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Southern Weddings

Author: Marissa

Growing up in Charleston, Lindsay knew she wanted to get married at a plantation home, and had her fair share of beautiful places to choose from. I’m sure we can all agree that most anywhere in the Lowcountry would have been simply lovely! In the end, Lindsay’s love for the Old South was the deciding factor, and she and Ty chose the Legare Waring House for their wedding. It not only made Lindsay feel completely at home, but its beautiful Spanish moss and plantation house porch also made the perfect backdrop for their classic Southern celebration. While their venue was just the right place for them to exchange their vows, their hearts were focused on tying together past family traditions with new traditions for their future family. Lindsay said that “focusing on the future that we were building kept the stress of the wedding low.”

Big hugs to Dana Cubbage for sharing this lovely day!

My something old was lace cut from mother’s wedding dress, which I wrapped around my bouquet. Something new was a bracelet and earrings from my mom. My something borrowed was my grandmother’s sapphire ring, originally given to her by her grandfather. My something blue was a necklace my papa had made for me from one of his baby rings. He had necklaces made for all four of his grandchildren when he got sick.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Definitely walking down the aisle. That was a one of a kind moment–just knowing that we were about to cross a huge milestone was so overwhelming and exciting!

About a year before the big day, I took my mom, grandmother, and sister dress shopping with me. It was the classic story of trying on those first few dresses, then trying on about 20 more before your gut tells you that first dress was the one. I fell in love with the simplicity of it and the light, flowy, breathable fabric that hugged all the right spots!

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? I’ve always been in love with the Old South, so I knew I wanted a Charleston plantation wedding. I grew up here, and Legare-Waring House made me feel at home.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? The entire venue screamed “Southern,” thanks to the Spanish moss draped from the old oak trees, the plantation house porch, and the hanging vines.

Describe your wedding flowers. We had white peonies, cream and sahara patience garden roses, sweet pea, jasmine vine, seeded eucalyptus, peach Juliet garden roses, dusty miller leaves, cream ranunculus, peach stock, and spirea.

For my walk down the aisle, a string quartet played “A Thousand Years.” Our first dance was to the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody,” which is the song that my grandparents danced to on their wedding day.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. According to Ty, he and I met long before I remember, back in 2008. I didn’t believe it until I found a random picture I took with my cousin, Callie, where Ty was in the background! Callie used to date Ty’s best friend, Chris, so they were always invited to the same events, and their paths always crossed. Ty constantly reminds me that the night we met, I did not speak to him, and ignored him on the way out. I still refuse to believe that was the case! A year passed, and Ty and I would see each other every now and then, but never truly got to know one another until 2009 when I came home for Christmas break. Callie invited me over to her new place, and when I arrived, I saw Ty sitting on the couch. I introduced myself, only for Ty to reply, “Yeah…we’ve met before…” Assuming any possibility for a friendship was lost, I just laughed it off and changed the subject. Later that night, Callie, Chris, Ty, and I decided to go to the infamous IBG (Island Bar and Grille). This is where the magic really happened. Callie came over to me what I thought of Ty, and before I could reply, Ty walked over and put his arm around me. Instead of asking me out, he said, “I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend for a minute, that biker lady over there is trying to ask me out.” Romantic right?! Needless to say, we kept in touch ever since that night. I returned to Columbia, but Ty began visiting Gamecock country all the time. We decided to become an official couple on March 16, 2010. We have been through a lot together since, and know, through our experiences, we will be able to get through anything. On December 15, 2013, Ty got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife, forever.
Tell us all about the proposal! I knew it was coming; I just wasn’t sure when. Every time a big event was coming up–birthday, graduation, surprise camping trip, etc.–I just knew Ty was going to pop the question, and I was wrong every time. Ty caught on quickly that I knew it was coming, so he knew he had to ask when I least expected it! Every year, Ty and I love going to the James Island County Christmas lights. We both enjoy the Christmas season so much, so we make a point to go every year, and this year was no different! Once we arrived, we decided to head to Santa’s Workshop and walk around, as we do every year, but first, we had to stop at the mistletoe light for a quick picture! When it came time for Ty and I to take our picture, we posed for a few shots, and then Ty looked at me and said, “Do you know how much I love you?” I responded, “Yes, I love you too, Ty!” Tyler said, “No, do you know how much I love you?” Confused, I remarked, “Umm, yes, I think so?” This is where is became a blur to me, as I saw him reach into his jacket pocket and pull something out. He then got down on one knee and asked me, “Will you do me the honor of being my wife, forever?” I was SHOCKED, and of course, said YES!” Although it was simple, it was perfect! I couldn’t imagine being asked any other way!
When did y’all get married? May 22, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 150
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? My uncle read “The Art of Marriage” and Ty’s father read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? We bought a home together while engaged and started planning for the future, dreaming up holiday parties we could throw and traditions we would want to start for our future family. Focusing on the future that we were building kept the stress of the wedding low.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? Prioritizing what I had always dreamed of including vs. things I had never given much thought to. Things on the bottom of that list needed the smallest budget–for us, the cake was low on the list because we aren’t cake people, so we opted out of extravagant cake and dessert options.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? It’ll be special regardless of how much you spend, so keep it simple! If you’re creative enough, you can have a dream wedding without spending a fortune!

