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Here’s a little confession, y’all: Emily and I Instagram-stalked the preparation of today’s beautiful wedding for weeks last year! After seeing sneak peeks of the meaningful details Beth Ann and Wesley were incorporating into their celebration, set against the stunning backdrop of Wesley’s family summer home, we were overjoyed when Jacin of Lovely Little Details sent it our way. This wedding is drop dead gorgeous, no doubt about that, but what we love most are the ways they nodded to their love story (the monarch butterfly release, in honor of the butterflies Beth Ann claims she first got around Wesley!) and to the life they want to create together (like the ceremony doors that they hope to include in a future home). When your story stretches all the way back to childhood, like Beth Ann and Wesley’s does, there’s certainly plenty to be inspired by!

Thank you so much to Tec Petaja and our Blue Ribbon Vendor, Jacin of Lovely Little Details, for sharing this magical day with us in V7!

From Jacin: This wedding took place at the groom’s family’s private plantation in Georgetown, South Carolina. The plantation was actually used in a movie, and is an idyllic location right on the water, but far enough down a beaten path road that you might not even know it was there. We even had baby alligators in the pond next to cocktail hour–having someone come to relocate the alligators to another watering hole is something I never thought my job description would entail!

Tell us all the basics of your wedding! We were married during Memorial Day weekend at Wesley’s family’s second home, Whitehall Plantation. The home overlooks Winyah Bay in Georgetown, South Carolina. The wedding took place at 6:00 P.M., and was black tie optional. he weather could not have been more perfect. The evening was in the high 70’s and there was a light breeze. We chose the family summer house because it has always been a special place for Wesley, and we spent many happy times there during our dating life. It was also where Wesley proposed. We buried a bourbon bottle exactly one month before the wedding, and the groom and groomsmen dug it up and did shots the day of the wedding. We will swear by this Southern tradition forever, since our weather couldn’t have been more perfect.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. What was your favorite thing about it? I went shopping in Atlanta with my sister, my mother, and my fiancé’s mother. My dress was one of two that I quickly narrowed the selection down to, but the one I picked was so comfortable and felt so light that I knew it was the one. The designer was Anna Maier, and the detail I loved the most was the blush-hued slip that complemented my skin tone.
Describe your bridesmaids’ dresses. How did you choose them? We chose Amsale dresses in champagne chiffon. I let each of the bridesmaid pick the style they liked the best.
What did the groom and groomsmen wear? They wore off-white dinner jackets with traditional tux pants and black cummerbunds and bow ties–a very traditional, Southern look.

The flowers were loose, indigenous blooms that featured the season. There were lots of lush peonies, ranunculus, Queen Anne’s lace, garden roses, viburnum, poppies, scabiosa, anemones, and clematis in shades of blush and cream with pops of hot pink, paired with blueberry branches from a local farm down the street. Our planner, Jacin, traded jars of her homemade jam in exchange for being allowed to go to the farm and clip branches to include in all of our arrangements and boutonnieres.

Bride’s favorite detail of the wedding: There are so many to choose from, but the old doors that we bought and used for my father to walk me through as we entered the ceremony were so special. We hope to one day to use them in our home in some way. My other favorite detail was the wine that Wesley and I made on a trip in Italy the summer before the wedding. We had the wine labels designed to match our invitation and served it at the wedding.

The ceremony was special for several reasons (besides marrying the love of my life). The groom’s first cousin partnered in the officiating, which was very special. My sister and maid of honor surprised us with a box of beautiful monarch butterflies that we opened during the ceremony, and we included a wedding prayer that had been read at my parents’ wedding 29 years ago. We concluded the ceremony with a surprise for the audience of a Southern choir bursting into the song “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher.”

From Jacin: The bride and groom’s families have been friends forever, and their love started at an early age. The bride cites she felt butterflies for the first time and knew he was the one, so we brought this detail in through a surprise butterfly release at the end of the ceremony.

Groom’s favorite detail of the wedding: I was absolutely blown away by the dinner tent. The custom made floor was unbelievable. Also, I am a big fan of bourbon whiskey, so Beth Ann planned a bourbon bar at the wedding. It was a huge hit with everyone, and I loved it. It had a dark wooden bar with various fine bourbons to sample and boxes of cigars to smoke. It had the feel of an old-timey lounge.

