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Monthly Archives: February 2014

Getting our past Southern Brides of the Month organized lit a fire under us to make sure we continued this lovely monthly tradition! I’m so happy to welcome this series (one of my favorites!) back with Amy. As soon as I saw that she is engaged to her high school sweetheart, I knew we’d get along, but it was her answer to what she’s most looking forward to about marriage that made me fall in love with her. I know you’ll agree, so please help me welcome our February Bride!

Hi! What’s your name?
Amy Leigh Bell

What’s your fiancé’s name?
Daniel Clark Salo

Cameron Faye Photography

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story.
Daniel and I met when we were juniors in high school in our hometown of Charlotte, NC. I was in another relationship at the time, but there were always things about Daniel that I admired, even as we were just becoming friends. As we started our senior year (and I was single again), our relationship began to develop with a little help from our friends! Daniel was not allowed by his parents to officially date while in high school, so he began “courting” me, inviting me to spend time with his family or just in groups with our mutual friends. As a smitten 17-year-old girl, this was certainly frustrating, but little did I know, he had big hopes for the future! His protection and caution through those beginning stages has made all the difference over the past four years in college, and I am so thankful!

Now tell us alllll about the proposal.
After attending a friend’s wedding earlier in the day, I was quite excited to spend an evening with my beau on September 14th. The night started with dinner at P.F. Chang’s (one of my absolute favorites) where my fortune cookie read, “Good news of a long awaited event will arrive soon.” This was a complete coincidence, and it was all Daniel could do to not show a reaction all over his face.

After dinner, he drove me to the outdoor North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. I have never seen the boy so nervous. As we walked quite briskly toward a gazebo, I began to catch glimpses of white curtains draped throughout it, with hundreds of small tea lights glowing inside. As we entered the gazebo, Daniel stopped walking and grabbed my hands. He said a lot of beautiful things (which he later had to email to me since I couldn’t remember a bit of it), and proposed with a stunning ring made from the diamond my grandmother and my mother wore during their marriages.

After I said yes (of course!), he led me to a chair and washed my feet, representing the way Jesus served his disciples during his time on earth. Daniel grabbed his Bible and read Scripture to me, promising to lay down his life daily for me, his bride. It was the most romantic, joyful moment of my life!

When’s the big day?
May 24, 2014

Where might you two be tying the knot?
We are getting married at the Aqueduct Conference Center in Chapel Hill.

How did you pick your ceremony and reception venues? What do you love most about each space?
I chose our wedding venue based off of pictures from a friend’s wedding that took place at Aqueduct. When I first mentioned it to Daniel, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he had already been there for a few weekend retreats, and thought it was just as beautiful as I do.

Our ceremony and reception will all be at the same place, which is one of my favorite aspects of the venue. Evening receptions in gigantic, white tents with beautiful lighting make me swoon, and I am thrilled to be planning one of my own! Although Aqueduct is just moments away from the heart of Chapel Hill, the winding, gravel driveway and rolling fields make it feel hours away.

Because Aqueduct functions as an overnight conference center as well as an event venue, there are two large cottages on the premises, which allow Daniel and I and our wedding party to spend the night at the venue after the rehearsal dinner. I love knowing that after we arrive on Friday afternoon, we don’t have to leave until after the wedding on Saturday! The cottages also double as a place for my vendors and guests to stay after the wedding, since the entire facility is ours for the weekend.

A sweet first look at Aqueduct from this wedding by Caroline Joy!

Tell us a little bit about the wedding you’re planning: style, theme, feel, colors?
Above all, my goal is for our wedding day to point forward to a beautiful marriage. I want the aura of the day to reflect us as a couple, but my intention is not to “wow” my 250 guests with every detail. I am focused on using my budget wisely to create simple elegance.

Our wedding will be made up of soft shades of green, with yellow accents and lots of white. Because it will be outdoors in May (hopefully with beautiful weather!), I want the colors, the flowers, and the décor to feel fresh and romantic, and of course, Southern!

