Folly Beach Wedding by Party.Love.Birds + Erin McGinn Photography

Last year, you may remember we featured Becca + Jay's Folly Beach wedding at the Pink Flamingo Beach House in our inaugural issue of A Lowcountry Wedding Magazine.  It was amazing and the perfect location for anyone looking for a low-key beach affair, so I was super excited when Jenn + Brian's coastal bash made it's way to my inbox.  This sweet couple also selected the Pink Flamingo to host their Lowcountry soiree and, with the help of the team at Party. Love. Birds, they created an effortless ocean side backdrop for their beautiful wedding day.  My favorite details - the dessert bar from Wildflour Pastry, the succulent centerpieces and the outdoor lighting that made for the perfect evening under the stars!

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Charleston Wedding Vendors

Wedding Planner: Party.Love.Birds  //  Hair & Make-Up: Ash & Co Bridal  //  Officiant: Greg Rhudy  //  Catering: Cru Catering  //  Florist: Tiger Lily Weddings  //  Music: Johnny Breeze  //  Photographer: Erin McGinn Photography  //  Rentals: Event DRS  //  Transportation: Lightning Bugz  //  Venue: Pink Flamingo  //  Bakery: Wildflour Pastry  //

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Dying for more Lowcountry Wedding Inspiration!?  Check out these beauties…

• Coastal Rice Mill Wedding from Shannon Noel Photography in shades of cranberry and peach
• Laid back, DIY Lowcountry Wedding from Jeanne Mitchum Photography with burlap and anemones
• Sequins and Peony Wedding Inspiration from the ladies at Ivory + Beau and Rach Lea Photography
• A Lowcountry Wedding Magazine filled with 13 real weddings from Charleston, Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach

Powder Blue Island House Wedding by Jennifer Bearden Photography

Last week, I opened up a Save-the-date for our friends' Lowcountry wedding later this year at the Island House and after obsessing over this beauty, I couldn't be more excited.  It's the perfect Charleston wedding venue for a couple looking for a laid-back Southern bash on the water with a nice salty breeze.  The talented Jennifer Bearden Photography teamed up with A. Caldwell Events, First Bloom of Charleston and Cru Catering for Annie + Carey's dreamy Southern affair!

From the Bride: "Carey and I have been dating for 8 years. We lived in the same dorm in college. We had many mutual friends but never really hung out. My junior year my brother moved in Carey. We started hanging out and as they say the rest is history. Carey is the best friend I could have ever asked for and our wedding was everything I had ever dreamt of. It was just perfect. As we called it was Pottery Parn meets Pinterest with a touch of rustic. It was laid back but still elegant. The ceremony was outside on the Stono River. The weather was just perfect. The bridesmaids were in soft blue chiffon and guys in navy suits. The aisle was lined with mason jars filled with soft pink, blues, and white flowers. Petals were scattered on the grass around the altar where a large piping held fabric pulled by and secured with large white flower arrangements. The ceremony was held in the tent outside. The seating charts were on old easels that we had found, refurbished and painted each window pane with chalkboard paint. The tables were lined with burlap runners. Flowers (blues, pinks, whites) were in different size and shaped vases and candles in hurricane holders were the centerpieces. We had made the table numbers. I had glued numbers to a block and then spray painted them. They looked great. ‘Mr’ & ‘Mrs’ sign were used on Carey and I chairs. I had a memory candle burn in honor of my brother who is no longer with us. The cake was amazing. It was 4 tiers with lace to match my dress. The cake topper was the best. We are big animal lovers and had a handmade clay topper of Carey and I with all our animals; two labs and our cat. We had used A&C throughout our whole wedding. It was on our save the dates, our invitations and on the mason jars that were our favors for guest. It was the best day ever!"