What was your reception like? A fairy tale! Stations were set up so that at each corner, guests had another surprise in store for them. The grounds were surrounded by the most beautiful live oaks, which are such a signature element of the Lowcountry. Each was up-lit and many chandeliers were hung from the trees. An incredible circular bar was built around the base of one of the biggest oaks on the grounds, which served as the center for the dance floor. A bourbon and cigar bar and a photo booth were also set up in different areas.

What was the design inspiration for your reception? From Jacin: We had guests start with the ceremony on one side of the plantation, then slowly move around to each next portion of the night, delighting guests with the details that remained cohesive, but still brought the element of surprise. Dinner was held in a custom built 50′ x 150′ tent, which we built to mimic a dining room. From hardwood floors that were placed plank by plank just days before the wedding, to draping from ceiling to floor in a sheer ivory silk, allowing the lighting and mossy oaks to be seen from inside, but masking the dance area until it was time, to driftwood logs we had holes cut to fit wine bottle candles at the entrance (the bride and groom made their own wine in Italy the summer before, and the wine bottles were a nod to that), the tent was one of my favorite places. 470 guests can be a daunting head count, but the overall response we heard was that they felt like they were in a dining room with their closest friends–mission accomplished!

From Jacin: We wanted to play on the natural setting of the plantation, with nods to the Spanish moss and beach grass, and with a few pops of blue from the ocean. We brought in those accents subtly, from individually painted invitations depicting the plantation view, to a canoe beer bar during cocktail hour, to oyster and mussel shells at each place setting for salt and pepper cellars, to driftwood place cards with names hand lettered individually. The first time I visited the venue with the couple, I noticed a blueberry farm down the street. I kept that farm in my mind through the entire process, and called them a month or so before the wedding to see if we could come by and clip some greenery to use in the floral arrangements. I loved how the blue/green leaves looked with the blush pink peonies and delicate clematis, and the greenery was the perfect accent to pull the florals together. I actually ended up trading a few jars of homemade jam with the blueberry farm owner in exchange for the greenery–it was quite the barter!

What are you most looking forward to about marriage? We are so excited to begin our life together. We’ve been through every stage of our growing up years together in some way or another, and to continue this journey as a couple makes me feel so blessed to be spending the rest of my life with my best friend.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We are childhood friends turned high school sweethearts. We continued our relationship through our years at Clemson University. Both of our families are very good friends, and have traveled together a lot. Our first kiss was during a game of truth or dare when we were just kids, and our families were on a cruise together.
Tell us about the proposal! It was June 7, 2013. Beth Ann and I were scheduled to go to Puerto Rico with her family the next day. I had picked up the ring two days before, and it was burning a hole in my pocket–I knew I could not keep the secret for very long. I wanted to be able to celebrate our engagement with our families, but unfortunately, there was a tropical storm over the coast of South Carolina, and the weather was terrible. Even though it was bad, I asked Beth Ann if she wanted to go have lunch with me at Whitehall (the future venue for our wedding). Although she was reluctant at first, she agreed. As soon as we got there, there was a break in the weather, and the day turned beautiful. Before we could even eat, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. It was the perfect moment when she said yes (although it took her a minute or two to because she was crying). We then called our close friends and family to tell them we had gotten engaged. Later that night, we celebrated with everyone at a local restaurant.
When did y’all get married? May 24, 2014
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Magical, intimate in all its grandeur, and unexpected (thanks to with surprises that my parents had in store)
How many guests attended your wedding? 478
What were some of the highlights of the reception? Edwin McCain was great, but the band, Sol Fusion, was equally impressive. Their music was awesome and they were so patient with our wedding party, because we all got on the stage with them for the last half of their time. They just kept on playing and singing–it was epic. We broke the stage!
Were there any family traditions you included in the reception? We had a table set up with photographs of both sets of grandfathers, who had passed away. We also hung both of our mothers’ wedding gowns on a display for everyone to see.
Best advice or most memorable comment someone made to you during the wedding celebration: We got so many compliments but one of our close friends said this: “The night was absolutely spectacular! With all its extravagance and magic, which was amazing, at its heart, it was a simple wedding with a simple message of love!”