Who or what has been most helpful and/or inspiring in the wedding planning process?
I have had tons of amazing support through this process, with 11 beautiful bridesmaids and incredible Southern belles (literally, Bell’s!) in my family that could not be more excited for May 24th to arrive. When your wedding party is the size of a small football team, opportunities to chat and dream about the big day are in no short supply!

Bridesmaid inspiration from Elizabeth Messina and Ron B. Wilson

What part of wedding planning, if any, has made you the most anxious?
All of the little details! There are literally hundreds of small things to remember, in addition to the big decisions. I have to make lists constantly, making sure I am spreading out all of these little tasks evenly throughout our engagement. My biggest fear is getting to the last few weeks before the wedding and being overwhelmed with a million things to do!

Which part of your wedding have you been most intentional about planning?
I have been the most intentional about picking vendors that I love. I was already booking our venue and photographer before we were actually engaged (whoops!) because I believe that those choices will make such a huge impact on the feel of the day, for us and for our guests. Beautiful wedding photography and videography are quite literally irreplaceable, and I know that’s what Daniel and I will have, thanks to Cameron Faye Photography and Needle + Thread videography!

Have you picked your dress yet? How’d that go? What will you be wearing on the big day?
Yes! That process was very fun and easy. Like I said, I tend to know what I want! I only went to one store (New York Bride & Groom in Charlotte), and I came in with a picture of my dream dress. Although that specific dress was way out of my budget, I found one that had all of the potential to be exactly what I wanted, after some major alterations! Seamstresses are amazing, y’all. I will be wearing a Justin Alexander gown, and that’s about all I can say until May 24th!

Wedding gown inspiration from Ryan Bernal via Style Me Pretty and Virgil Bunao

What has been the best part of wedding planning? The worst part?
The best part about wedding planning has been spending at least part of every day thinking about and working towards what I hope will be the best day of my life! I love getting home from work and having packages to open full of wedding items that have arrived in the mail that day. Wedding planning has even allowed me to take up a new hobby, as I am learning calligraphy to hand address all of my invitations!

If I had to choose a “worst” part of planning my wedding, it would probably be the amount of time and communication required to coordinate between so many people and vendors. I chose to forgo a wedding planner for budgetary reasons, and I have definitely felt the need for one more than once! However, doing everything myself allows me the freedom to fully put things together the way I want, and I know the day is going to feel that much more beautiful after so much hard work!

Tell us about planning with your fiancé. Has it gone smoothly? Is he more involved, or hands-off?
Daniel is amazing. He is involved when I want him to be involved, and hands-off when I need to do things myself. As a musician himself, the music that will fill our wedding weekend from beginning to end is very important to him, and it has been so fun to talk about options and decide on playlists, while letting some of our musical friends and family members take the reins on special parts of the day. Daniel has done a great job making it clear that he cares about the details of our day, while also affirming that he trusts my decisions and is excited to finally see the day come together the way we have envisioned.

Centerpiece inspiration by Brittany Janelle Photography and Ian Riley via The Perfect Palette

What do you wish you would have known at the beginning of your engagement?
I wish I had known just how many decisions I would have to make over this 8-month period. I have learned that there are a million options for every little detail, but it is never going to be worth my time to peruse all of them on Pinterest. Sometimes, you just have to pick something you like and run with it, knowing there is a chance that there is something out there that is cuter, prettier, or more unique. When I began to realize that I was adding wedding planning on top of graduating from college and starting a full-time job, there were tons of options I just had to let go of.

What are you most looking forward to on your wedding day?
I am most looking forward to our first look. We debated a lot over whether or not to do one, but after advice from other brides and my photographer, we decided it would be a very special moment between the two of us. We are not writing our own vows, so this will be our opportunity to read letters to each other and spend plenty of time getting pictures of just the two of us.

Any plans for a honeymoon? Where do you want to go and what will you do?
Yes, of course! Daniel and I are going to Secrets St. James Montego Bay in Jamaica. We purposefully have no plans except to relax and enjoy our first vacation together as Mr. and Mrs. Salo!

