The Romantic Charms of Charleston

Written by Linda Holloway
All Photos By: Holloway Photography

Imagine a place that has been waiting for three centuries to provide the backdrop of your first days of forever. Here you can wander through narrow cobblestone streets leading to stately antebellum mansions and Revolutionary War structures-still intact. Come dusk, board a private horse drawn carriage where the driver guides the clip-clopping horses along side streets. Romance begins here where dancing flames from gas lit lanterns cast your silhouettes onto the facades of time-treasured icons. You have arrived at Charleston, South Carolina, a city where history and romance are intertwined to celebrate your marriage.

For sophisticated couples, Charleston Place Hotel, an Orient-Express Hotel, is the lodging of choice where you can step out the lobby door and into the heart of Charleston's historic district. The staff's reputation for Southern hospitality has a history of attracting notable guests such as Kristi Yamaguchi, Jude Law, Richard Gere, Oprah Winfrey, and Heath Ledger. Prince Charles has also graced the hotel that has a feeling of a grand 17th century residence. Ranked among the "Top 10 Hotels in North America" by Conde' Nast Traveler, you will find opulence in every detail from the Italian marble lobby, with its signature Georgian Open Arm staircase and 12-foot crystal chandelier, to the suites where fine furnishings and posh linens are standard. Bride's Magazine also tagged the hotel as one of the world's top ten honeymoon destinations.

From the moment we stepped into our room, until the dreaded checkout time, romance flourished in an atmosphere of upscale amenities. The Luxury Honeymoon Package has a bevy of perks including a bouquet of long stemmed roses, a private carriage tour of the city and a three-course dinner at the famed Charleston Grill. The most romantic amenity happened after dark when my husband gave the cue for the "romance guru" to visit while we were dining. Returning to our suite, we found dozens of tea light candles piercing the darkness. There was just enough light to follow the path of hundreds of rose petals strewn around the bed where a bottle of chilled champagne was surrounded by candles on a table overlooking Charleston's night skyscape. The path extended to the bathroom where the scent from the floating rose petals escaped the steamy bath that had just been drawn for us. On that spring night, the world ceased to exist outside suite #739.

For relaxation, try The Spa at Charleston Place, recently named "Best City Hotel Spa" in North America by readers of Travel & Leisure Magazine. Be sure to request the Couple's Massage that relieves any left-over pre-wedding stress. Among the menu of world-class services includes the Diamond Radiance Facial offered exclusively at The Spa at Charleston Place. Treat your face to 80 minutes of pampering where the light-reflecting diamond particles instantly makes your skin softer and smoother. You are now ready to sample the suburb cuisine in a city that was voted a "Top Food Destination" in 2007 by Travelocity.com. Over four evenings we dined at local restaurants that served delicious fare in a romantic atmosphere. With visitors clamoring to experience Charleston's unique cuisine, you will want to make reservations.

Located in Charleston Place Hotel, Charleston Grill has won almost every award in the restaurant world including the Mobil Four-Star Dining Award and AAA Four-Diamond Award. The soft and sensual sounds of a jazz trio, combined with the warmth of rich paneled walls and banquettes, evoke an ambiance that spells love. The famous Chef Bob Waggoner conjures up Southern, French and Contemporary cuisines using fresh local produce, seafood and game. Chef Bob added panache to our favorite delights from the sea-Diver Scallops with Lobster Risotto and She Crab Soup. Chef Waggoner has appeared on a variety of national media outlets such as The Food Television Network. (843) 577-4522

If you like your steaks thick and juicy, try Oak Steakhouse located within an elegant 1850's former bank. Be sure to ask for the most romantic spot-the middle window table on the third floor overlooking the city. Here you will find drapes so lush, that Scarlet O'Hara, just like in the movie, could rip them down and make a fancy dress. We shared one of the famous wood-fired 36-ounce ribeye steaks. Chef Brett McKee finished us off with a generations-old family recipe, "Brett's Mother's Cheesecake." (843) 722-4220

Tristan is an upscale restaurant that boasts a AAA Four-Diamond rating. The menu is bold American with a global influence. With an atmosphere of sophistication, the interior is chic and contemporary complete with shimmering gossamer curtains draping the entire room. The open-kitchen offers continuous live culinary theatrics and delivers delectable cuisine. Executive Chef Aaron Deal tempted our palate with a house favorite, Organic Irish Salmon. Hungry? Try the Tasting Menu. (843) 534-2155

Any season is good for honeymooning in Charleston, but if you are lucky enough to visit in the spring, the Historic Charleston Foundation has a treat for you. Renowned for three centuries as "a city set in a garden", the annual Festival of Houses and Gardens invites you to peek beyond fancy wrought iron gates to view inside private residential interiors and gardens of more than 150 of America's most distinctive historic houses in 12 colonial and antebellum neighborhoods.

The gentle breeze, magnified from the generosity of swaying palmetto trees, swirled scents of Jasmine in the air as we explored pristine private gardens. We found floral explosions of azaleas and wisteria spilling over fences on almost every block. Be sure to request the tour that includes a famous intimate "secret garden" within a garden. Open to the public, Waterfront Park is where you can sit around the pineapple fountain or the pier that offers old-fashioned porch swings to observe vessels bobbing in Charleston Harbor with Fort Sumter in the distance. For floating around the harbor, reserve a private charter to sail with the winds and tides at sunset on the Schooner Pride.