Photography: Tec Petaja / Planning, Design, and Florals: Lovely Little Details / Paper Products Design: Momental Designs / Paper Products Printing: Southern Fried Paper / Calligraphy: Traci Green / Catering: Cru Catering / Videographer: Shaking Hands / Photo Booth: Michael Newton / Officiants: Tim Surratt, Christin Norman / Cake Baker: Myra Ranta of Incredible Edibles / Cocktail Hour and Reception Musicians: Sol Fusion / String Quartet: Classical Charleston / Gospel Choir: Voices of Deliverance / Logistics: Dovetail / Tent, Flooring, and Rentals: Snyder Events / Lighting: Production Design Associates / Linens: La Tavola / Hair and Makeup: Team Hair & Makeup / Valet: Shoreline Valet / Trolley: Sunway Charters / Limo and Shuttle: Carolina Limo / Restrooms: Nature’s Calling Inc. / Draping: Duvall Events / Driftwood Arch and Driftwood Wine Bottle Candleholders: Lee Arthur / Antique Doors: Ted Watts / Venue: Whitehall Plantation / Bride’s Gown: Anna Maier / Bridal Salon: Joan Pillow / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bride’s Jewelry: Yael Designs / Bridesmaid Dresses: Various styles in Champagne by Amsale / Wedding Dinner Wine: Made by the bride and her family at Castello Monterinaldi with winemaker Fabrizio Benedetti

Lovely Little Details is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
9 Comments
  1. avatar jacin reply

    i LOVED playing a part in beth ann + wes’ wedding. their families are so dear to my heart and i was honored to help them bring their story to life!

  2. avatar Allister Freeman reply

    These are beautiful, love the colours and tones

  3. avatar Stacey Hannan reply

    Beautiful, love everything about this wedding.

  4. avatar Abby reply

    WOW! As a long time reader, this is honestly one of my favorite weddings to date. Every detail was executed to perfection and you can just feel the joy and love through the pictures!

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  6. avatar Emily reply

    HOLY COW!!

  7. avatar liam smith reply

    beautiful photographs, what an awesome location to shoot

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There’s nothing better than celebrating an engagement with a sweet bride-to-be via Instagram or our Engaged Reader Round-Ups, and then seeing her wedding a few months later! Such was the case for Nicole and Todd, who shared their adorable proposal story with us last year for this post. As you can read below, it’s quite the memorable one, and I must say, their Charleston wedding, complete with a buried bottle of bourbon, Nicole’s lace gown, and the loveliest monogrammed napkins, is pretty darn memorable as well!

Thank you so much to Jenn Hopkins for sharing this lovely day with us!

Tell us all about the proposal! Todd and I had been dating for a little over three years and Christmas was coming up. I really wanted to send out photo Christmas cards that year because receiving them is one of our favorite things about the holiday season. I contacted our favorite photographer (Jenn Hopkins) and asked if she could do a quick session with us–but nothing too mushy because we were just dating. Todd had given me a little grief because he had to come home from work early to get ready for our pictures (little did I know, he was just trying to cover up what was about to happen!). We are both awkward in pictures, so as soon as we met up with Jenn and she started taking “test shots,” the jokes started coming. I remember saying “I don’t know what to do with my hands” and then looking at Todd, wondering why he was kneeling in the dirt. I immediately thought, “Really funny Todd, acting like you’re proposing just to make Jenn laugh.” And…I tried to push him over. Only after I noticed he was digging in his pocket and he pulled out a ring did I realize he was being serious! The bonus is that Jenn got pictures of the whole thing–I love that!

I knew exactly what style of dress I wanted–all lace, a high neckline, and some sort of cap sleeve. I made appointments at a few bridal stores in town and took my sister with me for a second opinion. At the first store, I found a dress that fit all my requirements, but it was almost twice my budget! I ended up finding my gown on the sample sale rack at the second store. It was made of a beautiful guipure lace, and after a few small alterations to bring the neckline up and create a little sleeve, it became exactly what I wanted! And, it was less than half my dress budget!