Cameron Faye Photography

What are you most looking forward to about marriage?
I am most looking forward to starting and ending each day with Daniel. Throughout our relationship, every time I see him is marked with the knowledge that we will eventually have to say goodbye before the night is over. I can’t wait for his home to be my home, too.

Any advice you’d like to pass along to fellow brides?
For every time someone asks you, “How’s wedding planning?” remember to ask yourself, “How’s marriage planning?” The purpose of your wedding is to celebrate the beginning of your marriage, and it is infinitely more important that you are planning well for that. Don’t let a perfect wedding become the end goal, because that is simply a brand new beginning to something even more beautiful!

Thank you so much, Amy! We can’t wait to see that gorgeous gown! Readers, interested in being featured as a future Southern Bride of the Month? Take a peek at this page for all of the details!

emily Written with love by Emily
3 Comments
  1. avatar Lisa reply

    Love, love, love her perspective on planning for her marriage!

  2. avatar Erin Jamesson reply

    Aww! Adorable couple and proposal story too! Her, bling is similar to mine http://bit.ly/1bR9Ltm

  3. avatar Jillian Boland reply

    Love this!!! Such a sweet couple. Thrilled for you both, Amy!! Thankful to know and work with you! :)

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Charlottesville, Virginia is one of my favorite Southern wedding destinations–so much so that my fiancé and I considered it for our own wedding! I wasn’t the least bit surprised when I read that Jane and Marty selected the gorgeous Pippin Hill Farm for their wedding after falling in love with its sweeping Blue Ridge Mountains views. Not only was it a breathtaking backdrop for their elegant spring wedding, it was also a perfect place for Jane and Marty to give their mostly Northern guests a little taste of Virginia. We can only imagine how much they loved it!

Thank you so much to Candi Coffman for sharing Jane and Marty’s wedding with us!

I selected Nicole Miller’s “Lauren” dress, which I bought at the Nicole Miller store in SOHO in NYC. I loved the lace back and how lightweight the dress was. I was able to dance the night away in it.

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We decided to do a first look so that we could spend a little bit of time alone together before the wedding. It worked out well because we also got to spend more time with friends and family after the ceremony.

How pretty is Jane’s pastel bouquet? Pat and Sherry of Pat’s Floral Designs used peonies and ranunculus in the softest blush.

Music was a really significant part of our ceremony and we were lucky to have several musicians contribute. First, we had a wonderful classical guitarist play our ceremony music. The bridal party processed down the aisle to “Sheep May Safely Graze” by Bach. Then, both my mom and dad walked me down the aisle to Pachelbel’s “Canon in D.” This was their wedding song as well, so it was really special to have them both there with me. Our wedding officiant is a family friend who also plays the banjo in a band, so he played “River” by Al Petteway as a musical interlude during the ceremony. Finally, our reception band snuck in and surprised everyone by playing “All You Need Is Love” by the Beatles while we processed out. Everyone sang along and it was such a happy moment that I know I will remember for the rest of my life.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? When I first saw Pippin Hill, I fell in love with the magnificent view of the mountains and knew it was where I wanted to be married. We are from Maryland and most of our guests were coming from Maryland and DC, so Charlottesville, Virginia was a mini-destination for us.

What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Colleen Miller, our day-of coordinator, was a life-saver. Leading up to the wedding, she had a ton of advice on vendor selection, planning the ceremony, etc. On the day, she took care of everything so that I was able to actually enjoy the day, and she was a wonderful, calming force. I highly recommend hiring a day-of coordinator if your venue doesn’t provide one. They make a world of difference.

