Southern Weddings

In true Southern fashion, Paige + Joe’s Charleston wedding – photographed by Kate Headley – was a traditional and elegant celebration.  Petal pink bridesmaid dresses from Lula Kate, a historic downtown venue and a classic silk Jim Hjelm gown?  Yup, pretty traditional – and all kinds of stunning.  (The dramatic key-hole detailing on the back of Paige’s dress adds just the right touch of playfulness, though, don’t ya think?)  My favorite accents have to be the bride’s cute navy clutch (it was one of my Fab Finds picks in the last SW issue!) and the groom’s coordinated bow tie.  Simply sweet Southern weddings make my day.  How ‘bout yours?

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  Joe and I began working for the same consulting company right after college. Although I lived in Connecticut and he lived in Washington D.C., we were both in training for work in Chicago at the same time. After sitting next to each other during long days of training classes we became good friends and then started dating soon after that. A few months later, I moved down to D.C. and the rest is history!
Describe the proposal.  Joe surprised me by proposing during a picnic lunch in Middleburg, VA.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Intimate, classic and preppy.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The location was by far our favorite detail. We love Charleston and were so happy to have our wedding in such a beautiful, historic city. We were so happy to have our wedding at McCrady’s and feel that it was a perfect venue for us. We loved the character of McCrady’s so much that we felt we only needed minimal decorations. The room where we held our ceremony had beautiful chandeliers, fireplaces, and pale yellow damask wallpaper. It was elegant and traditional and felt very southern. In complete contrast was the room where our reception was held. That room had exposed brick walls and large exposed wooden beams. The room felt very rustic, yet sophisticated.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I had found a wedding dress back in October, but when it came in March I was unhappy with it. I tried the dress on and just didn’t feel like a bride. After several days of worry, I was flipping through the spring issue of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine and saw a dress that I fell in love with. I did some searching online and found that there was one in stock at a store about 30 minutes from me. I went to try it on and bought the dress right off the rack since it was impossible for me to order it with less than 8 weeks to go until my wedding day. Thanks to a wonderful seamstress I would up having a dress that fit perfectly and made me feel like a bride. My favorite details of the dress were the cutout back and the pockets!
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration?  What was Southern about your wedding? (It’s okay if not much was!) We served our favorite Southern foods including shrimp and grits, pork tenderloin with chutney, johnny cakes, fried green tomatoes, ham biscuits with peach preserves, crab cakes, and fried mac n’ cheese. The location itself was also southern since it was a destination for everyone. We had guests fly in from all over the country to be there for our big day, as well as to explore all the history and charm that Charleston has to offer.