Curious about the Southern tradition of burying the bourbon? Check out our post about it here!

Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? Yes, we did. Our venue is part of a state park that does not allow events to start until the park is closed at 5:00 P.M….just when the sun is fading fast in November. We had to do a first look if we wanted to use any natural light for pictures. I must say, our first look was one of my favorite parts of the whole day. For those few moments, we felt like we were the only two people for miles. This whirlwind of a day just seemed to stop and it was just the two of us. I am so glad that we had that time together, and I can promise you, it won’t make walking down the aisle to your groom any less special!

Todd and I love Charleston, so it was an easy decision to get married there and share it with our families, but finding a venue was a little more challenging. There is no shortage of gorgeous venues in the Holy City, but I wanted to simplify our wedding day by having the ceremony and reception at the same location. I also wanted our wedding to feel like an alfresco dinner party at a beautiful home, rather than an event space. Not only is the Legare Waring House a beautiful home, it is also surrounded by the most amazing old oak trees that gave us plenty of places to take pictures. When you have such a beautiful backdrop, you don’t need a bunch of decorations, which helped keep our budget in check.

Our pastor and good friend (who came from Florida with his wife and newborn!), Matt, performed the ceremony, and it was truly tailored to fit us. He did an amazing job explaining our roles to each other as they relate to our lives in Christ; starting with our call to leave our parents, cleave to one another, and weave our lives together as we form our family. Following the vows, we were told over and over that this was one of our guests’ favorite parts of the entire wedding!

Describe your wedding flowers. Flowers are one of my absolute favorite things. I chose shades of white garden roses and ranunculus with lots of dusty greenery. Our florist surpassed all of my expectations–they were truly the most beautiful (and best smelling) flowers I have ever seen. After our wedding, my green-thumbed husband rooted a few of the clippings from my bouquet so I can always have flowers from our wedding.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? I purchased a vintage monogram from my favorite monogram shop, Number Four Eleven, in Savannah. I used it for the wax seal and stamps on our invitations, cocktail napkins, and our linen dinner napkins. The vintage monograms from Number Four Eleven are so elegant, and I plan on using it forever. Our food was classically Southern: crab cakes, shrimp and grits, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and collard greens. We knew both of our families would love it! We also buried a bottle of bourbon. I think we probably broke some park rules by burying a bottle of Maker’s Mark on the property, but it worked–there wasn’t a single drop of rain on our wedding day.

What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Our day-of coordinator (and florist), Beth, was like a fairy godmother. I truly do not know how anyone has a wedding without her. If anything went wrong, I didn’t hear even the slightest hint of it. Without her, I don’t think Todd and I would have been able to relax and enjoy our wedding. Also, our photographer and her second shooter were truly amazing. They traveled from Florida for us and we couldn’t be more thankful. It was such a relief to have a photographer that we trusted with such an important day!

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: My groom was my favorite wedding detail! Months after our wedding, I still can’t believe I got to marry him. He is my husband! Isn’t that just the craziest thing!?

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. Todd and I met through a mutual friend when he was living in Georgia and I was in Florida. We talked on the phone for about three months (that Alabama accent of his did me in on the first night!) before he made the six-hour trip to take me out on a date. I don’t think we’ve spent more than two weeks apart since then!
When did y’all get married? November 21, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 90
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? We went through several weeks of premarital counseling, which was recommend by our pastor. We were both a little apprehensive in the beginning, but we were amazed by how much we learned about our relationship. We actually really enjoyed it.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? A few months after we started wedding planning, we found out that the house I had been renting was going to be put on the market. We had both grown to love that house (and neighbors!) so much and had planned on making it our home once we were married. Paying for a wedding and buying a house in the same year wasn’t part of the plan, but neither was moving! My dad told me, “There is never a perfect time for anything” and it’s true. Life is filled with things that happen at the worst possible times (or so it seems), and if you wait around for everything to become perfectly aligned, you’ll probably miss out on some great moments. We compromised, adjusted our wedding budget, made a lot of tough decisions, and had many stressful days (did I mention it was a six-month short sale?), but in the end, we got both our house and a beautiful wedding.
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? Todd and I figured out which things were most important to us, splurged on those, and saved on the rest. Something as simple as using the plastic cups the bartender provides versus renting wine glasses can save you a few hundred dollars. There isn’t a single plastic cup in any of our pictures either! We also got married on a Friday, which saved quite a bit on our venue, and more vendors were available and willing to work with us since it wasn’t a Saturday.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are going on a delayed honeymoon in a few months–we haven’t picked a location yet, but we’re thinking about Switzerland or France. We also have a mile-long list of things we want to do to our house!

