Rhett House Inn Wedding Inspiration in Beaufort, SC by Hilton Head Island wedding vendors Andre Brown Photography and Larger Than Life Event Design
South Carolina Wedding Engagement {Leah + Jeff}
The minute I laid eyes on this South Carolina wedding engagement I KNEW that my ALW ladies had to have it. It's charming and eye-catching and makes me wish I could Photoshop my husband and I right into Leah + Jeff's shoes. Not because the engaged duo doesn't look adorable (because they do!) but because I love this shoot so much I wish I could frame each picture and hang them all around my house. I'm obsessed...and who wouldn't be with all of those vibrant hot air balloons in the background! So, I asked the photographer who captured the loveliness, the talented Jenna Marie Weddings, if she would be so kind as to let us share it with our readers in the premier issue of A Lowcountry Wedding and she was more than happy to oblige! Catch a glimpse at few shots below and if you're dying to see more...check out all the details in our complete digital edition of A Lowcountry Wedding Mag which you can purchase here!
Charleston Bridal Portraits {Lauren}
Charleston Weddings {Chelsea + Hunter}
This charming, Charleston wedding boasts an adorable color palette of red, white and blue, breathtaking views of the South Carolina Lowcountry and a Southern bride with impeccable taste. Everything you could possibly ask for, right? The sweet couple were married on a family friend’s plantation in Awendaw, where Bride Chelsea dazzled in a beautiful gown that featured a flattering, ruffled neckline. The bridesmaids donned blue gowns and sassy, red shoes, while the dapper gentleman rocked tan suits and bowties. Combining the classic, Southern attire of the bridal party with the picturesque backdrop of this stunning South Carolina plantation, and you’re bound to fall in love with every detail of this Charleston wedding from Diana Deaver Photography!
Southern Wedding {Emily + Will}
Hopefully, everyone enjoyed their Lowcountry weekend, and for those of you in Charleston, hope you made a trip out to Kiawah for the PGA Championship! We're kicking off this sleepy Monday with a sweet, Southern wedding in Clemson, South Carolina from Charleston-based wedding photographer, Lauren Jonas. Emily looked effortless in a romantic lace gown with a soft up-do and white hydrangea bouquet. Will and the rest of the guys rocked tan suits accented with purple ties and bouts.
Kristen + Taylor {South Carolina Weddings} Virgil Bunao
I know this is a totally biased comment, but I just can't help but love beautiful South Carolina weddings. Lowcountry brides always do a swoon-worthy job of tying together their appreciation of friends and family with their timeless style and ability to have a good time. Their weddings always make for a memorable Southern affair...and Kristen + Taylor's classic Providence, South Carolina bash was no different! Photographed by the one-and-only, Virgil Bunao, the couple treated guests to a gorgeous tented reception with an open bar, an amazing spread from Creative Catering and lively tunes from DJ Master G that kept the party going til the wee hours of the morning!
South Carolina Wedding Vendors
Photographer: Virgil Bunao / Caterer: Creative Catering / Dress: David's Bridal / Entertainment: DJ Master G
Natalie + David {South Carolina Wedding} MCG Photography
Natalie + David translated their love for vintage European and Southern tradition into a beautiful Lowcountry wedding at the romantic Roseville Plantation in Florence, South Carolina. The couple enlisted a team of talented vendors to create their special day including the sought after duo of MCG Photography. Our blushing bride, Natalie, gave us an inside look into her once-in-a-lifetime afternoon...
Tell us about the proposal...
We both specialized in post-1660 British literature and enjoy old-fashioned charm and beautiful settings. Thus we love Jane Austen novels, and we’re members of the Middleton Place Foundation which helps to support the Middleton Place Plantation in Charleston. At Middleton Place we have an oak tree where we like to sit and spend time on the plantation grounds. We consider it “our tree,” if you will. It was while we were sitting under this tree that David proposed to me. He was actually so thoughtful about it that he proposed in both a traditional American way and in a nineteenth-century British way. He asked “Will you marry me,” and “Would you do me the honor of making me the happiest of men” while on bended knee. I was absolutely ecstatic and exclaimed, in between light yet passionate kisses, “Yes, yes, always, and forever and ever yes”!! We were engaged for exactly one year and celebrated our engagement anniversary and first day as spouses the day after our wedding under “our tree” at Middleton Place Plantation.
