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Bride Catherine shares her outdoor Charleston wedding!

Catherine and Thomas’s wedding was one of the first we accepted for our tenth-anniversary issue, and can I tell you a secret? It wasn’t even officially submitted! I happened to see it on Elisa Bricker’s website when she unveiled her redesign, and instantly inquired because I was so enamored with what I saw.

And can y’all blame me? Even though their wedding took place at the loveliest venue and not their family home the Father of the Bride vibes are unmistakable, and I am a forever fan of anything that reminds me of that beloved movie.

Of course, our bride and groom made their celebration their own, from the mint green details of Catherine’s dress, the inclusion of family heirlooms, and a unique route down the aisle. Friends, I think you will love this one! If you’d like to see even more detail, pick up a copy of our newest issue!

Tell us about your beautiful engagement ring and how your husband chose it. Thomas has a great eye and knew exactly what I would like. My mom has a friend in New York who is a jewelry designer who made it for me. I was so lucky to have someone who has amazing taste and a mom who could turn his ideas into reality.

We got married right outside of Charleston, SC in April. The weather in April in Charleston is perfect for an outdoor wedding. I’ve always wanted a Charleston wedding, and having been to many, we both wanted to find a venue a little different. The view of River Oaks really sold us on the location. The ceremony was at 5:30, which was perfect timing with the sunset at the beginning of cocktail hour and reception, and gave us a long time to celebrate with friends and family.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I knew I wanted to go shopping in New York. I went to a few boutiques but just couldn’t find what I wanted anywhere. I left New York disappointed and not sure what to do next, when the associate at Monique Lhullier emailed me to let me know they were having a trunk show for their new collection and if I found something that day I could have it in time for my wedding. I flew back up and it was the first one I tried on. I loved it immediately. I always said I wasn’t a sparkly wedding gown kind of girl, but as it turns out I am. I fell in love the second I put it on. My favorite part was probably the skirt. It poufed out just enough but it wasn’t heavy at all. And maybe also the mint green beadwork. The sun picked up the color and it was just beautiful.

Tell us about your wedding flowers. They were all white with lots of green. I wanted loose and natural flowers that looked like you could’ve just picked them from the garden. My bouquet was amazing, it was oversized and pouring over, loosely hanging. I tied an antique handkerchief with a broach from my Grandma on it.

The most special part was walking down the aisle. It’s kind of surreal. You plan for so long for this moment, and it’s crazy walking up to the person you’re going to marry when it’s time to say I do. My dad and I actually walked from the front of the guests instead of down a traditional aisle in the back and it was kind of a long walk. It gave me time to soak everything in and see everyone I love there.

What was the design inspiration for your wedding? I love color and lots of it. But for some reason, for our wedding I really wanted to tone everything down and just let the beauty of River Oaks stand out. It’s such a beautiful property, we wanted to keep to greens and whites and let the scenery really stand out.
What was your favorite detail of the wedding? I can’t pick just one! The flowers, the band, the food, my family and friends!

Describe some of the decorations or décor elements you used for your reception. We had so much greenery and flowers and natural elements. I loved the property itself so much, we played off of their landscape. We also did a different dance floor and floral back drop which were some of my favorite things, it wasn’t like a lot of other weddings I had been to.
What kind of food did you serve at your reception? A little bit of everything! Lots of shrimp, that was Thomas’s big request.

Tell us about your wedding cake or sweets. The wedding cake was beautiful and mimicked the lace on my dress. We also had cotton candy passed around later in the night because it’s my absolute favorite thing.