Photographer: Jenn Hopkins Photography / Day-of Coordinator, Florist, and Lighting: WildFlowers Inc. / Venue: Legare Waring House / Cake Baker: D’Lish Dessert / Caterer: Lowcountry Eats / Rentals: Snyder Events and EventWorks / DJ: EPIC / Paper Products: Scotti Cline / Bride’s Gown: “C249” by Allure / Bride’s Accessories: Nordstrom and Ann Taylor / Hair and Makeup: Ash & Co / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “D568” by Alfred Sung / Groom’s Attire: J. Crew, Brooks Brothers, and Cole Haan / Groomsmen Attire: Jos. A. Bank and Brooks Brothers

Scotti Cline is a delightful member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

lisa Written with love by Lisa
4 Comments
  1. avatar Allyson-Happy Planning reply

    This wedding is adorable! I love the navy bridesmaids dresses, cake table and menu sounds deliciously Southern.

  2. avatar Claire Cowman reply

    That wax seal! I love how they implemented the monogram into so many small details. What a sweet momentum to have and to hold after the wedding!

  3. avatar FDH Limousines reply

    WoW Amazing! Bride looks so gorgeous, beautiful and clear capturing really love the ideas, Have seen a good art of capturing.

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The first time I visited Charleston was for Callie and Jamie’s wedding–Dave and I made a weekend of it and loved spending a little bit of time exploring the beautiful city. That trip was all too short, but thankfully, working at Southern Weddings has given me the opportunity to learn so much more about the amazing places throughout the South. Charleston is absolutely overflowing with history and tradition, and Keli and Ben drew from it all while planning their Lowndes Grove Plantation wedding. Along with the charms of Charleston, they were deeply inspired by their own home during their wedding planning. As a result, they brought furniture and decor from their house to their venue–both new pieces they had collected and refinished as a couple, and precious heirlooms that had been passed down to them. Meredith of Sweetgrass Social used all of these pieces and more to create the Southern garden dinner party reception Keli and Ben had dreamed of, and I’m sure you’ll agree, the result was magical!

Thank you so much to Olivia Griffin for sharing this very special day with us for V7!

The Haint blue porches have always been one of my favorite accents on historic Southern homes. We wanted to incorporate this feature throughout our wedding, especially because both the Unitarian Church and Lowndes Grove Plantation featured this concept on the ceilings. We continued the theme with the canopies on the structures on the oyster tabby, as well as in the table linens, stationery, and even down to my shoes.

Did you have a something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue? My something new was a bracelet Ben gave to me as a wedding gift. Rice was known as Charleston’s cash crop in the past, so he thought the rice pearls were appropriate to remind me of our wedding day in Charleston. I wore two items for my something old. One was my great-grandmother’s diamond ring that my mom also used as her wedding ring. The other was my mother-in-law’s veil from her wedding. My something borrowed was a vintage brooch I wore in my hair. I borrowed it from my sister, who also wore it in her wedding. My something blue was my shoes! They were just the right shade of blue and had an eyelet cutout design. They were the perfect touch and I can’t wait to wear them again!

The bridesmaids wore black dupioni silk dresses from LulaKate. When choosing a color, I wanted something classic that wouldn’t compete with the colors of the church. What girl doesn’t need a little black dress? I let the girls choose the styles and cuts that were best for them and let them accessorize as they pleased. The flower girls wore simple Swiss dot dresses that were adorable. I had them custom-made by Moss Rose Cottage Dress in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. I also gave each of them pearl necklaces to wear.