Photographer: Dana Cubbage / Videographer: Finger Snappin’ Entertainment / Planner: Jacqueline Volz of Sweetgrass Social / Venue: Legare Waring House / Florist: Branch Design Studio / Wedding Cake: Cakes by Kait / Caterer: Crave Catering / Rentals: Eventworks / Lighting: Technical Event Company / DJ: DJ Y.Not / Band: Charleston Chamber Musicians / Bridal Salon and Accessories: Bridal House of Charleston / Hair Stylist: Madison Hughes / Makeup: Jonny Cosmetics / Bridesmaids’ Dress Salon: Bella Bridesmaids / Vintage Decor: 428 Main

marissa Written with love by Marissa
2 Comments
  1. avatar Brianna reply

    Where can I find those bridesmaid dresses!? That is exactly what I’ve been searching for!?

  2. avatar Lindsay + Ty | Legare Waring Houses| Charleston, SC – Sweetgrass Social reply

    […] To read more about their story check out Lindsay and Ty’s feature in Southern Weddings. […]

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While they may have gotten engaged far away from their families (be sure to read about their sweet Parisian proposal!), Katie and John chose to celebrate their marriage with an intimate wedding at King Family Vineyards that was focused on including all their family members. Even their young nieces, nephews, and cousins felt right at home, thanks to the family-style dinner and kids table! The decorate-your-own pumpkin activity at the kids table does looks like a blast, but personally, my favorite thing about Katie and John’s wedding is their beautiful blue and peach color palette. Katie wanted a spring wedding and John wanted a fall wedding, so they compromised by using bright colors in early fall! I love that!

Big SW hugs to Jillian Michelle for sharing this pretty day with us!

Tell us all about the proposal! For an anniversary/Christmas gift, John took me on a surprise trip to Paris. I love art, so I was thrilled to nerd out at the Paris art museums. We walked several miles in the Louvre, enjoyed the Impressionists at the Musee d’Orsay, visited many cathedrals, and ate far too much delicious French food. On the last day of our trip, we went to the Palace of Versailles. While walking in the stunning gardens and taking pictures of everything from fountains to landscape art to swans swimming in the ponds, John got down on one knee and proposed! I was so surprised (I hadn’t even showered that day!), but I also cannot imagine a more perfect engagement.

We did not do a first look because I wanted to stick to tradition and my favorite part of a wedding is seeing the groom’s expression when he sees the bride walk down the aisle. John was actually in favor of doing a first look initially (more time for pictures before sunset), but he told me later that he was glad we didn’t because my walk down the aisle was his favorite part of the wedding.

What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? We think King Family is one of the most beautiful vineyards in Charlottesville, and we enjoy the wine, too. Since most of our guests were from out of town, we wanted to have the ceremony and reception at the same place. Our minister–a close family friend I have known my entire life–was gracious enough to come from Florida to perform the ceremony, which made it very special to us.

The flowers were in a bright fall palette of orange, peach, cream, and yellows. I had wanted a spring wedding and John wanted a fall wedding, so we compromised by using bright colors in early fall!

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? John is a pharmacist and I am a medical resident, which makes our work schedules very difficult to coordinate. Making and attending appointments during regular business hours was a nightmare. Our wedding planner was absolutely incredible at making appointments and working with our hectic schedules. She really helped keep our stress levels down, and she made our wedding day surpass our expectations.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our food was all Southern cuisine. We served biscuits with butter and honey, shrimp and grits, collard greens, and succotash. We also had a lemonade stand and sweet, flavor-infused tea as a pre-ceremony refreshment. Our meal was served family-style, which made it feel more like a typical family dinner.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: We wanted our wedding to be small, intimate, and inclusive of our young nieces, nephews, and cousins. One of our favorite details was the kids’ table, where our youngest guests could color and decorate pumpkins. It was a big hit for them and kept their parents entertained, too.