How did the two of you meet? Thomas and my sister went to college together, so we met at a party for my sister’s grad school graduation. I was actually moving to New York the following Monday, so it definitely wasn’t something either of us thought would work out. After about a year, it just felt right to move back to Charlotte to be with him.
Describe the proposal! We were set to go on this amazing vacation, to Antigua, where I had a feeling he was going to propose. A few days before, we met at our house (we had just started to renovate and it was pretty gutted inside) to see what it looked like. It was dark and chilly and Thomas stood in front of me talking about the future that this house would have for us. That’s about all I remember, other than fussing at him about getting dirt and mud all over his pants if he knelt down. It was, to me, very us. No big production, just us.
How many guests attended your wedding? 225
What was the biggest challenge you faced while planning your wedding? Getting everyone on the same page. Thomas and I really wanted most of the same things, and he trusts my style enough that it wasn’t an issue between us. I think between my mom, wedding planner, and myself it was hard for me personally to stay organized.
What was the most memorable or touching moment of your wedding day? There were so many! One of our favorites was that one of my best friends was due any day and wasn’t able to make it. When we were walking down the aisle as husband and wife, I saw her mom and she was facetiming her and it was just a random sweet moment that she could be there!
Tell us a bit about your first dance. It was so stressful! I hate being in front of crowds, and I’m not a great dancer. Thomas is an awesome dancer so that took a little stress off of me.
What were some of the highlights of the reception? Just all the dancing. Our band was spectacular. At the end, because we had a later noise ordinance, Marianne asked if we wanted to keep going and I almost cried and said yes, thank you! We didn’t want the night to end.
Tell us about your grand exit. I always loved the idea of Chinese wish lanterns and seeing them floating off as we leave. We chose to do those and sparklers (in case of bad wind). We ended up with both, which was kind of crazy but it was so fun. The look on everyone’s faces watching the lanterns float away was pretty special. And to top it off, as a total surprise from my wonderful planner Marianne and her husband, as we were pulling out there were fireworks. We were so surprised, it was really sweet.
What advice would you give to someone currently planning a wedding? Enjoy it, and don’t let the pressure from other people get to you. It’s supposed to be fun

Photographer: Elisa Bricker | Planner: Marianne Caldwell | Venue: River Oaks Charleston | Florals: Blossoms Events | Caterer: Cru Catering | Wedding cake: Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal | Bride’s gown and veil: Monique Lhuillier | Bride’s shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaid dresses: Lela Rose | Hair stylist: Modern Salon and Spa | Paper goods: Feast Fine Art and Calligraphy | Rentals: Ooh! Events | Linens: La Tavola Linen | Transportation: Charleston Style Limo

Elisa Bricker is a lovely member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor directory.

emily Written with love by Emily
4 Comments
  1. avatar Pixie Wedding Websites reply

    Love the simplicity of this wedding, just beautiful. The detail on the brides dress is stunning!

  2. avatar Megan reply

    Did they have a videographer? I’d love to see all of this in motion!! ?

  3. avatar Elisa reply

    Thanks so much for sharing. This wedding, and the feelings and memories it created, is one of my favorites! xo

  4. avatar Introducing Alder: modern botanical wedding invitation inspiration – Bella Figura reply

    […] setting | wedding dress | flowers | cake | boutonniere | rings | greenery […]

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Though the Southern Weddings gals created the My Kentucky Rose editorial for V5 before my time at SW, it has a special place in my heart for two reasons: 1. That cake by Lael Cakes is the most gorgeous cake I’ve ever seen, and 2. It’s one of VERY few editorials we’ve shot outside of the South, and in this case, the venue was just down the road from my husband’s hometown in upstate New York! While it was probably the last shoot from above the Mason-Dixon line to appear in our pages, it was certainly worth it to collaborate with the tremendously talented Jen Huang and Poppies and Posies. We hope it’s a sweet reminder that even if you’re one of our readers outside of the South, you can always add a little Dixie charm to your wedding celebration!

See more from this shoot in our editorial gallery–there are also links to behind the scenes photos and video!

Photographer: Jen Huang | Behind the Scenes Videographer: McKenzie Miller Films | Florals: Poppies & Posies | Hair Stylist: Stacy Pitt | Makeup Artist: Kerry Crawford | Cake and Desserts: Lael Cakes | Stationery and Calligraphy: Paperfinger | Letterpress Printing: Cordes Printing | Custom Coaster Printing: For Your Party | Bride’s Gown: “Bianca” by Ulla-Maija Couture | Bridal Salon: Gabriella New York | Bridesmaid Dresses: Bridal Reflections | Gold Hair Pins: Hushed Commotion | Earrings: Nina and Kate Ketzal | Groom’s Bow Tie: Southern Beaus | Linens: La Tavola Fine Linens | Rentals: Classic Party Rentals | Gold Flatware: Muhs Home | Pink Coupe Glasses: BHLDN | Props: The Trouve

lisa Written with love by Lisa
2 Comments
  1. avatar Nicole reply

    Love the horse and her one-shoulder dress!

