ANNA MARIE & BRYAN
Lowndes Grove Plantation Wedding
Charleston, South Carolina
HOW THEY MET: We met a few years ago when Anna, a lobbyist, went into Senator Mark Kirk's office for a meeting with his Banking staffer, which just happened to be Bryan. While Anna didn't win him over on the policy issue she was lobbying (even though she still maintains her position is the correct one), she did win him over on her. After several serendipitous run-ins around DC and several "networking" coffees and lunches, Bryan worked up the courage to ask her out.
FIRST DATE: We actually have 2 first dates. On our very first date we went to the Left Door, a speakeasy in DC. We went out a few times, but Anna wasn't sure how she was feeling about it and called it off. Fast forward nine months and we ran into each other on the street outside of the Capitol. Bryan followed the run-in with a text to see if Anna wanted to catch up sometime. They met for drinks a week later, and Anna instantly had a "what was I thinking moment? He's amazing." She confessed that to him and he asked her on a date to this dreamy DC restaurant, Iron Gate. And here we are.
FAVORITE DESIGN DETAIL: We incorporated just a hint of sweetgrass. Bryan’s niece and nephew were our flower girl and ringbearer, and they carried a sweetgrass basket and box that I found on a vintage Etsy shop. It was a subtle Lowcountry detail and being from South Carolina, I couldn’t resist.
MOST IMPORTANT DETAIL OF THE DAY: More than anything we wanted a sweet ceremony that reflected the commitment we were making to each other and incorporated our family and friends. My mother and twin sister walked me down the aisle, Bryan’s brothers sang a duet, and several friends read scripture from our grandparents’ Bibles. Our friend John, a recently ordained Episcopal minister, officiated the wedding. It was his first and he nailed it!
FAVORITE MOMENT OF THE DAY: After the ceremony, we had a quiet moment just the two of us while we waited on the guests to head to the cocktail hour. In the stillness of those minutes together, it sunk in that I just married my best friend surrounded by our favorite people. It’s a moment of elation and gratitude that I hope to never forget.
INSPIRATION BEHIND THE DESIGN: I’d say that both Bryan and I have a classic style. Our wedding venue was breathtaking, and I wanted our design to underscore the classic beauty of Lowndes Grove’s architecture, the water, and the old oak trees draped with Spanish moss. Our wedding planner Jacqueline brought our vision to life with white garden style flowers and greenery, lantern lights, cream linens and drapery, and a pop of color with ocean blue bridesmaid dresses.
ADVICE FOR FUTURE COUPLES?
We’d give the cliche advice, but wise, advice of – it goes by in a blur, stop and take it all in, and most importantly, don’t sweat the small stuff.
Any one of the special moments on your wedding day would make for the best day ever just on its own. Yet your wedding packs all of them into a single, adrenaline-filled day that moves at what feels like lightning speed. This is why it's nice to take a few moments to stop and absorb the excitement and joy surrounding you. A friend told me to try and pause before walking down the aisle to look around – at my groom, our family and friends. During the reception, we stepped off to the side while our guests, some who had just met for the first time, were cutting a rug and celebrating our marriage. It was surreal and a blur in the best way possible and we cherish those moments looking in.
And, seriously, don’t sweat the small stuff. We had a torrential downpour during our reception. Our wedding planner pulled the outside bar under the tent just before the storm blew in (reason #101 of why to have an on-top-of-it planner). The wind knocked our centerpiece over. The bands instruments got a little wet. They dried them off, the party went on, 99.9% of the guests stayed dry (minus the flower girl and ringbearer who were enjoying the dock), and the passing storm even cooled the night off a tad.
Following the ceremony, the second most important thing to us was throwing an epic dance party. Bryan gets happy feet every time music is playing and I haven’t met a dance floor I didn’t like so we knew we wanted a lively, crowd-engaging band. Mo’ Soul had us and our guests on the dance floor most of the night.
Having a wedding in Charleston, SC? Check out the Charleston wedding vendors behind this dreamy day…
Planning & Design: Sweetgrass Social Event & Design ll Photography: Sara Bee Photography ll Florals: On A Limb Floral Design ll Venue: Lowndes Grove Plantation ll Catering & Bar: Patrick Properties Hospitality Group ll Rentals: Eventworks Rentals, Snyder Events ll Lighting: IES Productions ll Draping: The Social Spool ll Hair & Makeup: Ash & Co. Bridal Hair ll Wedding Dress: Stella York
Check out the most recent Charleston weddings for more inspiration.
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