Out of the entire day, what was the most memorable moment?
It might sound trite, but in all honesty, the most memorable moment of the day was when we exchanged vows. We both kept crying tears of the deepest kind of joy.
What’s your favorite picture from your wedding?
Corrie and James of MCG Photography are such amazing photographers, it’s difficult to choose just one favorite. One that certainly is at the very top of our list, however, is the one of our first kiss as wife and husband. It really was such a magical moment.
Why did you choose to have A Lowcountry Wedding?
Since I grew up in the South, it’s easy to consider me a “southern belle,” and even though David is from Portland, Oregon, we both cherish the elegant, traditional, hospitable charm that the south has to offer.
How did you choose your venue?
We wanted to get married outside at a place that feels like it has southern and old-fashioned British charm, along with a sense of timelessness. We were thrilled when we found a plantation that met all criteria and even helped us to feel like we had stepped into the setting of nineteenth-century novel.
Tell us a little bit about your menu. Did you add any Lowcountry elements?
Since our wedding was in the afternoon, we just had heavy hors d’oeuvres in addition to the wedding cake, which had lace details and yellow roses, my favorite flower, to match my bouquet. Since I’m a vegetarian, and some of our friends are too, we served a variety of meat and vegetarian options. Favorites among the guests included the bacon-wrapped scallops and tea cookies cut in the shape of our initials, which both have Lowcountry flair. Seafood is popular in the Lowcountry, and tea cookies reflect the way that the south, especially areas like Charleston, continue to incorporate our British heritage while also celebrating particularly American twists. In the South, for instance, we drink a lot of tea, but instead of often serving it hot like the British, we usually serve it iced instead. Not surprisingly, we had plenty of both sweet and unsweet iced tea for guests to enjoy at the reception.
Your wedding was filled with gorgeous details. Did any have special meaning? What was your favorite?
Since we both specialized in post-1660 British literature, we wanted elements that reminded us of both the Romantic and Victorian Periods. Because of this we incorporated details such as cap sleeves and lace. My dress was mostly lace instead of satin and had cap sleeves. The Maids of Honor, too, had dresses with these elements. We also used lace to drape many of the tables, embellish the guest book, flower girl baskets, and ring bearer pillows, and wrap around the birdseed that guests tossed at us during our “grand exit.” Incorporating these kinds of details made the wedding excitingly feel “very us,” and carefully cutting piece after piece of lace with my mom is a part of the planning that I’ll always fondly remember.
Looking back on your engagement and wedding, is there any advice you would give to brides in the planning process?
Absolutely- It’s so easy to get caught up in what can seem like the million and a half details. With so many elements to choose and try to perfect, it’s really no wonder that there are countless programs, books, and magazines dedicated to planning a wedding. When planning gets stressful, it’s important to remind yourself what the day is really about. It’s not details like your shoes, the table drapes, and the design on the napkins that matter most, but the love that you and your fiancé share and are there to celebrate. The day is about that celebration and your devotion to one another, not how elaborately you can throw a party to please the guests. What you, and even your guests, will remember most are the moments that help express just how much you and your fiancé love each other. Keeping these thoughts in mind can help immensely when you and your fiancé are working your way through the stress of planning and after the wedding as well. No one, I imagine, wants to look back on her wedding day and remember it as the most stressful day of her life, but instead one of the happiest. Keep your focus on the love and happiness you and your fiancé share, and your wedding day will be one of the happiest days of your life, regardless of how any of the details unfold.
