I’m living a bit vicariously through Mette + Joe today as I peruse the photos from their oceanfront ceremony and swanky reception at the exclusive Citadel Beach House in South Carolina, and have to admit the newlyweds’ fresh green and white color palette is making my winter day a little less glum. Jade Water Designs masterminded the flowerless arrangements (bride’s request!) and Cakes by Kasarda provided the delectible three-tiered ribbon cake. The couple’s clever decision to opt for a surf board in lieu of a traditional guest books has me thinking: what are some other fun alternatives to the customary guest book? Tracy Turpen gave us so many images to choose from we still have one more image board to share with you!
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? We wanted a laid back, fun atmosphere for our guests. It was important to us to incorporate our love of the water and surf. Having our ceremony on the beach was a great start. The Citadel beach house offers views of the water and the relaxed feel of the reception lent itself well to our tropical theme.
What was your favorite design element of your big day? Instead of a normal guest book, we had our guests sign a surfboard. My aunt wrote out our last name and wedding date on the board, and we encouraged our guests to embellish the board. Unlike the traditional guest book that never sees the light of day after the wedding, we hung the surfboard above our fireplace, allowing us to enjoy the sentiments from our family and friends.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: We rented out three beach houses close to the wedding venue for a few days around the wedding. Both of our families shared the houses. It was great to have everyone all together and it gave us plenty of time to enjoy the company of our families.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I actually never tried on a single dress. I had saved a picture of my “perfect” wedding dress when I was 14. I took the picture to Brooke at Ship to Shore in Asheville, NC and she and I collaborated on the design of the dress. It was such a great experience helping design my dream dress.
Describe your wedding flowers: We went to the floral meeting with one request: no flowers. It sounds odd, but we knew Thuy from Jade Water Designs could do it. She did an amazing job creating a tropical yet modern feel. In the end, she did use some flowers, but they were exactly what we needed. She used horsetail reeds, monstera leaves, and pomanders of green button mums. I opted to not have a traditional bouquet of flowers, so I carried my late-grandfather’s brass Bible instead. The Bible was issued to soldiers as they went to war. He kept the bible in his left breast pocket as a last bit of protection for his heart in battle. We wrapped the bible with ribbon, and added white sweet peas and orchids. With the bible, I carried a hanky that had been used as my christening bonnet.
Describe your wedding cake: it was a three-tiered square cake with different flavors for each tier. We had carrot cake, almond cake with raspberry filling and red velvet cake. We specifically did not want fondant so we chose Italian cream for the whole cake. I picked out the ribbons that were on each tier and Thuy from Jade Water Designs created the simple bouquet cake topper. I was so excited to try the cake that both Joe and I tasted the frosting well before the cake-cutting! was ours so we thought, why not?
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