  2. avatar Adrienna reply

    That cake! So stunning!

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One of my favorite interview questions to read is what the couple’s most memorable moment is from their wedding day. Sometimes, the unexpected moments turn out to be the very best ones, but Adrienne and Scott’s is one for the record books! With the gracious help of the Tuckahoe Plantation staff, what could have been a very unfortunate situation (a tornado warning and a storm headed right toward their venue!) was replaced by a favorite memory (a few drinks indoors and a mini history lesson on Tuckahoe) that Adrienne, Scott, and their guests are still talking about! Though not ideal, Adrienne and Scott dealt with this challenge head on, hand in hand. I’m sure it’s not the first marriage lesson they were expecting, but I’d bet it’s one that will always stay with them.

Big hugs to Stephanie Yonce for capturing this lovely day!

Scott and I went to Houston to visit my parents, as well as so I could look for a dress with my mom, stepmom, and sister. We ended up dress shopping on my birthday, which was the best birthday present I could have asked for! My dress was the fourth one I tried on. I wasn’t 100 percent sold at first, but my mind kept going back to that particular dress when we looked at other ones. We ended up leaving the store and going to another. I think it took looking at some other options to realize that that one was it. We went back to the original store with my dad so he could see it–that’s when the tears came and we were sold!

My mom had a few requests when it came to the music. She requested she walk down the aisle to “I Will” by the Beatles, because that was the song she sang to me as a baby. She also requested I walk in to “Canon in D.” Obviously, we were happy to accommodate her requests. Scott and I walked back up the aisle to “You Make My Dreams” by Hall and Oates. We wanted to choose something fun and upbeat to really set the tone for the rest of the night.

Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did write our own vows. I don’t know if we had a favorite line–our vows were short and sweet and reflected our relationship perfectly.

Scott and I love being outside and knew that we wanted to have everything outside (yes, we knew the risk of weather, and boy, were we the classic example of why you should ALWAYS have a backup plan!). I had seen Tuckahoe Plantation online a few times and instantly fell in love. We toured a few places just to make sure we were covering all of our bases, but I think we both loved Tuckahoe from the start. We ended up choosing a “Texas meets Virginia” theme for the wedding, and knowing that Tuckahoe Plantation is the boyhood home of Thomas Jefferson really sealed the deal.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Besides the flowers, our favorite detail might have been our stadium cups that I designed. One had our monogram on it surrounded by a wreath and the other had a drawing of Tuckahoe Plantation with our date at the bottom. Not only were they practical (no broken glass on the dance floor!), we also love going to friends’ houses and seeing the cups in their cupboards.

My mom is a florist in Houston and I had no doubt in my mind that she would do an amazing job. We talked a bunch about what we were thinking in terms of colors, style, particular flowers, and ideas. I got to the point when I was becoming so overwhelmed with details for the wedding, I finally threw my hands up and told her that I trusted her creativity and she could do whatever she wanted. She absolutely blew us away–everything was organic, colorful, out of the box, and complimented the venue perfectly. She even went to the lengths of sending us curly willow sticks in March, which we had to leave in water in our backyard while they sprouted leaves. I am pretty sure our new neighbors thought we were crazy! It was well worth the mosquito infestation to see that she used them to make the tent poles into floral trees. I wanted all of the other decor to take a backseat so the flowers could shine.

