, fitness, fashion and motherhood.
• Paula Rallis, a writer and female pilot based in Charleston and Costa Rica who flips houses full-time with her husband, Ron.
• Jenny Hall, blogger and entrepreneur who shares her love for fashion, bright and cheerful colors, and bold prints through her blog, Boho Style File, and her children’s boutique, Vann & Liv.
• Louis Matthews, the gent behind the bow tie at The Bow Tie Gentleman, where he demonstrates his refined style with a hint of big city living.
• Barbara Skidmore, a Charleston-based lifestyle blogger who titled her blog, Blushing Alpacas, after meeting alpacas in Peru, just one example of her passion for all things travel.
• Bret Shuford and Stephen Hanna, Broadway performers and husbands sharing their lives on YouTube, on Instagram, and on stage.
• Harrison Blackford, and abstract and impressionist artist in Charleston who believes there can never be enough color on a canvas. Her passionate use of color and expressive paint strokes infuse her personality into each one of her paintings.
• Kimmy Powell, owner and regional developer of Woodhouse Day Spa Charleston who brings her wellness expertise into all of her business ventures.
• Madison Simon, women’s wear buyer for Gwynn’s, an independently owned luxury department store in Mount Pleasant.
• Kristin Chambless, content creator at COLOR by K, sharing life, style, and travel content.
• Hilary Elrod, a blogger who channels her Southern roots into By, Hilary Rose, her blog for all things style, travel, beauty, and etiquette.
• Lorna Hollifield, an author, columnist, screenwriter, actress, and content creator both practicing and promoting the arts in Charleston. Her novel, Tobacco Sun, was published in 2017.
• Kelsey Hill, the face behind Chasing Cinderella, where Kelsey highlights her personal style, affordable fashion, and her adventures as a 20-something year old fiancée and dog mom!
• Megan Anne Hannigan, a South Carolina based influencer posting about beauty and family.
• Susan Norfleet, a model and marketing professional located in Charleston.
• Ashleigh Hoover, a microblading specialist at Microblading Charleston.
• Ashley Beary, a South Carolina native and content creator focusing on fashion, thrift shopping and traveling.
• Deja Knight, founder and president of Pearl Public Relations who brings her background in reporting to strengthening her clients’ brands.

Photos by: Catherine Ann Photography