While the star-studded cast of the Family Circle Cup kicked off the on-court portion of the tournament during the day, on Monday night it was time to kick off the off-court proceedings as Saks Fifth Avenue hosted the official player party, sponsored by Suntrust.

For one night, the famed department store in downtown Charleston was changed into the center of celebration for one of the premier events on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour calendar, with live music, a variety of food, a candy station and, of course, all the shopping one could imagine. Displays were moved and dinner tables were placed right on the retail floor, creating a unique atmosphere of shopping and socializing. Among the specialty areas were the cupcake bar and a make-your-own skin scrub station, and there was even a pre-party fashion show, which featured players Gisela Dulko and Dominika Cibulkova. Joining the models at the show were dogs from the Pet Helpers Adopt-A-Pet program, who were all up for adoption and provided welcome companionship to many of the players for the evening. There were also raffles during the party, one of which was won by Romania's Edina Gallovits.

Most of the tournament's top seeds were in attendance, including Jelena Jankovic, Anna Chakvetadze, Elena Dementieva, Serena Williams, Patty Schnyder, Dinara Safina and Agnes Szavay. Also in attendance at the event was famed tennis journalist Bud Collins. All of the players received gift cards for between $5 and $150, the value being found out once they used them at the cashier; the players shopped through the night, with Williams being one of the last to leave.

This was the third year the player party was hosted by Saks Fifth Avenue, an upscale American department store with headquarters in New York City. There are 54 Saks Fifth Avenue stores throughout the United States and over 100 more side braches, as well as their official website, www.saks.com.