We had a three-tiered cake with cream-colored frosting that progressed to a peach color. It had floral and pearl accents. It was important to us that the cake tasted great too, so our flavors were pumpkin and red velvet.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met when I was in medical school and John was working as a pharmacist in a small town in Florida. The average age of that small town is about 65, so we ultimately met online.
When did y’all get married? October 16, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 95
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I had one weekend set aside to find a dress, so it was a mad dash to find the one. No pressure! Starting out, I pictured myself in a lace dress with straps. The dress that I liked most was lace, but it was strapless, so I ended up adding lace straps to it, which made it perfect for me.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Our first dance was to “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole. We think it is a beautiful harmony with lovely lyrics.
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! My something borrowed was a lace handkerchief from my grandmother, which also made an appearance at my sister’s wedding. My blue was my navy blue lace shoes, and my new was my dress and jewelry.
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? We did premarital counseling with our pastor, which helped us keep things in perspective. It was one of our favorite pre-wedding activities.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? We served wine, beer, and cider only. Not having a full bar cut down our costs and also showcased the wonderful wine at King Family Vineyards, as well as local beer and cider.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? Now that the wedding is over, we are looking forward to growing together as a married couple. We are looking forward to our honeymoon, which we delayed for a few months, and we are about to expand our family to include an adopted cat.

Photographer: Jillian Michelle / Event Planning and Design: Tart Event Co. / Venue: King Family Vineyards / Florist: Southern Blooms / Wedding Cake: Favorite Cakes / Caterer: The Catering Outfit / Rentals: Festive Fare / Ceremony and Cocktail Hour Musician: Michael Geddes / Paper Products: Rock Paper Scissors / Bridal Gown and Accessories: Bella Rosa Bridal / Hair Stylist: Moxie Hair Lounge / Makeup Artist: Gohar Ayvazyan Beaver / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Alfred Angelo / Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse / Specialty Rentals: Paisley and Jade / Calligraphy: Type Delight / DJ: Shaner Sound

Paisley and Jade is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
4 Comments
  1. avatar Meredith Sledge reply

    BEAUTIFUL! Jill, you’re the besttttt!

  2. avatar Jill Powers reply

    Ahh!! Thank you so much for featuring this beautiful wedding!! :)

  3. avatar Lauren Carnes Photography reply

    We visited King Family Vineyards when we vacationed in Virginia and I fell in love! This is gorgeous!

  4. avatar Paisley & Jade reply

    We loved being part of this gorgeous wedding at King Family Vineyard! John and Katie seem like such a sweet couple and we’re thrilled that you chose to feature their big day! Our blue chairs in that reception venue? Swoon. We just love it all. So much pretty!

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I’ve often joked that I wasn’t much of a flower person until we did some foraging at our first team retreat. While I still am as dumb as a box of rocks when it comes to the different flower types, my appreciation for florals has certainly grown, and after seeing Emily’s stunning blooms, I think it might be moving into a full-blown love. Sarah at the White Oaks Barn took Emily’s inspiration and created bouquets full of marsala-hued dahlias, flowing greenery, and even some gold accents that ultimately became one of Emily’s favorite details of the day. I can surely see why! But, when it came to her favorite moment? She and Ben chose “the overwhelming feeling of love and support from everyone that was able to be there with us.”

Big SW hugs to Dash Photography for sharing this sweet day with us!

I wanted our florals to include LOTS of flowing greenery, plus flowers in creams, blush, and marsala. I showed our florist, Sarah Warner, lots of pictures for inspiration and she absolutely nailed it with my bouquet and my bridesmaids’ bouquets. My bouquet had marsala-hued dahlias and ranunculus, muted pink garden roses, dusty pink antique roses, cascading seeded eucalyptus, and amaranthus. She surprised me with some gold accents as well. It was big and beautiful and I could not have loved it more!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. As much as I hate to admit it, I can be quite indecisive when it comes to making certain decisions. My friends joked that I would try on one hundred dresses before actually picking one. You can imagine everyone’s surprise when I picked the first dress I tried on at the first boutique I went to! I think I tried on six dresses total that day. Everyone says to stop looking when you find one you love, so that’s exactly what I did!

Ultimately, we decided to do a first look because not only were we able to take a lot more pictures, but our reception was walking distance from the ceremony, so we wanted our wedding party to be able to enjoy the cocktail hour and reception right away. Wouldn’t want to waste any time getting the party started! Being able to see Ben before the ceremony was really nice and helped calm my nerves.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did not. Instead, during out premarital counseling, Ben and I had to answer questions about each other and share our answers with our minister, Charlie. During the ceremony, Charlie surprised us by reading each of our answers to the question “What is the one thing you love the most about Emily/Ben?” It was a sweet, personal touch that meant a lot to us!
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? My cousin Jessica read Psalm 121, which talks about God and nature. It was perfect for our ceremony venue.