I love dessert–it’s my favorite meal of the day! We decided to have a smaller cake and a dessert bar that included cake pops, petit fours, brownies, lemon bars, and more. My wedding coordinator, Colleen Miller, helped me to surprised my husband, who is a huge doughnut fan, with a tiered “doughnut” cake. Needless to say, he was thrilled!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Marty and I were introduced by a friend in college. We went to different schools and I moved abroad for a year after college, so Marty ended up chasing me around for about two years before we finally got together. We joke that Marty had to be really persistent to win me over!
Tell us all about the proposal! Marty and I live in New York City and he proposed to me during a walk in Central Park near the promenade. Afterwards, we went to dinner at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant at the London Hotel and got a tour of the kitchen, which was really fun.
When did y’all get married? May 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 150
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We wrote our own vows. I think it was a great way for us to reflect on our relationship and think about the things that are really important to us. Weddings can be big and crazy and stressful, but the most important thing about the day is that you are making a commitment in front of your closest friends and family to be with the person you love most for the rest of your life. When we exchanged rings, we both said to each other, “With this ring, I give you my heart. I have no greater gift to give.” That meant a lot to me and I still think about it when I look at my ring.
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We did two readings, the Apache Wedding Blessing and a reading from The Velveteen Rabbit.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Marty surprised me on the day of the wedding with a gift and a print of a quote from one of my favorite poems by Pablo Neruda, “My love feeds on your love, beloved, and as long as you live, it will be in your arms without leaving mine.”
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? I have a few pieces of advice: 1. Prioritize the things that are important to you about your wedding and invest in those things. For example, having a great band was really important to us and we splurged there, but we built our own photobooth because we didn’t want to pay to rent one. I know that everyone says this, but it is easy to get sucked into thinking you have to spend a million dollars on everything, but if you don’t care about the invitations (for example), don’t spend a ton of money on them! 2. Don’t drive yourself crazy trying to “DIY” too many things. Take on manageable projects and make sure you allow enough time to complete them. 3. On that point, allow more time than you think you need for everything and try to get everything done a week before the wedding so you can relax a bit! 4. Be very selective about your vendors; they make or break your wedding day. We loved all of our vendors and I think they were a big reason why our wedding was such a fun day!

Photographer: Candi Coffman / Videographer: Ginger Topham / Day-of Coordinator: Colleen Miller / Venue and Catering: Pippin Hill Farm / Florist: Southern Blooms by Pat’s Floral Design / Wedding Cake: Favorite Cakes / Lighting: Blue Ridge A/V and Lighting / Band: Attraction / Ceremony Music: Rafael Scarfullery / Bride’s Gown: “Lauren” by Nicole Miller / Paper Products: Paper in the Park / Hair Stylist and Makeup Artist: Jennifer Saunders / Bride’s Shoes: “Sage” by Kate Spade / Bridesmaid Dresses: Bari Jay / Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse

lisa Written with love by Lisa
13 Comments
  1. avatar Emily reply

    The prettiest gown, and I adore that heart-shaped poem – and their donut stack!

  2. avatar Nicole reply

    It gives me chills thinking about all of their guests singing as they walked back up the aisle!

  3. avatar Erin | Elizabeth Anne Designs reply

    LOVE everything about this gorgeous day! the blooms, the aubergine bridesmaids dresses, the beautiful images… *sigh*

  4. avatar Dana reply

    virginia is sooo pretty!

  5. avatar Colleen Miller Events » Southern Weddings Feature reply

    […] Marty were featured on the Southern Weddings blog yesterday. If you missed the feature, click here to hear Jane tell all of the details of her stunning soiree. Jane is definitely a girl after my own […]

  6. avatar Catherine reply

    Adore her dress …. and their dessert bar!!

  7. avatar Colleen Miller Events » Mardi Gras! reply

    […] while you’re over there don’t forget to read about Colleen Miller Event’s own Jane & Marty and their beautiful wedding at Pippin Hill […]

  8. avatar Mikkel reply

    This wedding is swoon-worthy in every way. LOVE the banjo player, the colors of the bridesmaids against the green lush hills and the love you can feel through the photos of the couple! Congrats Jane and Marty!!!

  9. avatar Jane and Marty Featured on Southern Weddings! reply

    […] heard that Candi Coffman‘s images from Jane and Marty’s Pippin Hill wedding were being published on the Southern Weddings blog. This wedding has everything that Charlottesville brides dream of – a fabulous groom, a […]

  10. avatar Nicole reply

    I love her dress could someone tell me who makes it :) ???
    Classic Vineyard Wedding by Candi Coffman

  11. avatar Nicole reply

    Who made the brides dress and the mother of the brides dress???

