Southern Weddings

Born a northerner and the daughter of a Coast Guard captain, I usually think of seaside weddings and their nautical flag palettes as the province of New England nuptials. But that’s not quite right, because the South has miles and miles of coastline, and a boating culture all its own! Rachel Red Photography and Lindsay Bishop Events chose to embrace the bold colors and simple style of Charleston Harbor for this elopement inspiration shoot, and I must say, it’s a breath of fresh (salty sea) air.

A few words from Lindsay on the inspiration behind this shoot:

When they began planning their wedding, the two of them knew that they didn’t want a grand gathering; it just didn’t feel like them. Madeline and Chandler wanted to celebrate the beginning of their marriage surrounded with only the people that meant the most to them, in the place that they felt most at home. Eloping on a sailboat at sunset just felt right! The Schooner Pride was the perfect vessel for their nuptials. Modeled after an 18th century coastal trading schooner, the 84’ tall ship embodied all of the romantic, historic elements that Madeline loves so much about Charleston. They used signal flags to frame their quaint ceremony space, spelling “Forever” in the colorful emblems. With a color palette inspired by the signal flags they love so much, their distinctly nautical style was reflected in every detail. A beautifully textured blue and white striped linen adorned the main dining table, and weathered wood boards were paired with shining gold flatware to evoke feelings of an old ship. Soft Turkish towels made lovely accents for a number of food displays.

After the ceremony, their intimate group enjoyed an enormous farmer’s snack board filled with charcuterie and cheese, accompanied by savory shrimp salad boats and succulent pickled shrimp, paying homage to the low country’s abundance with tons of local ingredients. No Charleston party is complete without oysters, and Madeline and Chandler didn’t disappoint with a giant clam shell full of raw oysters paired with lemon slices and adorable mini bottles of Tabasco sauce!

Ship: Schooner Pride | Photography: Rachel Red Photography | Planning and floral design: Lindsay Bishop Events | Rentals: Ooh Events and Polished Tabletop | Linens: La Tavola | Bride’s dress: Lovely Bride | Jewelry: Victor Barbone Jewelry | Menswer: Menguin and Banana Republic | Hair and makeup: Paper Dolls Wedding Hair & Makeup | Paper goods: The Silver Starfish | Food: Cru Catering | Turkish towels: Charleston Weekender | Signal flags: My Signal Flags

Written with love by Emily