There are so many nuggets of inspiration tucked away inside Michelle + Brian’s wedding, photographed by Charleston extraordinaire Heather Forsythe, that I almost don’t know where to start. For one, I love that the woven look of the chargers at the Magnolia Plantation and Garden reception was carried through to the cake, crafted by Ashley Bakery. Heather and her bridesmaids’ bold look (their dresses by J. Crew) were a nice complement to the soft hydrangea florals, put together by Karen Powell of O.K. Florists. The vintage postcard seating arrangement and Southern locale table names? Love. The custom napkins and hand-painted map of the wedding events? Love. The rain boots? LOVE! See more on Heather’s blog here!
Tell us your story: When Brian and I met, he was living in Nashville and I in Charleston. Thus began our long-distance relationship. Friday evening marked remote “date night:” we played Yahtzee, watched episodes of Lost and even rented the same movies to watch together – all by phone! After three years and miles apart, Brian took a job in Atlanta and I soon followed. On a beautiful summer morning, over a cup of coffee, Brian looked over and said, “I just want to stay right here and be with you forever.” This announcement was followed by a ring, a “Will you marry me” and a happy “Yes!”
Describe the vision for your wedding: Brian and I knew from the start exactly what we wanted our wedding to be: a small, intimate, relaxed and joyful celebration. Our 100 guests traveled from Maine, Colorado and everywhere in-between to mark the occasion. Many had never been to Charleston and we wanted to treat them to a special low-country weekend in the South, which soon became the theme for everything. We began with classic white Crane invitations engraved with a pineapple, the symbol of Southern hospitality. Guests received welcome bags that my mother had filled with Charleston treats: Sticky Fingers sauce, benne wafers, spiced pecans, Charleston Tea, a pineapple sugar cookie and maps and schedules for the weekend. We chose the small chapel at my church, and decided on Magnolia Plantation Carriage House, which is rustic and filled with character. At the receptions, guests were treated to Southern favorites like shrimp and grits and she-crab soup. A fireside coffee bar complete with s’mores served as an after-dinner treat. At the end of the night, everyone left with a white porcelain pineapple ornament created by Hooven and Hooven.
How was your wedding different than the way you’d always imagined? It rained in Charleston – in December! Sometimes the most unexpected events can make a day the most memorable. I bought wellies to wear, we made a playlist with every rain song and, because no one could go outside, we spent the evening inside enjoying the music. One of my favorite photographs from the day is of my father and I laughing under the umbrella right before we entered the church. So, my advice to brides-to-be is to take what the day brings, embrace it, enjoy it, laugh at the unexpected and be creative, even at the last minute!
Tell us about your wedding dress: I loved that dress! I opted for a fun, fuss-free dress that was perfect for walking around the plantation, had an amazing twirl factor and – best of all – had pockets!
Describe your wedding cake: We loved the design that Ashley Bakery came up with. They combined the sweetgrass look with a huge sugared magnolia on the side. The guests could not believe the decoration was icing and not part of a basket – it looked that real!
Tell us a bit about the music played at your reception. We were so blessed to have our musical friends share their talents at our reception. One of the highlights was when Brian and my brothers performed a special song.
Any DIY projects in your wedding? My mother and I had so much fun planning and designing in the year leading up to the wedding. We knew the look we wanted and hoped to make everything personalized, but also had a budget to keep in mind. I really love making decorated sugar cookies whenever I get the chance, so my wedding was the perfect excuse for me to make pineapple and wedding cake cookies to share with our guests. Brian painted our custom wedding map that was included in our welcome bags, and also painted our table names with Charleston locations very dear to us. The menu was written on an old plantation shutter and painted with chalkboard paint.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Our wedding was a wonderful start to the rest of our life together, but what we look forward to most is cherishing the small moments: a cup of coffee in the morning and a game of Yahtzee on Friday night!
Congratulations, Michelle + Brian! We hope Friday game nights will be even more fun as newlyweds!
My dream wedding has always been the picturesque, little white chapel with beautiful wooden pews and wood flooring. Located somewhere in the South, of course!
My dream wedding screams country. Since I am from Oklahoma I am on the hunt for the perfect wide open ranch with rolling hills and rustic barn for a chic and comfortable feel. I am all for personal touches and my mom’s home-made baked goods. I am always looking for new ideas and new designers, new ideas to transform the country side.