  12. avatar Six Dreamy Virginia Vineyard Weddings « Virginia's Travel Blog reply

    […] marty + jane (pippin hill vineyard, north garden) | by candi coffman […]

  13. avatar Love the colour… might tempt me to plum instead of burgundy! long plum bridesmaid dresses | Candi Coffman wedding – Wedding Mo reply

    […] Via: southernweddings.com […]

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I’m attending a wedding at RiverOaks Charleston in a few months, and since I’ve been admiring today’s gorgeous wedding ever since we accepted it for V6 last year, I am so excited to see the venue in person soon! After deciding against being married at Shannon’s parents’ beloved Lowcountry cottage, Shannon and Clay chose RiverOaks for its beautiful views and undeniable focus on Southern hospitality, which they were committed to showing their family and friends. With the help of an impressive collection of vintage tablecloths, delectable, locally-sourced food, and subtle star details inspired by Clay’s proposal, this wedding is as springtime-sweet as it gets. We’re so grateful to Virgil Bunao for capturing it so beautifully and sharing it with us!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. What was your favorite thing about it? I originally thought I would wear my twin sister’s wedding dress to help cut costs. Since we are identical twins, I wanted to alter it slightly to make it my “own,” so I consulted with an old friend whom I knew was now designing wedding gowns–Katherine McDonald, owner and designer of LulaKate in Charleston. Our meeting quickly went from altering my sister’s 12-year-old wedding dress to me trying on Katherine’s gorgeous gowns, which are pieces of artworks themselves. It took no time to decide on the dress for me. Her LaMour wedding dress was stunning–it had a pleated tulle bodice, cap sleeves, and embroidered floral detail. Perfect for a garden wedding! My favorite thing about it was knowing that I was the first bride ever to wear the newly-designed dress!

I got the idea to use two shades of green bridesmaid dresses from the “Virginia is for Lovers” shoot in Southern Weddings V5. I wanted the LulaKate dresses to be short, since it was an outdoor wedding, but I let each bridesmaid pick their neckline, which added a nice personal touch–they chose Zoe, Kristyn, and Jessica in the colors garden and grass.The wedding party was all family, so I just had to include the little ones as my sweet maidens! Since this wedding was held on the “royal wedding” weekend, I used the term “maidens” because that is what the English call their bridesmaids. I had five maidens that included my two step daughters and three nieces. My youngest niece was the flower girl, and my nephew was the ring bearer.

I have spent lots of family time out at our country home on the water in Meggett, South Carolina, and it is truly a gem of our beautiful Lowcountry. Clay and I both spent time there together while dating. I didn’t want to burden my parents by hosting our wedding there, so RiverOaks was the perfect venue for a Lowcountry plantation-style wedding with a similar feel. The color scheme evolved into shades of green, gold, and ivory, with splashes of peaches and pinks. We wanted it to feel fresh, fun, and spring-inspired.

Did you have a cocktail hour? If so, what was it like? The reception started with a cocktail hour on the front lawn by the pond. We had a self-serve bar with lemonade and ice tea in my mom’s vintage glasses and a specialty cocktail of blueberry lemonade vodka, garnished with mint and served in mason jars. A large community table covered in butcher paper displayed a spread of local cheeses, honey, jams, and chutneys, which were all family favorites from either Charleston, my hometown, or Asheville, Clay’s hometown.
What was the design inspiration for your reception? We were inspired by the “from the earth and home” feel that we enjoy so much at my parents’ cottage. A few words we used to describe our wedding were Southern, local, family, plantation, picnic, casual, and fun. The color scheme of greens, golds, and ivory with touches of peach and pinks was inspired by springtime and the colors in my mom’s vintage tablecloths. The star details were inspired by our shooting star proposal story.

