Southern Weddings

Y’all, we could not have been more thankful to celebrate with so many of you (or toasted y’all from afar!) last night at the V7 Launch Party! While we may still be picking glitter out of our hair, Liza and David’s sweet wedding is the perfect cure for the post-party blues!

In true Southern fashion, Liza and David’s first date involved college sports superstitions and warm weather! But, not everything is traditional with these two–they chose to tie the knot at Camp Pinnacle, where many members of Liza’s family spent their summers growing up. Even though they were in a nontraditional venue, they chose to recite traditional vows, and even omitted the ring exchange per pre-WWII tradition, creating a sweet moment you can’t miss in their interview below.

Big thanks to Olivia Griffin for sharing this lovely day!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. My mom, my sister, and David’s sister all came to Charleston to go dress shopping with me. We headed to a store called Fabulous Frocks, which sells new, once-worn, and sample designer bridal gowns. We were running late for the appointment and didn’t have time for lunch, so we recruited David to get some food for us. Instead of going to the front door, David walked right up to the side window where I was trying on the dress that ended up being “the one.” Whoops! The people at the shop were amazing–they were incredibly helpful and patient. It was such a pleasant experience!

We got married at Camp Pinnacle in Hendersonville, North Carolina. My dad, mom, sister, grandmother, and I all went to the camp growing up. David and I really wanted a wedding where all our friends could meet, hang out, and play together for the whole weekend. Most of our friends stayed in the cabins and got to enjoy all the canoeing, hiking, volleyball, and paintball the camp has to offer.

Recognize these lovely bridesmaid dresses? Nicole wore this Amsale print in our V6 team photos, and we loved it so much, we put it on our cover this year!

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? There were two moments from the wedding that stand out to me. Keeping with traditions of pre-WWII, David didn’t want to wear a ring, so we omitted the ring exchange from the ceremony. After the guests had left the ceremony, David’s brother and best man, William, pulled the two of us and our two families aside for a small, impromptu ring ceremony. The second moment was during the reception, when my grandmother asked me, “What do you think people would say if I were to get up and dance?” I pulled her onto the dance floor and we had a blast; it was so fun to watch her living it up!!

Taste was most important to us as far as the cake was concerned, and although Brick Street Café in Greenville, South Carolina does not do traditional wedding cakes, they have the best cakes we have ever tasted. Their sweet potato cake with cream cheese icing is to die for! We opted for several cakes instead of one large traditional cake, and went with the sweet potato, red velvet, and patty cake with German chocolate, raspberry drizzle, and almond cream cheese icing.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. From David: After three years of working for Liza’s father’s law firm, I had not been fired, but quickly realized my days were numbered. As chance would have it, I saw a beautiful girl at the law firm summer party. When I realized that this beautiful girl was a partner’s daughter, I set out to secure my job. It only took a little bit of convincing to get Liza to say yes to a date. While I tried to take her out to a nice dinner, she insisted on staying in so she could watch the USC National Championship baseball game. Liza wore her lucky sweatshirt, despite the warm weather–she had to take it off at every commercial break, thanks to her notoriously hot nature. The Gamecocks won the National Championship that year, which must have been a good sign. The rest is history.
Tell us all about the proposal! We got engaged on Friday, August 16, 2013 at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Despite David’s best efforts to keep the proposal a secret, I found the engagement ring when David not-so-sneakily stuffed it in the couch. Not wanting to ruin the surprise, I pretended to see nothing. After a long first semester in physical therapy school, I needed a break, and David suggested Asheville. He planned to propose at the Biltmore Estate; however, he forgot to see if it was actually open, and it was not. Luckily, the back half of the property and the winery were open. After a wine tasting and a nice stroll, David found a perfect spot next to a stream to pop the question. The real surprise, however, occurred when we went back to the Grove Park Inn where we were staying, and found both of our families waiting in rocking chairs on the deck! I was so caught up in the moment that I almost walked right past my own family! When I finally realized they were there, I was totally shocked. Festivities ensued, and both families spent the whole weekend celebrating and rafting.
When did y’all get married? May 17, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? About 300
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Even though we were in a nontraditional venue, we still wanted to say traditional vows.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Once the wedding day has arrived, have fun and don’t worry about the details or the things that may go wrong. Although I thought our wedding was perfect because everyone had a great time, there were some details that were left out or forgotten. In the end, I don’t think anyone noticed or cared. Most importantly, if your mom offers to help, let her!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are living in Charleston, South Carolina. I am finishing up physical therapy school at MUSC while David is enjoying being his own boss at his solo law practice. It’s so great to be in a new city that is as beautiful as Charleston to start our life together. We really look forward to all the activities and adventures that we will experience together.

Photographer: Olivia Griffin / Planner, Florals, Rentals, and Lighting: Cricket Newman / Venue: Camp Pinnacle / Cake Baker: Brick Street Cafe / Catering: Classic Catering / Band: Celebrity Allstars / Bride’s Gown: “Amelie” by Monique Lhuillier / Bridal Salon: Fabulous Frocks / Bride’s Earrings: Caroline Shook / Hair and Makeup Artist: Bliss / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Amore” in Shell Silk Chiffon by Amsale / Groom’s Attire: J. Crew / Groomsmen Attire: Calvin Klein / Ties: High Cotton Ties / Officiating Minister: Amos Disasa / Ceremony Music: Split Rail / Rehearsal Dinner Band: West End String Band

Written with love by Marissa