My dream wedding would take place on top of a mountain and then move to a beautiful rustic lodge. I would love the room to be filled with good food (comfort food) and good friends. There would be no need for fussy decor as nature and wood would be the perfect backdrop.
My dream wedding would be in a nature reserve in India, at sunset; followed by a large celerbation of family and friends that incooprates cultures from around the world!
Downtown Charleston would be the most gorgeous wedding I could ever imagine :)
My parents were married in a field in Sewannee, Tennessee. There were no chairs, no alter – just them, the officiant and a close-knit group of friends and family standing around them. I would love to re-create a wedding on those same grounds!
My dream wedding would take place in South Carolina, on an area of grass near the marsh off of Isle of Palms. I remember when I was younger, I was taking a boat ride with my family, when we spotted a wedding ceremony at this location setting up. It was small; probably about 40 white chairs, but it was beautiful. Ever since that moment, I have always dreamt about it, feeling the refreshing wind come off the water as I marry the love of my life.I would LOVE to have one of these books! I am 17 years old and have wanted to be a wedding planner since I was 10. I already have 2 wedding planning books, and I would love to add Tara Guerard’s (whom I would DIE to work with some day!) to my collection
My dream wedding would take place on the beaches of a tropcial island!!!
I love the Southern Weddings book, it has such amazing inspiration! If I could choose anywhere for my dream wedding location, it would definitely be a chateau in the countryside of France. I love the old world charm and elegance that such a wonderful location would provide all on its own! I love French culture and cuisine so this would also be a wonderful way to incorporate these things. But, that being said, I’m still having my dream wedding! It’ll just be here in Raleigh, North Carolina, instead! I am so lucky to be getting to live out part of my dream because we’ll be spending our honeymoon in Paris!!
My dream wedding is taking place in my hometown in a historic carriage house!
My dream wedding is to get married in my beautiful white brick church in my hometown, Sumter, SC. There is a gorgeous stained glass that is simply divine when the sun is shining. I want to have the reception at my home where I grew up in the county. There are gigantic oak trees that must be at least a hundred years old. I don’t think anything could be prettier than having uplighting on the oak trees with the breeze blowing the spanish moss as guests dance beneath their limbs in the sunset.
I’ll be getting married in my sweet, southern, hometown this June, but my dream wedding would take place at a beautiful chateau in France — I would have an afternoon wedding, a wedding cake made out of pastel colored macarons, and fill vintage glass vases with fresh, fragrant flowers!
my parent’s farm in Eastern Ohio. The rolling hills, the beautiful woodsy backdrop, the big white barn, it would just be so gorgeous! too bad i will never convince my parents of this idea!
Flower buds floating down a river, lanterns hanging from tree branches at night, and laugher coming from a rustic barn would set the stage for my dream wedding. Being surrounded by family and friends, simple handmade details, and just being able to look into my new husbands eyes while we dance to a slow, country song would be better than anything I could ever imagine in a wedding.
My dream wedding is in an old world Cathedral type Catholic church in Europe i.e. Italy, France, with a reception outdoors under the stars….
I would definitely want our ceremony to be in the church we have attended together throughout our relationship and became members of together. Then I would love for our reception to be in my parent’s backyard of the house I grew up in (unfortunately the church and my parent’s house are too far apart). I think it would be so nice to share such a special day with my family and friends in the place I grew up!
Growing up I always wanted a huge "Father of the Bride" wedding, ceremony at the church and then the reception in my parents backyard. Now though, I would love to have my wedding at Palmetto Bluff or at one of the historical Charleston homes.
I am lucky enough to have my upcoming wedding at my dream location! On May 29th, I’ll be wed at the Rural Life Museum in Baton Rouge, LA. The museum is gorgeous and the money spent on renting it is actually a donation that goes back into the museum to keep it green and beautiful! I’m still pinching myself!
My dream wedding would be at a historic southern home. I love the look of it!
I am a born and raised Virginia girl living in Houston, Texas. My fiance and I met our third year at the University of Virginia. After school, he moved to TX and I moved to NYC for our dream jobs. A year apart was so tough I uprooted and moved down south. When deciding where to get married all we could think about was Charlottesville, VA. Home to UVA and so many wonderful memories we thought it would be a perfect location to bring together family and friends. We are looking forward to our July 24th wedding in the good old South!