Lowcountry Wedding Vendors
Photographer: MCG Photography / Ceremony and Reception Venue: Roseville Plantation / Videography: Heart Stone Films / Designer/Planner: We did most all of the planning, but we had assistance from Theresa Mann of As Southern As Possible Events / Invitations: The American Wedding (and programs were by Laura Ashley) / Cake: Freeman’s Bakery / Flowers: Flowers by Starks / Favors: The American Wedding / Gown: David’s Bridal / Bridesmaids Dresses: Southern Brides / Tuxedos: Jos. A. Banks / Hair & Makeup: Stuart Laurence Salon / Caterer: The Catering Connection
Brittani {Guest Post}
I'm excited to introduce bride-to-be Brittani!
Brittani is a recent college grad and a talented photographer who will be tying the knot in the Lowcountry next year. She's graciously invited us to join her on her wedding planning journey as she navigates her way through venue selections, menu choices and everything in between!
Hey there ALW readers! My name is Brittani and I’m a bride-to-be planning my 2012 wedding to the man of my dreams. I’m so excited to start this journey with you all and I want to give a huge thanks to Erin for allowing me to share my experiences; on one of my favorite wedding blogs, no less! Erin and I both hope that by sharing as I go through the stages of this crazy thing called wedding planning, I may be able to help other brides-to-be navigate this crazy time, gain a little insight as to how (or how not to!) go about the process, or at the very least, offer a little entertainment.
To start this series, I’m sure you all want to know a little bit about me and my fiancé, so here we go! I’m a 22-year-old Maryland native who recently moved to the south and can’t get enough of this amazing place I now get to call home. I graduated from college this past spring and I’m currently living my dream as a lifestyle wedding and pet photographer here in the beautiful lowcountry of South Carolina.
My fiancé’s name is Dustin and he’s a 26-year-old handsome cowboy with deep South Carolina roots and an accent that will just about make you melt. We met in 2009 when I was a sophomore in college and he was travelling for work and in Maryland for a six month job in D.C. To spare you a long story, there was certainly a connection there from day one that I tried my hardest to ignore. Despite his persistence to get to know me better, I spent a few months refusing to give him the time of day. Oops! I’m so glad he can be stubborn though, because his persistence eventually paid off and by the time he was moving to Indiana for the next job, something inside told me I needed to get to know him better.
On a whim I flew to Indiana to see if that friendship we had developed for two months over the phone could be anything more, and let me just say – I truly believe that the very best things come to you when you NEVER expect it. After that trip, we both knew it was going to be hard but we wanted to try to make this long distance relationship work.
For two years we flew all over while he continued to travel for work, put thousands of miles on our vehicles, and spent a LOT of time missing one another. But I will forever be appreciative of what those few years taught me and how deeply I value our relationship for getting through sometimes six or seven weeks apart only to have three days together.
When I started my senior year of college, Dustin had moved back to South Carolina to work for a different company that would require less travelling and would allow more time with his son from a previous relationship (more on this little dude later!). We’d been talking about marriage for a long time and knew early in the relationship that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. With graduation fast coming, I knew a proposal had to be in the plans before long.
I drove to South Carolina over my spring break in March and truly thought “This is it!” the entire drive down. This was the perfect time to get engaged, but Dustin quickly threw that idea out the window shortly after I arrived by telling me he really didn’t want to get engaged until after I graduated so that I wouldn’t lose my focus. Of course I was disappointed, but he had a point. He also made sure to make a joke out of it and tell me that if I wanted him to propose so badly, he’d just go to the grocery store and get one of those cheap plastic rings out of the little bubblegum machine by the front doors.
One day after he got home from work, he asked me to help him out by his horse’s pasture, so reluctantly I peeled myself from an assignment I was working on and walked out to the field with him. I really can’t remember everything he said but he pulled me in close for a hug and told me he loved me, and then said, “Oh yeh, I almost forgot, I got you something,” and pulled out one of those cheap bubble containers from the store! I literally threw my head back, laughed, and just gave him a look that said “Good one!” He looked at me and replied, “No really, open it,” and the second I pulled that plastic pink top off, the most GORGEOUS ring was staring me in the face. Umm, you don’t have to be a genius to know that this thing definitely did not come out of a bubblegum machine! I was completely taken back, totally surprised that he actually surprised me (I’d always swore he wouldn’t be able to!), and started to cry. He said more sweet stuff and finished it off with “Will you marry me?” As the story goes, I said yes.
