Rose Hill Plantation

By Laurie Bower Epps

My middle daughter is getting married next spring, so naturally we did start shopping for wedding venues right away. Since Rose Hill Plantation is voted the fifth most beautiful spot in South Carolina, we had to check it out for ourselves. With her fiance in tow, the four of us headed to the midlands to check out this stunning location.

Located in Union County, this venue is roughly halfway between Greenville or Spartanburg and Columbia. It is fairly remote, but worthy of the drive. Just a word of caution, gas up and eat up, or bring a picnic. Since the site is maintained by the state park service, there is a ranger on duty all of the time. You can tour the house daily April-October, or Thursdays-Mondays during the cold months of November-March. They do charge a nominal fee, but it's well worth it.

For more information, go to:
https://southcarolinaparks.com/rose-hill

I couldn't get a bad picture of this site if I tried. The rose gardens, as well as, the woodland area with a nature trail, are especially whimsical. I told my daughters to wear black & white to offset the pretty pastels of the house and the flowers. Visually, there was no place we were disappointed.

This location is known as the home of the governor of the Confederate secession. The picturesque grounds, and the wonderful history of the south make for a gorgeous and educational journey for anyone that's visiting South Carolina. Even local civil war history buffs will be intrigued by the house tour.

Our tour guide was very patient as we took this picture of the engaged couple in the upstairs ballroom.

My daughter Ellen took my most favorite picture of myself in many years. I was just gazing over the rose garden, and she told me not to move. I actually didn't feel as self conscious as I normally would be. I hope you'll agree.

Fashion

With three girls, we have triple the fashion. So triple the fun! 

First up, Chloe. Being a kid, I wanted Chloe to have something fun and comfortable. Long car rides are hardest on the youngest and the oldest. So I found this long, thin sweatshirt dress by Heart Hips at Ross Dress for Less. She paired it with her Bobs by Sketchers, and I liked that she used her own creativity. You can find Bob's at Rack Room Shoes.

My dress I also found at Ross Dress for Less and it's by a company called Speed Control. I loved the billowy sleeves and silky material. The way it's designed allowed for a lot of cool air to move through my outfit, and it did give it a breezy feeling so I didn't get too hot. This attribute alone made me feel like I was floating. 

My comfortable shoes are by Ekko and available at Dillard's. My mismatched purse with the poppies is by Dana Buchanan and was from last year's line at Kohl's.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the happy couple. Ellen chose this peasant dress from New York & Company. She paired it with thong sandals that are also from NY & Co. I love the embroidery on this particular piece.

Alas, although they didn't pick this venue, it was spectacular. The reasons they didn't pick mostly revolve around the remoteness of this location. If you're visiting the upstate of SC it is well worth the visit, but make sure you gas up. There are picnic grounds available, or you can elect to eat when you gas up. Either way, the natural beauty of the surrounding area, paired with the powerful civil war history, make this a must see!

We couldn't leave without a family picture and the ranger was nice enough to take this one of us. There's a cute little gift shop behind the main house, and the ranger is very knowledgeable about the site. If you sign the guest ledger, you'll be amazed by the range of visitors to the site. There's also a log to receive emails, if you sign up, you'll be invited to a number of fun and educational activities at the site. I definitely would like to come back to either the summer nights, or to see it decked out at Christmas.

Until next time fashion-love's, stay fashionable and be blessed.