We are from New Orleans, so my dream wedding would have to be at the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square at night and then the reception at the famous Blue Room at the Roosevelt hotel! New Orleans class all the way.
there is the most adorable little chapel in linville, nc i would love to exchange vows in under the beautiful autumn colors and clear carolina skies! unfortunately it didnt work out with traveling and out of town guests for my upcoming wedding in october, but there’s always vow renewal one day!!http://www.barefootbird.blogspot.com
Boone Hall Plantations in Charleston, SC. It’s Rachel McAdam’s house in the Notebook!
My dream location would have to be on the beach in antigua!
I’ll be nice getting married (again) at home and celebrate our 10th anniversary…remember our vows…amidst fireflies and under the cool shades of trees…and of course , among close friends and family. Tables with mason jars filled with LED fireflies and flowers in tin cans would be perfect, too. Good food and comfortable ambiance…long tables, linens and lights draped and hung on tree branches, aluminum flowers and birds on the trees swaying gently with the breeze. The guests could stay in a close by inn and maybe go dipping in their infinity pool with friends the next day.
Dream wedding spot would be an Italian Villa with amazing views and amazing food (and wine)!
At this point in the wedding process an easy destination wedding in Fiji sounds like a dream. But, when it comes right down to it, I couldn’t be happier having it in my favorite city: Austin, Texas.
My dream wedding would be at the Swan House, part of the Atlanta History Center, on a sunny spring day! Like today!
If I could choose anywhere in the world I think I’d choose the creek on my dad’s property in the middle of no where Missouri. It’s a beautiful valley with a wide field and a rustic shelter in the middle of it. We always have big family labor day celebrations there and with the twinkle lights and lanterns it is just gorgeous. Not to mention that to me it is always a place of love, filled with memories of my family.
If a fairy godmother told me I could get married anywhere I wanted to, I would answer in a heartbeat – New Zealand!! In a beautiful grassy plain in the shadow of the mountains. :)
I’ve always wanted to get married in my grandparent’s small rural church in Northern Kansas. As a kid I always loved the beautiful stained glass windows and the smooth feel of the wooden pews, worn by decades of use. It always seemed wildly romantic to me, especially give that it was in the middle of nowhere, off a quiet dirty road. It would be the perfect location for an intimate wedding. Alas, we have so many friends and family we want to be present at our marriage, so this location won’t work for us!
My dream wedding would be in front of Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World.
My dream wedding location would be in a field in the middle of the Rockies with the beauty of the mountains as a backdrop! I can’t imagine a more beautiful place.
My childhood church is really my dream wedding location, which is exactly where I will marry my best friend this fall!
My dream wedding location would be in an old beach estate at Cape Cod. So many childhood summers spent there, and it holds such an old, rusticly romantic charm.
I always wanted to get married at this little church not far from my college campus in Knoxville, TN. It is very old and has a copper steeple and separate doors for men and women. It’s gorgeous!
My dream wedding would be in Santorini in the Greek Islands. The incredible views would be an amazing backdrop for my ceremony and we could have such amazing photos among the cute white and blue houses and incredible beaches. We could take all of our guests out on sailboats for an after wedding brunch. It would be so amazing.
My dream wedding would take place at my parents home. Call me sentimental, but there is nothing more meaningful than starting your new life in the place that made you who you are. This has always been a dream of mine even before I saw Father of the Bride (which just made me want this even more, ha).
My actual wedding, which I hope becomes the wedding of my dreams, will be in Washington DC this year. My fantasy wedding takes places out west beneath some amazing mountains, in perfect 65 degree weather!
My dream wedding would be on the lake. Afterward the wedding and a reception I think it would be so fun to go out on a boat during the sunset, just bride and groom, relax and talk about the day. The reception could be catfish and hanging out on the lake shore. People could fish or even bring bathing suits and swim. To me just casual and comfortable would be great. And then relaxing on a boat and watching the sunset,I think it would be perfect.
My grandparents plantation home in Alabama. Summer…sunset…big tents…lighting…big party following ceremony!
My dream wedding would be on a villa in the Caribbean maybe Barbados, St. Lucia, or Aruba. I just love the idea of a garden wedding with the beach/ocean in the background but also with my closes family and friends there to celebrate the entire weekend with us.
