By Helen Mitternight

Editor’s Note: Charleston is such a foodie town that food and beverage superstars are hiding in plain sight, out of theJames Beardlimelight, but still very much creating and serving amazing food and drinks. This series profiles Charleston’s “Hidden F&Bs.”

Weddings are emotional enough, but add in the mask-vs-non-mask debate, and you have even more drama.

Abby Frye wanted to be a basketball player, but rebounded to help plan weddings, and now holds the position of Event Planner forPatrick Properties Hospitality Group.It was probably fate all along considering she was born on Valentine’s Day!  

Frye knows that Charleston is one of the nation’s biggest wedding destinations, and she’s used to the pivoting and jump shots that weddings require, but even she wasn’t prepared for the shutdown that came with COVID-19.  

The pandemic is winding down and weddings are back, but she says the public can reasonably expect some of those adaptive trends and protocols to stick around; like, for example, smaller guest lists and more intimate-sized crowds. One thing she’s happy to see disappear is the mask requirement. Weddings are emotional enough, but add in the mask-vs-non-mask debate, and you have even more drama. Good thing Frye knows how to blend in like a Ninja — something she says is the secret power of all good wedding planners.  

Frye has a lot more to say.Tune in and listen to her guest appearance on Episode 39 of the Hidden F&B podcast for Charleston Grit now. Hitting the road? Check out thenewly expanded national episodes here.