Southern Weddings

Just six weeks prior to Kristen + Clint’s wedding day, they received a call that their bar, Squeeze, was on fire. After watching helplessly for over 18 hours as firefighters calmed the flames, this sweet couple was able to overcome and grow together before their big celebration. Talk about a big challenge while planning your day! Even fire couldn’t bring these two down, though: they had their mobile bar service Squeeze Onsite in tow to create yummy Southern spirits, from lavender-infused lemonade to their signature Southern Charm cocktail, a bourbon-base with local, fresh ingredients and garnishes.

Big SW hugs to Alice Keeney for sharing this lovely day!

I’d have to agree with Kristen’s choice to trust the talented ladies at Ooh! Events to create this stunning bouquet!

My bouquet was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, and was a last minute decision by the gals at Ooh! Events. They called my coordinator the day before the wedding to let her know they had gotten these amazing peonies in, and were dying to use them for my bouquet, instead of what we had planned. I don’t know a thing about flowers, so I 100% trusted the ladies’ suggestions, and wow, did they deliver!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I feel like my wedding dress search was pretty laid back. I knew what I wanted (fitted, with straps and a low back), so my search was pretty narrowly focused, and I didn’t have to try on many gowns before “the one” appeared.
Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? We did not do a first look. To me, it was never an option… call me old-school, but I didn’t want him to see me on our wedding day until I was walking down the aisle. I wanted the butterflies, the anticipation, and the excitement. I wanted to see and feel those emotions as we first caught each others eyes as I was walking towards him.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? With the help of our preacher, we did end up writing our own vows. We were having a hard time feeling a connection between the standard vows and our relationship, so we opted to take bits and pieces from some of the traditional/non-traditional vows we’d seen, and come up with some that fit us best. I think this line sums it up: “I promise to love you always, to listen to you, to respect you, to nourish you with my praise, to never take you for granted, to hold you close in times of hardship, and to share laughter with you in times of joy…”
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? We had one special reading at our ceremony, which was performed by my sister-in-law, Jessie. We aren’t extremely religious people, and didn’t want the ceremony to be solely focused in that direction, so we took this opportunity to express ourselves and the reason for our marriage in this reading. I amended the lyrics to Ziggy Marley’s song, “Love is My Religion,” and made it into a poem. Bottom line, above all else, the main reason for our marriage is love.

We went all out on the set-ups, and they succeeded in wowing our guests. We had two non-alcoholic beverages at the ceremony site in self-serve dispensers: Rosemary and Strawberry Infused Water, and Lavender Infused Lemonade. Cocktail hour’s main focus was a six-drink apothecary bar set-up, flanked by two beer and wine bars. We featured the same two non-alcoholic beverages from the ceremony, and added four of our favorite specialty cocktails from the bar menu: Dark & Stormy, the Southern Charm, Spiked Blueberry Mint Lemonade, and the Sweet Heat ‘Rita. Each drink dispenser was jam-packed with fresh fruit garnishes, creating a great focal point in the avenue of oaks. The main reception bar was actually two 8-foot burlap tufted bars offering high-end liquors and wines, flanking a draft beer bar offering three Southern brews: Highland Gaelic Ale, Holy City Pluff Mud Porter, and Thomas Creek Dockside Pilsner.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our venue was the perfect Southern element for our wedding. The Legare Waring House is situated on a historic property that was one of the first European settlements in the Carolinas. It is ripe with natural landscaping, sweeping moss, towering oak trees, and natural lagoons. The house itself has old Southern charm in every room, and keeps the traditions and history of the house a main focal point. We also incorporated Southern elements into the food and drink, for our out-of-town guests to get a taste of the South. We built a raw bar specifically for our wedding, and had a good friend of ours from a local restaurant attend the station to shuck raw oysters and prepare oyster shooters all evening for our guests. Appropriately named, the Southern Charm cocktail is bourbon-based with local, fresh ingredients and garnishes. We also offered three Southern beers on tap–The Holy City Pluff Mud Porter is brewed right here in Charleston, SC; Highland Gaelic Ale is from Asheville, North Carolina; and the Thomas Creek Pilsner is made in Greenville, SC.

Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We chose to do a small wedding cake complemented by various other desserts. The cake was a vanilla and coconut cake, with a coconut flake icing. We had mini matching cupcakes in this same flavor, and a few others flavors as well. There were also a few flavors of cookies, miniature tarts and chocolate macaroons.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Clint and I were introduced by my co-worker and his mutual friend in the fall of 2007, just a few months after I had moved to Charleston. I had accepted my first job there after graduating from Auburn University. After a few months of casual run-ins, and my friend giving him the wrong number on several occasions, we finally connected and he took me out on our first date. Being a local, Clint knew the town and the water very well; we went on a boat ride tour of the city and the surrounding beaches and inlets, followed by dinner at a popular spot downtown I’d been dying to try. That was all it took. For the next five years, we dated off and on between a few bumps in the road and some moves across country, but always found ourselves waiting for the other to catch up.
Tell us all about the proposal! For my Christmas present, Clint bought me (us) a trip to St. Maarten, scheduled for mid-March 2012. On Day two of the trip, after a great day out in the sun and a short trip to sightsee the downtown area, we were getting ready to head out to dinner and out for the evening. Clint had bought a bottle of champagne earlier in the day (my drink of choice), and had a few glasses poured to have a drink on the balcony of our hotel before we headed out. We sat on the balcony watching planes land, looking at the stars, listening to Bob Marley on the iPhone, sipping champagne and have a sweet conversation about our life. After close to an hour, I don’t remember exactly what he said, but with tears in his eyes, he picked me up off his lap, set me in the chair next to him, got down on one knee and barley got the words out “…..marry me?” I didn’t say yes, I didn’t look at the ring, I just grabbed him and hugged him and cried and said “I love you.” Then I was reminded I needed to answer the question (yes!), and according to Clint, “look at the damn ring!” It wasn’t over-complicated or over-thought; it was just us and it was just perfect.
When did y’all get married? May 18, 2013
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 210
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. The girl who played our ceremony music and the first dance song, Caxton Beaty, is a close friend of ours that we have gotten to know over the past year and a half. We particularly chose her to sing and play the acoustic guitar at our wedding because it meant something to us, and her voice is so genuine and unique. She definitely has her own style, and we loved that aspect of every song she sang for us. We own a bar in downtown Charleston called Squeeze, and Caxton has been our “House Musician,” playing every weekend for the past year. Our bar was in a massive fire in April of this year, and we are currently still shut down. All of the employees of our small space are extremely close, and having Caxton be a part of our wedding with her musical talent was just incredible. The song we chose for the bridal party processional was “Fly Me To The Moon” by Frank Sinatra. It is such a beautiful song with perfect lyrics for a wedding. The bridal processional song was “Marry Me” by Train. Caxton learned this song for us, and we selected just a section of the lyrics best fit for her to play as I walked down the aisle. The recessional song was “First Day of My Life” by Bright Eyes. I wanted the celebration to begin as we were announced husband and wife, so Caxton started the song in the middle, with the verse “…this is the first day of my life”, and rocked it out. I wanted to walk down the aisle with her jamming away and people celebrating and clapping in the background, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. Our first dance song was an original medley that Caxton put together for us. It was a combination of “Can’t Take my Eyes Off of You” by Frankie Valli and transitioned into “Is this Love” by Bob Marley. If you’ve ever seen the movie “10 Things I Hate About You,” you know the first song! I hate to admit this, but these song choices and the medley idea were completely Clint’s thinking and Caxton’s talent in putting them together for us. We didn’t want to dance to 3-4 songs with each family member, and we didn’t want to be dancing too long ourselves–we’re not the best dancers! So, we opted for this medley to shorten the dancing time, and knock it out all at once. Clint and I danced to the first song together, and when Caxton transitioned to the second part of the song, we each broke away and invited our parents to join us on the dance floor and dance as couples alongside us.
Describe your wedding flowers. Our wedding flowers were one of the main touches of color we had at the wedding. They complemented all the neutral tones by adding that beautiful pop of color in just the right places without being overbearing. My bouquet was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, and was a last minute decision by the gals at Out of Hand. They called my coordinator the day before the wedding to let her know they had gotten these amazing peonies in, and were dying to use them for my bouquet, instead of what we had planned. I don’t know a thing about flowers, so I 100% trusted the ladies’ suggestions, and wow, did they deliver!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Squeeze OnSite handled the bar service, and the set-up and offerings were by far the highlight of the wedding for us. Being able to show our friends and family what we do best was amazing (and for those that had never been to our actual bar, it was a great opportunity to give them a taste of what we do).
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? On April 2, 2013 at 12:48 AM, six weeks prior to our wedding, Clint received a phone call from a good friend of ours that our bar, Squeeze, was on fire. The bar had been open and Clint’s brother was working when a loud noise above our space startled him and our customers. Within minutes, smoke started pouring into the space from the air ducts, and left everyone running for the street. Clint and I arrived on the scene within a few minutes of the phone call, and stood there for the next 18 hours, completely helpless. Smoke was pouring from the windows on the floor above ours, flames shot high into the sky, and firetrucks set up shop like a movie scene. It was an unbelievable sight, and one that neither of us will forget. It took four hours for the fire to be put out, all the while, we just stood there, staring at our life burning down in flames before our eyes. The devastation and loss we both felt was like someone had died. We were strong together, and for each other, and that I think made us even stronger as a couple.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $50,000-$75,000
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Without a doubt, having Sarah & Brent from Film Anywhere Productions at our wedding was the best decision we ever made. I hadn’t thought twice about hiring a videographer, it never crossed my mind that it was something I should consider. About a month before our wedding, a friend highly recommended Film Anywhere, and introduced Clint and I to them at an industry event. After hearing our friend’s short pitch as to why we should hire them, it was a no-brainer, and we signed on a few days later. Now, neither of us can imagine what we were thinking before, and are so happy we decided to go the videographer route. The Same Day Edit video had our guests and us in tears of happiness, and was such a memorable moment on our wedding day. We can’t wait to see the full video, and share it with our family and friends (and maybe kids someday) for years to come.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The most memorable moment of our wedding day was at the end of the reception. Our videographers edited a video on-site as they filmed throughout the day, and then showed everyone the “Same Day Edit” on a large screen just before we made our exit. I had held it together pretty well throughout the day and was able to fight back my happy tears until I saw the video. I think every emotion came out of me that I’d been holding in, and I became a sobbing mess, with one heck of a case of the ugly cry. Clint and my mom both held me tight and wiped my tears away. The video can be seen here: http://vimeo.com/66642970
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? There are some things that are just beyond your control, so just let them be. Remember, rain or shine, at the end of the day the important thing is… you’re married. :)
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? I made the mistake of asking Clint this question, and his response was ,”Vacation and retirement.” We’ve got plenty of years before retirement, but I’ll agree with him on the vacation aspect! We love, love, love to travel. Anything with saltwater, sand, and sunshine, and we’re in. We’re looking forward to exploring new places, having new experiences together, and having many “firsts” as a family!