Our wedding was held on April 13, 2014 in Charleston, South Carolina. We wanted a destination wedding that was close enough so that our family and friends would be able to attend. Ben lived in Charleston for several years and I have always loved the old Southern charm of the town. We chose a spring wedding since the flowers would be in bloom and the weather would not be too hot. We both knew we wanted a church ceremony, and had visited the Unitarian Church of Charleston for a friend’s wedding. We were amazed by the detailed fan vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows. It had all the rich history and character we were looking for. For the reception venue, I wanted a historic site with architectural elements, and Ben wanted the scenery of the Lowcountry marsh. Lowndes Grove was the perfect combination of both! We fell in love with the house; it was elegant and grand, but felt homey, and the waterfront landscape was like a painting.

Tell us a bit about the wedding ceremony. What part was most special to you? Did you include any special readings? We chose to have a traditional ceremony. It was important to Ben to have his father involved in the ceremony, so our pastor from Ben’s home church conducted the service, and Ben’s father performed the vows and ring ceremony for us. In honor of my parents, my mother’s sister lit the unity candle and my father’s brother walked me down the aisle. Ben’s mother lit the unity candle for his family.

Our wedding was Southern because the tea was sweet, the people were sweeter, and Charleston in April is the most beautiful Southern city on God’s green earth. The smell of the salt marsh in the distance laid out a canvas for the senses and harmonized with the aroma of shrimp and grits, Palmetto pale ale, and fried green tomatoes. Sitting along the banks of the Ashley River underneath Haint blue canopies, we watched a Southern sunset that made the ancient oak trees burn with a deep orange hue. The flowers danced on the Swiss dot linens beneath crystal chandeliers, as we danced on the oyster tabby under a palmetto moon.

What was the design inspiration for your reception? I knew I was going to be a handful for Meredith of Sweetgrass Social when I showed up with my sketches, floor plans, and fabric swatches when we first met–we couldn’t have pulled our wedding off without the help of her and the Sweetgrass Social team. They were amazing! Ben and I put great thought into each element of the décor and design. We wanted each component to tell a story about us and where we came from. Since both my parents and grandparents are deceased, incorporating items that were passed down to us was a way to have them there in spirit. It also allowed us to have pieces that were sentimental and reflected us as a couple.

Outside, I wanted it to feel like there were “rooms,” even though we were outdoors. I was trying to achieve a designated area for dining for our guests with chandeliers hanging above, like you would see in a dining room. We wanted our guests to feel like they were sipping sweet tea on the verandah beneath the Haint blue ceilings of Charleston, so Technical Event Company created these amazing whitewashed structures draped with light blue fabric and finished with crystal chandeliers. By having these structures scattered among the oyster tabby, it gave the illusion of separate rooms. During the afternoon, it felt like you were sitting on a Charleston verandah overlooking the river, and after sunset, it transformed into the elegant dining room we had envisioned. We also brought pieces from our own home. For example, tucked away in a nook of the reception, we staged my writing desk and the wingback chair I use at home with custom-made stationery that Ben designed, so that guests could write us letters.

When I met with Anne Bowen at Charleston Stems, I knew I was in good hands. I envisioned a soft mixture of cream and white flowers mixed with foliage in shades of green, rich with texture. We used a lot of my own glassware and vases I had collected over the years. In addition, I wanted to incorporate my mom and grandmothers’ pedestal bowls into the centerpieces. We added mercury glass votives in shades of gold and silver to the tablescape to add some warmth. My bouquet was composed of white peonies. I found some vintage French silk ribbon in a light mint color and added some vintage lace around the center to wrap the peonies in. My grandmother’s brooch was attached to finish the look. The bridesmaids’ bouquets were a mixture of white sweet peas and garden roses, and the flower girls carried peony blooms dressed with a mint linen ribbon, monogrammed with their initials. For the boutonnieres, we wanted to give a nod to Charleston and Ben’s love of the city, so we chose sweetgrass roses accented with lily of the valley.

We used a vintage porcelain cake knife and server to cut the cake, and our own fine china for the cake plate we ate from. My sister and brother-in-law gave us a bottle of Moet Champagne as a wedding gift, which we served from Ben’s grandmother’s silver champagne bucket. We toasted with our La Maison crystal champagne flutes.