The food was local, Southern, and seasonal, and it was all sourced from farms on nearby John’s Island. At the cocktail hour, we passed around two appetizers of artichoke and goat cheese bruschetta and prosciutto-wrapped melon skewers. The seated family-style dinner began with a bibb wedge salad with smoked bacon, local tomato, cucumber, and a chive blue cheese dressing. Dinner proceeded with large dishes passing around a choice of local shrimp pasta in a caper, garlic, lemon butter and fresh herbs, or applewood bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with red pepper relish. For sides, we served garlicky local greens, creamy corn pudding served in husks, and a caprese salad with heirloom tomato and buffalo mozzarella drizzled in pesto.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Our personal wedding cake was an almond amaretto cake with buttercream icing and blueberries on top from Sugar Bakery, decorated with my parents’ wedding cake topper. Their cake topper had been damaged over time from storage, so Jill Templeton repaired it by sewing on a piece of my mom’s wedding dress fabric. Our wedding cake was the centerpiece on a large round table of local Southern cakes from our favorite bakeries. Our Southern Cake Bar was made up of coconut cake from SALT at Station 22, caramel cake from Carter’s Kitchen, seven-layer chocolate cake from Square Onion, and red velvet cake, carrot cake, and strawberry cake from Sewee Restaurant and Village Bakery. The little maidens were about to pop waiting to get into those cakes!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We just so happened to live in the same neighborhood, right around the corner from each other! We were familiar faces due to the highly social nature of our young neighborhood. When we ran into one another at Zac Brown’s Southern Ground Music and Food Festival on Daniel Island in October 2011, a little spark ignited and our love story began!
Tell us all about the proposal! The date was December 14, 2012. We had been out to dinner at Carter’s Kitchen in Ion of Mount Pleasant and decided to go to the beach on Sullivan’s Island to try to see the Gemini Meteor Shower. We walked out on Station 16, which has a perfect view of Charleston’s harbor and skyline. We stood there for a good fifteen minutes before we finally saw one beautiful shooting star out of the east. I think Clay was waiting on one, because then, he leaned over and asked, “So…what are you doing for the next 50 years of your life?” I replied, “Hopefully, spending it with this great guy named Clay,” not realizing he was leading into a proposal! That’s when he popped the question! I was so surprised and soooo happy!!!! Needless to say, I was truly floating on “cloud nine,” or should I say, “star nine!”
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Genuine, personal, loving
How many friends, family, and loved ones attended your wedding? 175
Bride’s favorite detail of the wedding: I did an ink drawing of an old oak tree on my parents’ property in Meggett, SC, which is quite the gathering place for my family on weekends and holidays. I included a tiny shooting star hidden in the foliage of the tree. I had the drawing letterpressed onto our invitations in gold ink by Reaves Engraving printing company. My framer, Carol Williams of A Simple Tree, surprised me with a framed collage of the original drawing, the silver plate, and the letterpressed invitation. We had it proudly displayed at the ceremony.
Groom’s favorite detail of the wedding: Without a doubt, the bagpiper that Shannon surprised me with! He played “Highland Cathedral” as she walked down the aisle. I have Scottish heritage and appreciation, and I belong to the McLean Clan of Duart. I was really pushing to have a bagpiper play at our wedding, but it wasn’t appearing to work out in the planning process. She got me good!
Describe your wedding flowers: My hand-tied bouquet held a very sentimental branch of kousa dogwood from my parent’s home, which will bloom every year on our anniversary. It also included a lush mix of white blooms, including scabiosa, fringe tulips, sweet peas, and peonies, with touches of blush pink in the rice flower, astilbe, and ranunculus. We also included patience and juliet garden roses, with a hint of super green roses. The bouquet was wrapped with a vintage satin ecru ribbon and I pinned on Clay’s mother’s white lace handkerchief with her gorgeous antique diamond brooch.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? No, we did the traditional Presbyterian vow exchange.
Were there any family traditions you included in the ceremony? We started a new family tradition at my ceremony. The ring bearer pillow was custom made by Jill Templeton of Circa Children. She designed and crafted it with a combination of fabric samples from my mom and sister’s wedding dresses. I plan to pin on a small piece of my wedding dress fabric to the pillow and then pass it down to the next generation of brides in our family, where they will each pin on their samples too.
Tell us a bit about your first dance. We danced to Zac Brown’s “Free” because we met at his concert and that song had a lot of meaning to us. Our first dance was the most I got to talk to Clay one-on-one all night!
Did you toss the garter or bouquet? No, I am an older bride (41), so most of my friends are married! This was my first marriage and Clay was well worth the wait. Good things really do come to those who wait!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We have just completed my art studio in an unfinished room over the garage. I am transitioning into step-motherhood and am enjoying my instant family. We also hope to have a child of our own if we are so blessed!
What advice would you give to someone currently planning his or her wedding? At some point during your ceremony, be sure to take a pause and look around, make eye contact with your guests, and remember that moment on your special day. It is all so busy and goes by so quickly that to simply stop and take in a sweet moment will live in you forever. My pastor, Rev. John Hage, gave us this advice, and I am so thankful for it! John also had us write letters about how we fell in love and why we loved and wanted to marry each other so that we could share them after the wedding. What a treasure to have and reread on our anniversaries! I would encourage couples to do the same.

