Trousseau Moderne
trous·seau, n. [French, from Old French, diminutive of trousse, bundle. See truss.] The possessions, such as clothing and linens, that a bride assembles for her marriage.
Throughout time, single young women have prepared for marriage by building a trousseau, or hope chest chock full of little luxuries, from bed and bath linens for the new home to honeymoon attire to heirloom jewels lovingly given by family members. Particularly popular in the Victorian era, trousseaux were filled with traveling dresses, evening robes, attire for horse and yacht races, and thousands of yards of fine lace for embellishing dresses. (Are you sufficiently ensconced in Pride and Prejudice mode yet?)
Common still today, a modern trousseau can be made up of many fine things- things which make sense for your lifestyle, trinkets that you love, surprises from the women in your family. Below, just a few fun suggestions of ours:
Sumptuous bed linens…
Peacock Alley Cleopatra bedding…
The ultimate dressing robe…
An heirloom quilt from Grandmother to keep you two toasty…
These are both “wedding ring” quilts, which is so very cute…
The perfect earrings for Saturday supper or Sunday church…
Jude Frances black pearl earrings…
Anthropologie Pave Peony earrings…
A fabulous hat for the Derby…
The finest of little bath luxuries…
The best in tabletop(bedside and buffet-side!) for your newlywed status…
Juliska Berry and Thread Placemat…
Sterling vanity set…
More Match pewter accessories…
Antique Sterling Toast Racks…
Scents for the home…
Resort wear and accessories for your tropical honeymoon…
Anthropologie Arabesque scarf…
Bernardo Medieval Woven Sandal…
Trina Turk Surf Hipster Bikini…
Vintage Backgammon set…
The Consummate Southern Libation
Nope, not the mint julep…nor a mason jar o’ moonshine- not even Coca-Cola; we mean the ever-versatile tableside staple, sweet tea. Open any Junior League cookbook and you should find it among the pages, sweetened with real sugar and garnished with fresh mint, a lemon wedge, or left untouched.
Words of wisdom:
1.) When ordering tea south of the Mason Dixon, it’s assumed you mean “sweet tea”.
2.) Tea is year-round. Perfect on the Fourth of July or at Christmas Day brunch, it is always de rigueur.
3.) Find a way to weave in “fixin’ to” and “y’all” whilst ordering, and you’ll be quasi-initiated into sweet-tea-lovin’ society.
4.) When registering for your crystal, don’t forget highball glasses, out of which you can serve Tom Collins and sweet tea! We love these:
William Yeoward, of course…
Another fun thought:
Charleston is home to the last-surviving tea plantation in the States, which is so apropos considering our British heritage and their love affair with the plant and all its glories. The Charleston Tea Plantation, owned by Bigelow Tea, is a charming little day trip for those visiting Chucktown most any time of year.
Located on Wadmalaw Island, the plantation grounds include 127 acres of tea plants. Visitors can tour the grounds on a fun and educational trolley ride to learn more about the plantation and its operating tea factory. We love including these little gems in our clients’ wedding weekend welcome bags:
Curl up with These
Let’s face it: there is something flat delicious about curling up with a gorgeous coffee table book and a glass of wine with your feet by the fire, which is a likely endeavor this season. Daddy may not have gotten you that “pony” back in the day, but he probably let you buy your fair share of books along the way, or maybe you pillaged the local library and filled your head with finer thoughts. Great inspiration comes from the works and writings of others, and we certainly have our favorites. Thought we’d share below as ideas for under the tree or just because!
Vintage French Interiors: Inspiration from the Antique Shops and Flea Markets of France, by Sébastien Siraudeau
That’s right- there’s an accent aigu over the e in his name, making it a sultry “Say-bast-ee-ohn” for those of you who don’t parlez Français. Naturally, the French are still considered the quintessential culture vultures of our time, spurring many a trend in all facets of life. From culinary delights to collectible scarves, French folks truly cut a swath through the fields of Ugly and leave us with many an inspiration. This little book is no slouch: it’s filled with various and sundry accoutrements and a vast array of crusty bits and peeling paint evoking that fabulous vintage aesthetic we treasure so.
Idea: collect antique hat forms in varying shapes and sizes to display at your wedding paired with a photo booth and an array of wild hats for funkier pics.
One Hundred and One Beautiful Towns in Italy: Food and Wine, by Paolo Lazzarin
Forget the coq au vin for a moment and relish the thought of a simple bolognese a-la-Giada, and then pick up this book and try not to salivate. Its many pages take you from hilltops to seaside throughout the gorgeous Italian landscape, divulging secrets on where to find the best restaurants in tiny towns, where to shop for a fresh farm-to-table experience, and how to prepare some of the great classics the way they would do it.
Idea: Opt out of the tired carved tenderloin table for your station-style winter wedding. Instead, consider osso buco with crusty breads served from heavy black cauldrons and paired with a hearty Barolo.
Pattern, by Tricia Guild
Although Rachel Zoe’s exclamation of “Die!” over things she loves can be grating, it’s literally the only thing that pops into our heads when we come upon this book while brainstorming for our clients. It’s nearly edible- with its flocked velvet cover and pages rife with color, boldness, zealous juxtaposition of fabrics, frames, curtains, furniture, and detail. From European checks and stripes, Asian silks and damasks, the Caribbean’s vibrant ethnic prints, as well as contemporary abstract and geometric patterns, the book covers it all in its style sections of floral, painterly, geometric, classics, silks, and tropical. You could borrow ours if you don’t mind drool.
Idea: having a tented affair? Talk to your wedding planner or rental company about having your tent pole covers made from a coordinating secondary linen that meshes well with your table linens, and don’t be afraid of patterns and prints!
Lowcountry Plantations Today, by N. Jane Iseley and William P. Baldwin
A phenomenal book chock-full of eye candy from the still-standing homes on miles of Southern land, this book makes a fabulous gift for the newly-engaged couple planning to be married anywhere in the Lowcountry. Take notes on the natural landscapes, the indigenous colors and historic details throughout and let those tidbits bolster your own wedding’s design.
Idea: Interested in furniture vignettes for your wedding reception? Take books on the Lowcountry and place them in neat little graduated stacks on coffee tables, end tables (under lamps!), and console tables for a personal touch and entertainment for those taking a break from dancing.
Bunny Williams’ Point of View: Three Decades of Decorating Elegant and Comfortable Houses, by Bunny Williams
Mama always said, “some people only have taste in their mouths”. Not so with Bunny, who has it in her bones. “You learn from people with great taste,” says she, and we agree- we learn from her! Bunny’s interiors reflect her legendary sense of chic, as well as her mantra that every person’s home should manifest his/her personality and guide the design. We consider the same principles when designing a couple’s big day: let the couple’s memories and future dreams shape the nature of the ceremony and the reception. You might use this book to garner a grand sense of proportion, style, and color as it pertains to laying out a welcoming environment.
Idea: take a cue from Bunny’s clients’ soaring ceilings and design your own affair to have spot-on scale…example: hanging a chandelier? It shouldn’t just float mid-air over nothing: ground it by hanging it directly over an inviting piece like a votive-flooded table, a sign-in book table, or a fabulous cake. How low do you go? Chandeliers should be about 36″ above the item(s) they’re highlighting.