What was the most memorable or touching moment about your wedding day? The most touching moment was my father-daughter dance. My dad and I always danced to “My Girl” by the Temptations growing up. He was one of eight children, five of which are still living. When it came time for my father-daughter dance, I planned to dance our song with one of my uncles. However, during the song, my four uncles and my aunt surprised me by each taking a turn on the dance floor with me during our song. It was so special. I am truly blessed to have such a caring and loving family. The mother-son dance was also touching–Ben surprised his mom by dancing to a song he wrote and composed while living in Charleston called “Saltwater Symphony.” It is her favorite out of all the songs he has written.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Ben and I met through my sister and my brother-in-law, who grew up with Ben. We were friends for a few years before we actually started dating. We started dating after we ran into each other at my sister’s wedding. Ben was living in Nashville and I was still in Florence, South Carolina, so most of our relationship involved a lot of phone calls and flights back and forth.
Tell us about the proposal! Ben and I love Asheville, North Carolina, and would meet there during our long-distance relationship. We usually take a tour of Biltmore Estate while we are there, since we both appreciate history and architecture. Knowing my love for flowers, Ben planned our trip to the Biltmore during their annual flower festival. The courtyards were filled with blooming tulips, and the grounds were rolling with bright yellow forsythia and pink cherry blossom trees. The greenhouse boasted exotic orchids and hydrangeas. It was my dream garden! I didn’t make it easy for Ben to pop the question–I was too busy snapping pictures and reciting the different types of flowers to him. We finally made it back up the hill to a quiet nook surrounded by forsythia where Ben “had to take a picture of us.” It was there where he fell to one knee and asked me to marry him. It was perfect!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Sentimental, elegant, personal
How many guests attended your wedding? Around 150
Tell us a bit about your first dance. Our song was by an artist we both love, Ray LaMontagne, and is called “Hold You in My Arms.” The lyrics are meaningful and relate to our relationship. It’s also a song Ben plays to me, which made it very sentimental.
Were there any family traditions you included in the reception? My uncle, Larry Moore, always says the blessing at all of our family gatherings. He gladly accepted when we asked him to do so at our reception.
Tell us about a way or ways you saved money or cut costs while planning. By bringing in our own pieces, we saved on rentals. We also made the Swiss dot tablecloths and runners from curtain panels which a friend sewed for us. By doing projects like these, we not only enjoyed them for our wedding, but can continue to use them in our future. We decided on having multiple smaller cakes in lieu of one larger single cake. I also did a lot of DIY projects, like the invitation envelopes and liners.
What are you most looking forward to about marriage? We are looking forward to growing together and continuing to learn about one another. It is exciting to go through the journey of life with someone I love.
Best advice or most memorable comment someone made to you during the wedding celebration: As I was waiting alone outside the chapel with my Uncle Stoney before we walked down the aisle, he told me that he could still remember the way his wife looked coming down the aisle. He described the moment and how beautiful she looked like it was yesterday. He told me how I would always remember this very moment, and to take in every second. It was a sweet and touching moment we had together.

Photographer: Olivia Griffin Photography / Planner: Meredith Tanton of Sweetgrass Social Event and Design / Ceremony Venue: The Unitarian Church of Charleston / Reception Venue: Lowndes Grove Plantation / Florist: Anne Bowen of Charleston Stems / Caterer: Fish Restaurant / Wedding Cake: DeClare Cakes / Bride’s Gown: “Mimi” by Wtoo Brides / Bridal Salon: J Major’s Bridal Boutique / Bride’s Shoes: Ivanka Trump / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: LulaKate / Flower Girl Dresses: Moss Rose Cottage Dress / Hair Stylists: Meg Workman and Chelsea Poulas / Makeup Artist: Meg Workman / Menwear: Jos. A. Bank / Paper Goods: Minted and Just My Style Invitation and Programs / Rentals: EventWorks, EventHaus Rentals, Polished, and 428 Main Vintage Rentals / Linens: La Tavola Linen / Ceremony Musicians: Classic Charleston / Reception Band: Hot Sauce Party Band / Benne Wafer Favors: Olde Colony Bakery / Transportation: Old City Bus from Absolutely Charleston / Lighting: Technical Event Company

lisa Written with love by Lisa
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