If you miss the Festival of Houses and Gardens, there are various house museums open to the public year round. Completed in 1808, the Nathaniel Russell House is recognized as one of America's most important neoclassical dwellings. The house is furnished with period antiques and the free-flying staircase is amazing. The docent shared an interesting tidbit about a pre-nuptial agreement, 1800s style. The Russell House gardens are perfect for quiet moments, and you will want to sit on the Joggling Board (courting bench.) Also, enjoy the Aiken-Rhett House and its outbuildings that have survived as a time capsule since 1858, and the Heyward-Washington House which can boast that George Washington slept there.

The Battery is perfect for a stroll along the seawall where you can admire some of the most opulent historic mansions in Charleston. Tour the Edmondston-Alston House where an amazing 90 percent of the original furniture is still in the house, and the piazza provides views of Charleston Harbor. In 1861, the Alston family joined General P.G.T. Beauregard on the piazza to view the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Be sure to visit one of the most significant Colonial buildings in the country, The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon on East Bay Street.

For shopping, start on King Street where dozens of stores are stocked with over-the-top antiques, china, silver and fine linens for your new home. If a rendition of old Charleston is more along your budget, visit Historic Charleston Reproductions on Broad Street. At the Shops at Charleston Place choose a memento of your honeymoon. Hint…can you say Gucci?

Art flourishes in Charleston. At the Gibbes Museum of Art, view Girl with Kitten, (1841) by Charles Fraser. The painting depicts Ruth Raymond with her kitten, Perdita. Both characters are in the 1840 novel entitled Love's Progress written by Caroline Gilman. The Gibbes Museum of Art displays one of the finest collections of American art in the Southeast. You can also purchase a painting for your new home at the numerous art galleries sprinkled throughout town.

A bounty of daily tours is available in Charleston, but one of the most unique is Gullah Tours. Gullah, the language spoken by the lowcountry's first African-American inhabitants, still thrives today in South Carolina. Alphonso Brown, fluent in Gullah, informs tourists from an air-conditioned tour bus. Highlights include Catfish Row, (inspired the opera Porgy and Bess), the famous iron gates crafted by Phillip Simmons, and Old City Market. If you dare, make reservations to wander Charleston after dark on a variety of ghost tours through cemeteries, the old jail, and the eerie Provost Dungeon, while guides spew tales of ghostly Charleston. For some of the most romantic spots in America, plan a day-trip to the Ashley River Plantations.

Less than 30 minutes from downtown Charleston, you will find Middleton Place, Magnolia Plantation and Drayton Hall located along the Ashley River. Begin at Middleton Place, America's oldest landscaped Gardens. We found thousands of blooming azaleas along this majestic plantation. Tour the Middleton Place House (1775) where objects of the past are kept, including a document signed by Abraham Lincoln. Notice the herd of sheep leisurely grazing on the lawn. The nearby paths unfold into garden rooms where we walked the same footpaths, as did pre-Revolutionary statesmen. The film "The Patriot" starring Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger was filmed in part here. For quiet moments, spend time relaxing under the branches of Middleton Oak where hundreds have exchanged vows, and stroll to the bridge at the Rice Mill Pond. The Butterfly Lakes and the Reflection Pool are also romantic spots. Experience African-American Focus Tours and Carriage Tours. At dusk, follow the path of fiery torches to dine at the Middleton Place Restaurant. Here in this candlelit atmosphere overlooking the gardens, enjoy Shrimp and Grits and Pecan Pie. 843-556-6020

Magnolia Plantation has been the original ancestral home of the Drayton family since 1676. Today the plantation is home to the eleventh generation of Draytons. Magnolia Plantation has been open to the public since 1872. We found gravel walkways leading to secret paths in America's oldest public garden. The gardens are designed in the romantic style that was popular in the 1800s. We found plenty of places for "alone time" amid the blooms and meandering paths. Visit the Plantation House, take the Nature Boat trip, and hold hands along Long Bridge.

Drayton Hall is an authentic plantation house c.1738 and is the finest example of Georgian Palladian architecture in the United States. It is also the oldest preserved plantation house in America that is open to the public. We enjoyed a picnic under the low-hanging branches of centuries-old live oaks. The stillness of the Marsh Walk, with its winding paths and foot bridges, begs for exploration. Walk to the Reflecting Pond, the Victorian Garden Mound and roam along the river-front path with its allee of blooming azaleas.

The fictional Charleston aristocrat Rhett Bulter from Gone with the Wind called Charleston a place where there is still a little grace and charm left in the world. I am convinced if Scarlett and Rhett could have honeymooned in Charleston today, their love story would have had a happier ending.

Fast Facts:

For Charleston Place Hotel, call1-800-611-5545 or visit www.charlestonplace.com
For Charleston area tourist information call, 1-800-868-8118 or visit www.Charlestoncvb.com
For Charleston Wedding Information, visit Charleston Weddings on SouthCarolinaWeddingsandEvents.com