Southern Weddings

Friday is our favorite day here on the SWS blog.  Sharing these sweet southern weddings and beautiful stories is such a joy!  Photography by Charleston, SC-based {Heather Forsythe Photography}, Catering: {Charleston Bay Gourmet}, Flowers: {Buy the Bunch Florist} , Pastry Chef: {The Cake Stand}, Reception Entertainment: {Band Triple Lindy}, Wedding Planning & Coordination: Stacey Fraunfelter of {Red Letter Events}

The weather was: Faithful, holding out until the cake cutting, and then only a short rainstorm to make sure we felt good about paying the extra amount for additional tent rentals.
What was your inspiration for your wedding design? The beautiful low country I now call home and Amy Butler’s primrose and belle henna cotton print fabrics. I had table runners made out of each print for the tables to add color. The flowers worked beautifully with them.
Describe your wedding flowers: I wanted simple, clean, elegant, dramatic and fresh. Because the wedding was outdoors in such a beautiful setting with spring in full bloom, we stuck with cream, blue, and light green under the tent. Hydrangeas, coffee berry, tulips, and other treats were used throughout.
Describe your wedding cake: Simple, elegant, and tailored. Each layer had a different flavor with curd filling.
How did you meet? By luck. We walked into a Coastal Granite and Tile showroom at the same time on the same date. Winfield had just bought a new home with an old kitchen and was considering installing granite counter tops. I was in town for a work project (the bride is an interior designer) and had stopped in the store. The sales person, Brenda Thompson, played a key part in the matchmaking that ensued. Winfield was lost in trying to pick out the right granite and Brenda quickly suggested he should hire me to help him. Not long after, she hit a home run by directly asking both of us if we were married. When we both answered “no”,  Winfield turned to me and jokingly proposed on the spot! I told him that we should get through his kitchen remodel to see how that goes…
Describe your engagement: Winfield proposed over Christmas hiding a diamond ring in a pair of wool socks to keep me warm forever.
What attracted me to my husband was: So handsome and full of southern charm.
A date we went on that we’ll always remember: Winfield invited me for a home cooked breakfast and a full day of fishing in McClellanville.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The fact that is was a low country, relaxed, fun occasion. Even the town dog showed up.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Time. After getting engaged we were ready to start our life so we decided to marry April 5th, leaving only 3 months to plan. We hired a great wedding planner, Stacy with Red Letter Events, to make vendor suggestions and coordinate the event.
Where there any special family traditions you included in the wedding? I wore a family emerald and diamond ring that was mygrandmother’s. This was in honor of my late father. I also had framed wedding invitations that belonging to my grandmother, great grandmother, and great great grandmother dating back to the late 1800’s.
Scariest moment? Praying for good weather. It was pouring down rain everywhere else in the state of SC.
Funniest moment?  Seeing the town dog walk down the aisle before the bridal party.
What were your something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue items? Old was the family emerald ring, new was my dress, borrowed was an angel pendant pinned to the bouquet, and blue was the color of the grooms sport coat.
Why do you love your husband? Because he is the answer to my prayers.
The most unexpected event on our wedding day was: Everything went very smoothly. What was unexpected was the sheer joy we both felt and the love that was present. I didn’t want it to end… I was not ready to leave because it was the happiest day of my life.
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Hire a wedding planner! Hiring a professional will save you time and mistake money. When the big day arrives, you’ll be able to really enjoy it knowing that a seasoned professional is out there making it all come together. The other big piece of advice is to hire a good photographer. When it’s all said and done, the pictures and memories are all you have left. After reviewing Heather Forsythe’s work, we were very excited. It was her relaxed shot style and ability to capture the emotions and mood of the day that we wanted.
What’s next for you and Winfield? We would like to start a family in the near future and are having a great time just getting used to married life together.