Charleston Wedding Vendors

Planner: A. Caldwell Events  //  Photographer:  Jennifer Bearden Photography  //  Bakery: Ashley Bakery  //  Caterer: Cru Catering  //  Floral Designer: First Bloom  //  Event Venue: The Island House

Charleston Wedding {Erin + Steve} The Island House

I went weak-in-the-knees for every single Lowcountry wedding that has graced the pages of our premier issue!  They're all stunning!  But I have a special place in my heart for Erin + Steve's Island House bash.  I'm not sure if it's how their amazing photographer Virgil Bunao captured all the details, or maybe  how Ooh! Events dreamed up this eclectic color palette with eye catching flower arrangements, or what sounds like the perfect menu of libations and Southern dishes from Cru Catering that the duo treated their guests to, but I adore every last detail of this Charleston wedding.  Thanks to Erin and her talented mother for adding all the personal touches to their big Southern wedding day!  Even though we tried, we couldn’t include everything in the magazine, so to find out a little more about Erin’s big day you can read her answers below, but to see ALL the details check out the Mag here! How did he propose? How long were you engaged for?

I think I may have the best proposal story ever.  In August 2011, we'd planned to spend a weeklong vacation with Steve's parents in New Hampshire.  The night before we were supposed to leave, Steve handed me a piece of paper.  It took me a minute to realize that it was an itinerary for a surprise trip to Madrid - leaving the next day!!  He'd planned everything - and had even done my laundry so I would have plenty of clothes for the trip!  During our first day in Madrid, we roamed around the city and even went back to the place where we had our first kiss.  The next day, he took me a private Spanish cooking class, and then to the Retiro park.  He proposed in the park, and then told me we were going to spend the rest of the week on an engagement-moon in the Basque Country!  It was like a dream.

What made you choose your Charleston wedding venue? What elements drew you to it?

I grew up in Chesterfield, SC and Steve is from New York, but we currently live in San Francisco.  We knew we wanted to get married in South Carolina as a nod to my childhood, and we chose Charleston because we'd traveled there together and made some amazing memories.  We looked at a ton of venues, and we really wanted to find a place that celebrated the natural beauty of the lowcountry.  When we saw the Island House for the first time, we both knew it was where we wanted to get married.  The proximity to the water, the wide open outdoor space, and the simple beauty of it all took our breath away.

Specialty Drinks?

Steve and I are cocktail aficionados, and the team at IceBox exceeded all our expectations (plus they let us do a really fun cocktail tasting ahead of time!).   Our specialty cocktails were: Holiday in Spain (nod to our engagement and where we met - it was a jalapeno and cilantro margarita with macerated red peppers for a reddish tint) and the Johns Island Cider (Rum, Spiced Apple Cider, Mint, Ginger Beer).

What’s your favorite picture from your wedding and why?

That's really tough - mainly because Virgil is incredible.  There's a picture of Steve and me holding hands out on the dock that I really adore, and then a party shot with us in front and all our friends behind us rocking out (and wearing neon glasses!).

Tell us all about the details! Did any have special meaning? What was your favorite?

-My mother handmade a lot of my favorite details from the wedding - homemade peach bourbon jam for the wedding favors, travel-themed placecards, and homemade pralines and benne wafers for our welcome bags.  She worked so hard on everything, and it was so beautiful (and delicious!) so her creations were some of my favorite details.

-I really loved using table names instead of numbers.  Steve and I love to travel, so I used chalkboard signs to write the names of places Steve and I have traveled together.  People really got a kick out of sitting at the Reykjavik, Iceland or Zanzibar, Tanzania table

-The brooch that I pinned to my bouquet was particularly special to me.  It's from a set of jewelry made by Tiffany's in the 1800s as a replica of the jewelry designed by Abraham Lincoln for Mary Todd to wear on her wedding day.  I was the 5th generation in my family to wear this jewelry on my wedding day.

Tell us a little bit about your Charleston wedding menu…We are obsessed with good food, and Cru Catering made the wedding dinner of our dreams.  For appetizers, we had a yellow tomato gazpacho shooter with habanero crema, collard green wontons, and a raw bar.  We served a tomato and muskmelon salad with candied pecans, and a choice of ginger seared wreck fish or pomegranate glazed cornish hen.  Objectively (or maybe not), this was one of the best meals of my life.