While it was a super-low key proposal, it was exactly us and just what I’d always hoped it would be…sweet, down-to-earth, and totally unexpected. We knew we wanted a pretty long engagement, and I definitely didn't want to start the planning process until I graduated. Soon after graduation in May, I moved to South Carolina and we spent the summer enjoying our time with Landon (his son), our horses, and our two yellow labs. Finally in August, we started the planning process and set our date.
Planning a wedding is extremely exciting and I can’t wait until that day to see the months of preparation, visualization, and planning come to be. But more than anything, I truly look forward to being surrounded by our friends and family, celebrating our love and commitment to one another, and officially coming together as a family.
In the couple of weeks I’ll be sharing what date we chose, which parts of the wedding were the most important to us, how we decided the vibe we wanted for the event, and more. I hope you join me over the next few months and of course I’d love to hear some of your experiences as well, so feel free to leave a comment!
Patricia + Josh {Galveston, Texas Engagement}
I know everyone says that on your wedding day it's all about you but it's not...and I don'tnecessarily think it should be. It's about you, your hubby-to-be and your families. It's about celebrating bringing two families together and also making your own. That's why I love when couples incorporate their kids (or pets!) into their engagement sessions. With the help of Love Caryn Photography, this sweet duo, Patricia + Josh, took to Stewart Beach in Galveston, Texas bright and early to take advantage of the perfect morning light. With them, they brought
their beautiful twin girls and darling 7 month old baby boy for a timeless family affair.
Part I: Lowcountry Plantations
We've received numerous emails and tweets from newly engaged brides asking for our recommendations for local, Lowcountry plantations. From Hilton Head to Charleston and up to Myrtle Beach, we're blessed with a wealth unforgettable wedding venues. So to assist our darling brides in the wedding venue selection process, we'll be compiling a list and highlighting a handful of properties on a weekly basis until the round up is complete! Let's get started...
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Middleton Place
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Built in 1755, this picturesque estate is the perfect backdrop to include in your wedding weekend. Sitting on 65-acres of immaculately landscaped gardens, Middleton Place offers multiple venue options, luscious scenery and a glimpse into Lowcountry history.
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Rose Hill Mansion
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Tucked away, deep in the Lowcountry, construction on the Rose Hill Mansion dates back to pre-Civil War days. Located in Bluffton, South Carolina (just outside of Hilton Head), this charming Gothic Revival home combines an abundance of live oaks dripping with Spanish moss to provide a breathtaking site for one-of-a-kind wedding ceremonies and receptions.
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199 Rose Hill Way
Bluffton, South Carolina
843.757.6046
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Charleston Tea Plantation
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In the heart of our beloved Lowcountry, on South Carolina's own Wadmalaw Island, you will find the home of America's only Tea Plantation. With it's enchanting atmosphere and tranquil setting, the fields, front porch and "wedding tree" of Charleston Tea Plantation can accommodate groups of all size for a magical Charleston wedding evening.
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6617 Maybank Highway
Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina 29487
843.559.0383
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For Wedding information contact:
Jane Knight
843.559.0383 Ext. 207
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Old Wide Awake Plantation
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Nestled near the Stono River, this inviting wedding venue lends itself to a relaxing evening in the Lowcountry. With rolling hills, polo fields, spacious porch and live oaks, Charleston's Old Wide Awake Plantation allows for a variety of on-site ceremony options and a memorable reception.
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5149 Trexlor Avenue
Hollywood, SC 29449
843.577.7129
Dennis Jarvis info@oldwideawakeplantation.com