Photographer: Alice Keeney | Videographer: Film Anywhere Productions | Planner, Rentals, and Lighting: Ooh! Events | Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Legare Waring House | Florist: Out of the Garden | Wedding Cake and Dessert Baker: Sugar Bakeshop | Caterer: Newton Farms | Band: Two 3 Ways | Special Details: Roxy Heart Vintage, Charleston Charms, The Homespun Artisan, and I Do Declare Signs | Bride’s Gown: “Miranda” by Monique Lhuillier | Invitations and Programs: Ruby Lane Moments | Save the Date: Sweet Cookie | Bride’s Earrings: Treasures 570 | Bride’s Necklace: Moncadeau | Bride’s Bracelet: Freebird | Hair Stylist and Bridal Makeup Artist: Charlotte Belk of Wedding Hair by Charlotte | Bridesmaid Makeup: Kristin Pavao of Finger Paint Makeup | Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: LulaKate | Men’s Suits: Jos. A. Bank | Ties and Pocket Squares: LulaKate | Bar Service: Squeeze OnSite | Raw Bar: Nate Alton from Pearlz Oyster Bar | Late Night Food: Hello My Name is BBQ Food Truck | Ceremony/Cocktail Hour/First Dance Musician: Caxton Beaty

Ooh! Events is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Written with love by Marissa