Photographer: Virgil Bunao Photography / Planning and Design: Marianne Caldwell, Lauren Heuber, and Jennigray Hewitt of RiverOaks Charleston / Venue: RiverOaks Charleston / Florist: Deborah Gibson Design / Caterer: Harvest Catering / Cake Baker: Sugar Bakeshop / Southern Cake Bar: Sewee Restaurant, Village Bakery, SALT at Station 22, Square Onion, and Carter’s Kitchen / Bride’s Gown: “LaMour” by LulaKate / Bride’s Shoes: Nina Culver and LulaKate / Bride’s Earrings: Skatells / Bride’s Bracelet: David Yurman / Bride’s Veil and Bridesmaids’ Dresses: LulaKate / Maidens’ Dresses: Us Angels / Flower Girl Dress: David’s Bridal / Hair Stylist: Dianna Reine of Salon Jolie / Makeup Artist: Kristin Pavao of Finger Paint Makeup / Men’s Attire: Jos. A Bank / Ties and Pocket Squares: Custom by Ben Silver / Paper Products: Reaves Engraving Inc. / Tabletop Rental: Event Works / Unique Rentals: Muster Branch Vintage Rentals and RiverOaks Charleston / Bar Service: Squeeze Onsite / Sailcloth Tent: Sperry Tents / Linens: RiverOaks Charleston and personal / Shuttle Bus: ACW Limo Service / Lighting: RiverOaks Charleston / Ceremony Officiant: Rev. John Hage of Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church / Ceremony Musicians: Kelly Graham and Ben Drechsler / Soloist: Rev. Courtney Mills Jones Willis / Bagpiper: John Weed / Band: Tony Howard Band, The Willis Blume Agency / Apron and Invitation Artwork: Bride and Shannon Smith Hughes / “Southern Ground” and “Just Married” Signs: Sarah Jeffers Beauchene of Reclaimed Artistry / Getaway Car: 1956 Oldsmobile Holiday / Framing: Carol Williams of A Simple Tree / Bridesmaids and Maidens’ Jewelry: Felice Designs / Custom Ring Bearer Pillow: Circa Children

RiverOaks Charleston is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
6 Comments
  1. avatar Dana reply

    what a sweet proposal! love her flowers, too!

  2. avatar Jehnel Oboza reply

    Gosh, Virgil. Beautiful, as always.

  3. avatar Emily reply

    I fell in love with those glittery star wands as soon as I saw them, but when I heard the significance behind them, my appreciation went to a whole new level! The shooting star references were my favorite detail from this wedding!

  4. avatar Lytle reply

    Virgil is awesome!

  5. avatar Marianne reply

    We could not have asked for a sweeter couple and family. Both the bride and her mother are artists so they embraced our planning, design and styling based on their vision with ease and appreciation. The relationships formed through this journey will always be treasured.

  6. avatar Mood Board Monday | Tulle Wedding Skirts reply

    […] 1, image 2, image 3, image 4, image […]

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