Our first dance song was “I Get Carried Away” by George Strait– as a Texas girl, one of his songs was an obvious choice. My father/daughter dance song was “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy” by The Tams. I actually ended up splitting my father/daughter dance with my dad and my 90-year-old grandfather–he absolutely stole the show and it was a moment I will always cherish.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met in college my freshman year at High Point University in our “Jesus and the Gospels” class. Scott sat behind me and spent an entire semester throwing little balled up pieces of paper with his phone number on it into my bag. We didn’t start dating until four years later after Scott had graduated.
Tell us all about the proposal! We were down in Florida visiting my grandparents when Scott asked if I wanted to go for a walk on the beach. Scott hates any kind of PDA, so when I went to hold his hand, I asked him if it was too cheesy for him…that’s when he got down on one knee! I was completely surprised–I had no idea it was coming. When we got back to my grandparents’ house, we first told my grandmother, who was extremely excited for us. We then went inside and told my grandfather. He didn’t really have a reaction, which I found odd. My grandmother asked us if we had thought of any plans yet and my grandfather then said “What are you planning?” I told him again, a little louder, that Scott had proposed. His reaction was much more excited after he actually heard what I had said! I was especially glad Scott decided to propose while we were in Florida and that my grandmother was able to be a part of our story, because unfortunately, she passed away a month before our wedding.
When did y’all get married? June 20, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? About 110
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We had two small, simple wedding cakes with flowers on top. We also had the world’s best pecan pies from Goode Company BBQ in Houston. Ever since I brought one back to Richmond after visiting Houston, Scott’s dad has told me I am never allowed back in the state unless I have one of their pies in hand!
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! I did! My something borrowed was a pair of my grandmother’s earrings, which she helped me pick out on a visit to Florida. My something blue was my wedding band, which has sapphires (both of our birthstones) in it. My something old was both of my grandmothers’ wedding rings tied to my bouquet, my mother’s veil with lace from two of my great-grandmother’s wedding dresses, and a Texas Navy button my paternal grandfather gave my maternal grandfather when my parents were married. My something new was my dress and my gold Sperry Topsiders (I had to wear Sperrys on my last day of being a Sperry!).
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The most memorable moment of our day came right after all of our first dances. I was talking to one of our friends when I saw, out of the corner of my eye, the owner of Tuckahoe Plantation on the front lawn talking to Sarah. I immediately went over to Sarah, and in the calmest voice, she told me, “So, we are going to have to take a little break–we have a tornado warning for the area and the storm is coming right for us. Family, the bridal party, and out-of-town guests are going to head into the main house for a little history lesson on the plantation, and everyone else is going to head to the Old Stable.” Sarah is queen of always telling her brides that guests are going to react to situations however the bride and groom react to them. I told Scott, and we grabbed a drink and headed indoors. A situation that could have ruined the entire wedding ended up being our favorite memory of the whole day. Everyone hung out inside for about 20-30 minutes, learned some more about Tuckahoe, and then went right back outside to enjoy the rest of the party. Even after talking to our friends weeks later, they all agree that it made for one memorable evening and they could not have had more fun. We truly cannot thank the family at Tuckahoe Plantation enough for their generosity, allowing all of our closest family and friends inside their home. They really went above and beyond to make sure that everyone was safe, and we are so appreciative of that. Their staff even went to the length of chopping up a tree that had fallen over the driveway in a matter of minutes to make sure that everyone was able to get home safely.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We are enjoying making our new house a home with our dog, Miller!

Photographer: Stephanie Yonce / Planner: Sarah Taylor / Venue: Tuckahoe Plantation / Florist: Houston Flower Girls / Cake Baker: Gourmand Bakery / Caterer: A Sharper Palate / Rentals and Lighting: Commonwealth Event Company / DJ: Darrell Johnson / Band: Slack Family Band / Special Details: Paisley and Jade / Bride’s Gown: Allure / Hair Stylist: Noelle Eastwood of Avenue 42 / Makeup Artist: Megan Barden of Avenue 42 / Bride’s Shoes: Sperry / Menswear: Jos. A. Bank / Ties: Collared Greens Ties

Paisley & Jade is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

marissa Written with love by Marissa
3 Comments
  1. avatar Stephanie Yonce reply

    Thank you for sharing!! Love this couple to the stars. Their wedding was quite the adventure and can you imagine having a mother so talented!?

  2. avatar Paisley and Jade reply

    Thanks so much for including P&J in this beautiful Southern Weddings feature! Tuckahoe Plantation is one of our favorite venues and Stephanie Yonce captured some stunning images from this day. We were thrilled to play a part in this wonderful wedding!

  3. avatar Friday Fresh Squeeze #214 – Floridian Social reply

    […] Kudos to the bride and groom, their guests and the team at Tuckahoe Plantation for keeping this colorful celebration going after the […]

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