Venue Highlight: Old Wide Awake
Legacy of Love
Old Wide Awake Plantation enters a new era, welcoming brides with timeless, southern elegance.
White columns, sturdy oaks, Spanish moss swaying in the breeze. Guests have been sauntering up the steps of Old Wide Awake Plantation for more than two centuries. Her legacy is well known in the region, serving as a welcome oasis alongside a gentle bend in the Stono River. “Hospitality is at the core of who she is going back to her beginning,” reveals Co-owner and COO Justin Broome. “It’s important to us to preserve the historical element of the property. We want our brides and grooms to be the focal point, with Wide Awake serving as the backdrop. And you can’t find a more classic backdrop of southern hospitality.”
The Foundation
Back in the day, Old Wide Awake rose above the waterway, serving as a general store near the Stono Ferry that carried locals from mainland to John’s Island. The exact year of her opening isn’t known, but her reputation of providing supplies, food and lodging prompted her nickname. She was “wide awake” 24 hours a day, to greet all who passed by, needing respite.
Margaret McKenzie grew up down river. “I used to ride on the property,” she confides. “The house was built around the turn of the century. I will tell you all day long, it’s one of the most beautiful sights you’ll see, and it just keeps getting prettier with time. The landscape is a vision that takes your breath away.”
Even more astonishing, as the property passed through various generations of the Jarvis family, around 2000, the house was moved several hundred yards off the bluff, making way for Serenity Park. “It was just amazing,” recalls Margaret. “When part of the land was given to the town of Hollywood, the long-time owners wanted to save the house and moved it section by section off the waterway. The bones are all there. Even the leaded pane glass windows made the move, the hearty pine floors and the staircase. Just amazing.”
The Festivities
Margaret knows Old Wide Awake intimately, serving as its long-time Venue Coordinator across some 500 weddings. “I love this historic place and I love my job,” she shares. “I’m so lucky to be put in the path of the happiest people in the world. They’re engaged and creating what will be one of the happiest days of their lives. I get to make sure dreams come true.”
Although before her time at Wide Awake, Margaret is well-versed on Reese Witherspoon picking the property to exchange vows with Ryan Phillippe. “She was visiting Charleston, looking for the perfect place for her first wedding,” she says. “She’s a southern girl and wanted a southern wedding that was intimate and private.”
With a long-running veranda, white banister balcony, quaint pond, avenue of oaks, even a grotto-style speakeasy, the entire property is filled with spaces that can flex for the moment. No single wedding and reception are the same, with different options for vows, drinks, dining and dancing. “You get a beautiful, warm feeling as soon as you approach the house,” Margaret explains. “The front stairs, with Creeping Fig that attach to the brick, are incredibly popular. They always catch the bride’s eye when they’re shopping for a venue. It’s just so charming.”
The Fun
Sophisticated charm and classic elegance were paramount for Blair Hanson when selecting a spot. “I’d had this vision in my head for 40 years,” the TV & film producer admits. “When I saw the property and their willingness to transform it. The ideas just started seamlessly coming together.”
Blair, and her husband Zack, used the Avenue of Oaks with string lights nestled in the Spanish moss, for a candle-lit dinner of peppercorn encrusted filet and pan-seared local white fish. With 140 guests, Blaire recognized it was a first. “We wanted to take advantage of where we live and the natural beauty. The second we saw it, we knew we wanted an extremely long table under the oaks. Margaret was so excited and open to do something they’d never done before, saying, ‘Let’s partner together on this; how can we make it happen?’”
They also came together to erect another vision: one, huge sailcloth tent for the evening’s entertainment. Landscapers trimmed trees to make room on the front lawn, alongside the blonde travertine patio. “Oh, we were blessed with a gorgeous September day,” the newlywed shares. “We had living room furniture all around under the tent and patio, and a nine-piece band. They got everyone going from the table to the dance floor. It was so much fun.”
At the end of the night, another picturesque moment guests never knew about. The honeymooners were able to share a private, last dance, on a secluded dock by the pond, while guests moved out front to bid adieu. “I have such wonderful memories,” Blair reflects upon her special day. “I remember getting ready and watching the preparations below from the balcony. Zach and I had our first look at Serenity Park, and then relaxed and shared a glass of champagne at the kitchen table with no one else around. It was all just so special.”
