Southern Weddings

Happy Thursday, y’all! It’s starting to get chilly here in North Carolina, but Elizabeth + Klas’ sunny beach wedding almost makes us forget that it’s no longer summer. We love South Carolina weddings, and can’t think of too many venues more perfect for an oceanfront ceremony that the famed Kiawah Resort. Heather Forsythe documented the happy couple’s big day, and OOH! Events planned + styled the nuptials to Southern perfection. I’m a total sucker for the bride’s traditional v-neck gown and cathedral-length veil (both from Modern Trousseau), and like that she opted for a clean, sophisticated chocolate brown for her maids. To complement the brown and aqua color palette, OOH! Events opted for all-white blooms and plenty of greenery. Boy, do I miss summer!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Klas and I met at a social function in uptown Charlotte sponsored by the Young Affiliates of the Mint (the Mint Museum in Charlotte). I will never forget driving home from work on that Friday evening in September of 2007. I was on the phone with my mom, lamenting the fact that I was supposed to meet some girlfriends at this Young Affiliates event that night but all I really wanted to do was go home, put on my PJs, and spend the evening on the couch! Her advice was invaluable, “Oh, just go!” So I went. Klas is actually very shy. I noticed him early on in the evening from a distance, but to be perfectly honest, since he was so handsome, I just assumed he was either taken or not very nice, so I dismissed it. However, later that evening, I was walking to say goodbye to a friend. As I was walking to chat with her before she left, I happened to be passing by Klas and one of his friends. As I passed, his friend Carlos grabbed my arm and said, “Hey, my friend would like to meet you!” Klas and I chatted briefly, got on the subject of tennis, joked that he should give me a lesson sometime (he is a phenomenal player), and then he asked me for my number. I did not think I would hear from him. Fast forward to the very next day and, lo and behold, I heard from him! It was a text, but I responded anyway. He then called, and we set up our first date…on the tennis courts!
Describe the proposal. Klas proposed at The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island. We realized that we were going to be late for our 8:30 dinner reservation so Klas made a call downstairs to let them know we might be late, and he suggested that we enjoy a drink on the balcony before we headed downstairs for dinner. We were out on the balcony with candlelight and a bottle of Dom Perignon. As we toasted, we got up to give each other a hug. Suddenly, Klas was on one knee, opening a little box, and asking if I wanted to marry him. I did, and I do! And here we are.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Intimate, Swedish and American
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: It was really important to both of us that our wedding weekend reflect who we were as a couple and the things we value. Part of that was to honor our heritages – his Swedish and mine American – and bring the two together just as we were coming together as a couple. We wove this theme throughout the weekend, incorporating Swedish and American traditions in to all of our events. We ended up inviting more guests than our goal but we were surrounded by those closest to us, and that’s what mattered.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our Oysters, BBQ and beach music rehearsal dinner started the weekend off in southern style! And I really tried to bring in the feel of the beautiful Southern island town of Kiawah, one of our favorite places! Kiawah was where 1) Klas first told me he loved me, 2) it’s where he proposed, and it just felt natural that Kiawah should also be the place we said, 3) “I do!” In fact, our tagline on the website was “I love you…Yes…I do!” symbolizing the three steps in our relationship. Our appetizers incorporated several of our Southern favorites: fried green tomatoes, grilled shrimp cocktail, lollipop lamb chops, and mushroom pastries.