My dream wedding starts with a ceremony at my family’s church where all generations past have been married, with a reception to follow at a historic sea-captain home on the waterfront. For me, this is all taking place in Boston because that’s my home, but thankfully I am marrying a Southern boy, so the entire event will be infused with Southern charm :)
I have to agree with Heather, Sewanee, TN would be a beautiful place to get hitched! A ceremony at All Saints Chapel on the campus on the University of the South would be oh so perfectly Southern!
My dream wedding is on the tip top of a mountain. I dream of turning circles and only seeing sky around me! I love open spaces and fresh air. Where else can you get both so perfectly??
First I am so excited that I can finally post on the contests! I am newly engaged so I never wanted to enter before since there are others that could use the prizes more then me, but now that we are engaged and have a date I can enter here too!!!My dream wedding will follow close suit to what we are currently planning. Something southern, rustic but also dreamy and classy! A rustic barn, outside and a wedding that everyone has a heck of a good time!
My dream wedding would be in the small Vermont town where I grew up. I’ve lived in the south for a long time now, but something about New England, particularly in the fall, just tugs at my heart!
A quaint chapel in a coastal village would be the ideal setting for a southern wedding.
My dream wedding would be on a lake with lights of cabins glowing in the distance. I would want everyone to party til dawn, and have down-home fun!
In an chapel somewhere in Italy. Everything is more romantic in Italy =)
My dream wedding would take place in a beautiful backyard of an older farm house with towering trees above, a barn in the distance, and horses in the fields surrounding the home. I love the romantic and relaxed atmosphere of this setting.
My dream wedding would take place in The Bahamas on a beach, then have some Yummy JERK CHICKEN and Junkanoo at the reception, the 2 of us are scuba divers and we both LOOOOVE the Bahamas, we would move there in a HEARTBEAT!
I want to get married by a cypress pond. I can’t think of a more beautiful place in the world that also accurately portrays how I feel about the relationship I have with my fiancee. I may not know all the scientific reasons behind how or why cypress ponds form or why they exist in only certain areas nor do I need to. All that matters to me is that they defy the norm, they exist, and together they are beautiful. (Don’t believe me? look at the picture I found on webshots)http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1095362673027286276AnpvMJAgainst all odds, they work and live together in harmony. I have lost a lot of friends because I am marrying someone outside my faith. Even though so many doubt our relationship will last , we are like the cypress ponds. We may not make a lot of sense to other people and what we are doing probably won’t work a majority of people, however Alex and I both know we belong together. And like the cypress ponds, our two worlds will come together to exist in one and the end result is peace, beauty, and harmony.
My dream wedding would be an enchanted forest. Not much lighting except for candles, candles and more candles. I would love the reception to be in a really secluded area.
My ideal wedding location would be in an old historic Southern plantation complete with an oak alley. My fiance and I are always going on plantation tours and touring historic homes in old southern districts. I just think that a plantation would be perfect. I think the spanish moss hanging from the trees is so romantic. I would also have lots of flowers and an elegant Southern Buffet for all the guests.
My dream wedding location is Charleston, SC. Though I’m not from there, I love visiting and I think it would be one of the most perfect locations for a beautiful, southern wedding!
i want to get married in a cute little chapel and would heart an outdoor reception somewhere in the grand tetons, aka my favorite place on earth :)
I have always dreamed of wearing my mother’s beautiful wedding dress and getting married at my parent’s house. When my parents were married, the ceremony and reception were in my Grandmother’s beautiful garden on a gorgeous spring day. I love to look at the pictures and see the familiar faces of my grandparent’s, aunts, and uncles dressed as bridesmaids and groomsmen. There is one picture of my Great Grandmother, who had her mink stole on despite the fact it was the middle of May! It makes me feel like I am there as a guest at their wedding. We have so many happy memories in that special garden that was truly my Grandmother’s labor of love. Now that she has passed away, I know am closest to her memory in the Garden. My parents live in their house now, and my mom and I have worked many hours together in the garden, following in my Grandmother’s footsteps. It is so funny to hear the stories of the wedding planning and preparation from my mother. I would love to celebrate such a special day with my groom, and share our happiness and memories with all of our guests.
My perfect dream wedding location would be wherever my partner, best friend, confidante, lover, and soul mate Eric is. The reason is we have all searched our whole lives trying to find the perfect this and the perfect that….pushing ourselves too hard, stepping on others at a chance for the perfect job, or the perfect table at a cafe, or the perfect lipstick. My perfect everything is Eric. Anywhere he is, is perfect, wherever that shall lead me…whereever that shall be!