The Hanson’s stories now add to Wide Awake’s established position as a place of hospitality. “I’ve traveled the world, but this is where we wanted to get married,” she reveals. “The beauty and history of the house. We loved that it wasn’t overly polished and it still felt like a home. We pulled out all of the stops. It was a quintessential southern, Lowcountry wedding.”
The Future
After generations of ownership, in 2024, the Jarvis family sold Wide Awake to the man behind Charleston’s Cru Catering and his business partner. “We’d been looking for a venue for 12 years,” says Executive Chef and Co-Owner John Zucker. “We love Hollywood, and we’d been catering at Wide Awake for years. We loved that property. It’s always been a super-nice escape for a wedding. It’s a whole different world.”
Sitting 25 minutes outside downtown Charleston, the 13-acre site had everything the two desired, including a built-in, experienced staff and an abiding reputation of cordialness. “It goes back to the roots of Wide Awake as a general store and gathering place,” explains Justin. “It matters to us because hospitality is our cornerstone. We wanted to complete the circle.”
They plan to enlarge that circle with other buildings upon the land, turning stables into multi-suite-lodging and updating a second home. “We’re converting it into a multi-faceted spot for the bridal party, the grooms. We want to lean into other possibilities of what Wide Awake can become.” Pulling from the past, to meet the future. “Wide Awake has soul,” reveals Justin. “It’s the oaks, the house, the natural setting. There’s a sense upon arrival. It’s romantic and southern. It’s a very special place and we want to preserve that.” As Wide Awake sends yet another generation of brides down the aisle into the waiting arms of their groom.
You’re Invited to Wide Awake
5149 Trexler Ave, Hollywood, SC
OldWideAwake.com
4,000 sq. feet covered space
Size-Limit: 250 people recommended, 350 max
Rentals do not include: tents, tables, chairs, nor linens
All catering companies are welcome.
Accolades:
The Knot: Best of Weddings 2025-2026
The Knot: Best of Weddings Hall of Fame
Wedding Wire: Couple’s Choice Awards 2014-2026
What’s in a Name:
Wide Awake General Store started on a small plot of land. Over the years, various owners purchased surrounding property, but it never operated as a plantation. Old was added to Wide Awake at some point after the first generation, with plantation being added to the title in the 1990s.
Interesting Historical Fact:
Celebrating America 250: The Stono Ferry Battlefield rests a stone’s throw from the front door of Old Wide Awake Plantation. On June 20, 1779, some 1,200 Patriots attacked 900 Loyalists stationed at Stono Ferry, covering a larger British withdrawal from a failed attempt to take Charleston. Although initially successful, when more Loyalists appeared on John’s Island, the Patriots retreated in defeat. This fiery exchange was early in the Southern Campaign that would tip to the Patriot’s favor less than two years later. Today, historical relics have been unearthed on the property.
Accolades:
The Knot: Best of Weddings 2025-2026
The Knot: Best of Weddings Hall of Fame
Wedding Wire: Couple’s Choice Awards 2014-2026
Written by Stephanie “Hookie” Trotter
VENDORS: As Charleston locals, it was very important to us to work with all local vendors, so everyone listed below is based right here in Charleston!
Photography: Julie Livingston Photography
Planner: Margaret Mackenzie Weddings
Venue: Old Wide Awake
Getting Ready Location: Private Home on Seabrook Island
Florals: Petaloso Floral Design
Invitation Suite: Social Paper Co.
Rentals: Curated Events
Tent: Snyder Events
Food/Bar Catering: Cru Catering
Cake: Ashley Bakery
Ceremony Music: Palmetto Strings
Cocktail Hour Music: Mike W (Palmetto Strings)
Band: Motown Throwdown
Lighting: Mackenzie Event Lighting
Linens: Purchased by the bride and her parents
Monogrammed Napkins & Bride’s Bouquet Wrap Embroidery: Rhodes Boutique
Videography: Wandering Hues
Watercolor Guest Portrait Artist: Emma Lang Art
Bride’s Dresses: Custom Sareh Nouri (main gown), Jenny Yoo (second look)
Bridal Party Hair: Silhouettes on Site
Bridal Party Makeup: Bellelina
Alterations: Forget Me Knot Alterations
Groom’s Attire: Bonobos