We chose the venue because of the scenery. The mountains are special to both of us and it’s also the place where I feel closest to God, so I always knew I wanted to get married outside. With the leaves all turning colors, the view was so incredible. It’s impossible to not be grateful that God put something so beautiful on the earth for us.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: How can a girl pick just one?! It is a tie between my bouquet and the lounge area on the covered porch. CRUSH event rentals created the most beautiful lounge around a big stone fireplace, providing a stylish, cozy corner for guests to sit down and have a drink while enjoying the outdoors.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The entire day is filled with so many special memories, but my favorite would have to be the overwhelming feeling of love and support from everyone that was able to be there with us. We are lucky to have people in our lives who often tell us they love us, but it is the most amazing feeling to be shown that love by seeing all of your family and friends come from near and far to be there to support you. Ben and I were obviously excited for our wedding day, but seeing everyone else genuinely happy to be there with us was the best wedding gift of all. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, my other favorite memory was getting behind the DJ booth to sing my lungs out to my all time favorite Celine Dion song! I’m a sucker for an open mic!

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Ben and I met at a mutual friend’s birthday party. Ben was late to the party, straight off of a flight from Vegas, and I will never forget seeing him walk through the front door. For those few seconds, it was like there was no one else in the room! He came up to me later and introduced himself. We hung out all night and, as I like to say, Ben was smitten. After a couple of months, his persistence paid off and we officially became a couple. That was 3 1/2 years ago and the rest is history!
Tell us all about the proposal! Ben’s family has a lake house in the Blue Ridge Mountains and it is one of my favorite places in the whole wide world to be. Not only is it beautiful, but it’s also where I started to fall in love with Ben, so it holds a special place in my heart! Ben and I hadn’t gone up there just the two of us in a while, so when he asked if I wanted to go, I couldn’t wait! In the back of my mind, I was secretly hoping he would propose that weekend, but little things here and there made me doubt that it was going to happen. We got to the lake house on Friday night and Ben told me he had made dinner reservations at a restaurant on the lake. We unpacked the car and then hopped on the boat to make it to dinner on time. On the way, I asked Ben if we could head home during the sunset so we could watch it from the boat (unbeknownst to me at the time, that was his plan all along). We finished dinner and practically ran back to the boat. The sunset was magical, and as I was taking pictures, like I always do, Ben pointed out a particularly pretty view. As soon as I turned around to snap a picture, the boat stopped…and so did my heart! I turned around and Ben was on his knee asking me to marry him! It was perfect. When we turned the corner back to the house, I saw all of our family and friends running outside to greet us. Ben had asked everyone to come to the lake to surprise me! The rest of the night was filled with so much love and joy–there were even fireworks! It was the best weekend ever!!
When did y’all get married? October 24, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 200
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Our wedding cake was four tiers of vanilla almond and strawberry with a raspberry filling. Natalie from Cake Envy made the most delicious cake. The groom’s cake was a red velvet Georgia bulldog that looked amazing, and tasted great too!
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? Ben and I did premarital counseling with our wedding officiant, Rev. Charlie Marus. This really helped Ben and I understand one others’ expectations for our marriage, and it was a good way to make sure we were on the same page about things like finances, chores, and children, just to name a few!
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? My sister, Allison, is extremely creative and talented. She hand-painted all of the signs and decor at the wedding, including the Bible verse sign at the ceremony site, the bride and groom signs that hung on our chairs at dinner, and the “Abernathy” sign that had greenery draped over it. She did everything for free, so that was a huge help. We also ordered our wedding invitations through Minted, which was much more cost effective than hiring someone to design and address them!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Take your time to make decisions that are important to you and try not to rush yourself. Don’t sweat the small stuff and, if you can, hire a wedding planner!
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? Ben and I are looking forward to enjoying our first holiday season as husband and wife! We will be spending time with our families, taking care of our precious golden retriever, Cooper, and going on a New Year’s trip cruising the British Virgin Islands!

Photographer: Amanda Coker / Venue, Planner, Caterer, and Florist: White Oaks Barn / Wedding Cake: Natalie Roth / Rentals: CRUSH event rentals / DJ: Kyle MacDonald / Special Details: Allison Brown / Invitations: Minted / Paper Products and Koozie Design: Kristen Polsinelli / Bride’s Gown: “Style 1504” Blush by Hayley Paige / Bride’s Veil: Wedding Angels Boutique / Hair and Makeup: Molly Todd / Bride’s Shoes: “Lyndee” Sandal by Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Angelina Faccenda / Menswear: “Parker” Tuxedo in Black by Ike Behar / Photo Booth: Robot Booth

marissa Written with love by Marissa
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