We did wedding pies instead of a wedding cake, and I couldn't have been happier with how it turned out!  Lauren from Wild Flour Pastry blew us away with bourbon pecan pie, key lime pie with gingersnap crust, walnut derby pie, triple berry pie with oat streusel, and a banoffee (banana-toffee) pie!  I heard that one older lady went back to the pie table five times to try all the varieties!

Something old: The family heirloom brooch I put on my bouquet.

Something new: My parents gave me diamond earrings, and my gorgeous Badgley Mischka shoes!!

Something borrowed: A sapphire and diamond bracelet from my grandmother

Something blue:  Lots!  My sapphire engagement ring and the sapphire/diamond necklace Steve gave me as a wedding day present.

Charleston Wedding Vendors

Photographer: Virgil Bunao  /  Flowers, Décor & Design: Ooh! Events  /  Coordination: Ooh! Event, Emily Miller  /  Venue: The Island House  /  Ceremony Music: Classical Charleston  /  Reception Music: Atlanta Party Band  /  Catering: Cru Catering  /  Bar: IceBox  /  Wedding Pies: WildFlour Pastry  /  Tent & Rentals: Atlantic Tent  /  Photo Booth: Oh Snap!  /  Hair & Makeup: Jennifer Fernandez

Legare Waring House Wedding {Brookley + Jeffrey}

I've been dying to share Brookley's Charleston wedding at the stunning Legare Waring House and I feel like today is the perfect day!  Since they decided on a destination wedding, the couple took their time planning every intimate detail and, with the help of Declaration Boutique, it sure shows!  I particularly LOVE those adorable, South Carolina pillows that graced the patio chairs.  Too cute!  Brookley wowed in timeless lace gown by Allure Bridals while the men rocked classic black tuxedos.  The sweet couple said 'I do' in a romantic, outdoor ceremony under the Oaks as officiant, Christy Loftin, pronounced them husband and wife.  The crowd celebrated with Lowcountry cuisine from Cru Catering, cake from D'lish and the tunes of Palmetto Soul!  Thanks to King Street Studios for capturing all the wonderful details!

 Charleston Wedding Vendors

Venue: Legare Waring House  /  Photography: King Street Studios  /  Caterer: Cru Catering  /  Officiant: Christy Loftin  /  Cake: Molly at D'lish  /  Rentals: Event DRS  /  Band: Palmetto Soul  /  Planner and Designer: Bride  /  Day of Coordinator, Design, Paper Goods and Florals: Lara Kocerka and Declaration Boutique  /  Bar and Ceremony Doors/Cross stitched table #s (Charleston Gates): Bride's family  /  Mantle and Stained Glass Altar: Declaration Boutique  /  Transportation: Black Cab Company  /  Hair and Makeup: Wedding Hair by Charlotte  /  Lighting: AV Connections  /  Wedding Gown:Allure Bridals  /  Bridesmaids and Flower Girl: Eden Gowns  /  Tuxes: Berlin's

Founders Hall Wedding {Jessica + Joe}

If you're in the midst of planning A Lowcountry wedding and have yet to locate your perfect venue, then my suggestion is you head right on over to Charlestowne Landing to check out the beautiful (and eco-friendly), Founders Hall.  The gorgeous venue offers a relaxed, private setting with state-of-the-art features to offer a modern, Southern affair!  Bride Jessica dazzled in her strapless gown, feminine birdcage veil and stunning statement necklace while her maids rocked navy lace dresses.  Thanks to Paige Winn Photo for a capturing all the special moments!

 Charleston Wedding Vendors

Photographer:  Paige Winn Photo  /  Caterer:  Cru Catering  /  Reception Venue:  Charlestowne Landing  /  Entertainment: FingerSnappin' Entertainment