Tell us how you met: We both grew up in the Myrtle Beach area. Even though we attended the same school through 4th grade and again attended Coastal Carolina University at the same time we didn’t met until 2010 through mutual friends. We began dating in October 2010.
Proposal Details: October 2015; Josh had to go on a work trip to the mountains of TN. I absolutely love fall, but being from Myrtle Beach I’ve never really seen the leaves change colors, so of course I tagged along. It was beautiful and all I wanted to do was go horseback riding one day while he had to work. He kept saying that was something he’d love to do too and I should wait for a day he could get away and go with me. Once the last day we were there rolled around I was pretty disappointed when he said he couldn’t get away from work and we were going to have to leave early the next morning. When we woke up he told me to get dressed for a ride because we were going to a place on our way home so the drive wouldn’t be as long after. The ride up the mountain was beautiful, like a sea of colors. We had lunch at the top then walked around taking pictures. We finally decided to ask one of the other riders to take a picture of both of us and that’s when it happened. Josh hit is knee and pulled out a ring! I then realized Josh had been planning this for a while and going horseback riding was never really my idea. After I said yes, we popped champagne and took pictures with some signs that Josh had made and snuck up with us. His said “I asked…” and mine said “I said yes!”. Turns out we were on a private ride and the other riders were a photographer, who had been taking pictures of us the whole time, and her granddaughter, so she didn’t look suspicious. My next surprise was that we weren’t going home that day, but instead going to stay the night just a short drive away from the horse ranch in Asheville, NC. He said he wanted to go riding near Asheville because he knows it holds a special place in my heart (I went to summer camp in Asheville for 10 years when I was younger) and he know that it’s a place we’d be back to visit, even if it was just to drop off our future kids at camp. He put so much thought in to everything, from the place and season to requesting paint horses for the ride because they are my favorite. It was perfect! He said he knew from the beginning he wanted to incorporate horses in the proposal (we want to have a farm with horses one day); I had mentioned before that I’d like to have at least a year to plan a wedding and he knew I wanted it to be in October, so he proposed Oct. 30th and told me he did good because he still had a day left.
How did you select your venue?
We looked into other locations around the area but nothing compared to the beautiful southern charm of Litchfield Plantation! The drive in was lined with old oak trees that really helped to set the tone of the wedding and we knew that it would be an amazing first impression for our guest. We were able to use the house the get ready in and stay the night. They were pet friendly so our dog Rocky was able to be with us, which was important to me. We were also allowed to provide our own alcohol, which saved us money.
Tell us about your dress shopping experience:
The Little White Dress in Myrtle Beach was the perfect place to find my dress. I had my bridesmaids, mother, aunt, future mother-in-law and future sister-in-law. I know people say the more people, the more opinions, but it was important to me that everyone felt included. I chose Sabine, a Wtoo by Watters dress. The A-line dress was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and a natural waist. It had a lace bodice and tulle skirt with a satin ribbon. To compliment the dress, I wore a Sara Gabriel cathedral length “Chelsea” veil in signature tulle.
Describe your hair and makeup:
Josh had one request for our wedding day, that I still look like me. I don’t wear a lot of makeup in my everyday life, so I wanted to look natural while still looking like a bride. Peggy used shimmery neutrals to bring out my eyes and other features. I normally wear my hair up in a ponytail or bun, so it was important to me that I leave it partially down for my big day. It was curled and pulled half-up.
How did you decide on your aesthetic + color palette:
We like the organic and rustic feel, so it only made sense to bring that style into our wedding. We both graduated from Coastal Carolina University (their colors are teal and bronze), so we went with shades of teal along with neutrals and touches of navy.
Ceremony Site + Personal Details:
Our ceremony was in the side yard at Litchfield Plantation under the mossy oak trees. We used a set of doors that one of the groomsmen built (Singleton Custom Builders, the doors will eventually go in our home we hope to build in the future) at the beginning of the aisle and an arbor that he also built at the end. The “welcome” sign and the “choose a seat” sign were both made by the groom. We had a violin and guitar play at our ceremony and cocktail hour. The bridal party walked down to “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri and I walked down to “Tale as Old as Time” from Beauty and the Beast (I’m a very big classic Disney fan. Our first Christmas, Josh took me to Disney, it was also our first trip together). Instead of walking from the house with my bridesmaids, I was driven in the ’62 Corvette and dropped off at the doors, where my father was waiting, to create more of a grand entrance. We chose to do a unity braid during the ceremony.
Groom + Groomsmen Attire: The groom, groomsmen, and fathers wore 3-piece navy suits and brown shoes from Men’s Wearhouse. The boys wore solid teal ties that matched the girl’s dresses, teal argyle socks, and cufflinks with their initials.
Our dads wore the same suits and socks as the boys but had teal and navy striped ties and their cufflinks said “Father of the bride/groom” with our wedding date.
Ceremony Site + Personal Details: Our ceremony was in the side yard at Litchfield Plantation under the mossy oak trees. We used a set of doors that one of the groomsmen built (Singleton Custom Builders, the doors will eventually go in our home we hope to build in the future) at the beginning of the aisle and an arbor that he also built at the end. The “welcome” sign and the “choose a seat” sign were both made by the groom. We had a violin and guitar play at our ceremony and cocktail hour. The bridal party walked down to “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri and I walked down to “Tale as Old as Time” from Beauty and the Beast (I’m a very big classic Disney fan. Our first Christmas, Josh took me to Disney, it was also our first trip together). Instead of walking from the house with my bridesmaids, I was driven in the ’62 Corvette and dropped off at the doors, where my father was waiting, to create more of a grand entrance. We chose to do a unity braid during the ceremony.
Did you decide on a first look? Why or why not?
We decided to do a first look, mostly to save time between the ceremony and reception (we both have big families, so we needed time to take family pictures during cocktail hour). It was also nice to get to spend a little time together once more as a dating couple before we became husband and wife, in what is already a very busy day.
Ceremony Site + Personal Details:
Our ceremony was in the side yard at Litchfield Plantation under the mossy oak trees. We used a set of doors that one of the groomsmen built (Singleton Custom Builders, the doors will eventually go in our home we hope to build in the future) at the beginning of the aisle and an arbor that he also built at the end. The “welcome” sign and the “choose a seat” sign were both made by the groom. We had a violin and guitar play at our ceremony and cocktail hour. The bridal party walked down to “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri and I walked down to “Tale as Old as Time” from Beauty and the Beast (I’m a very big classic Disney fan. Our first Christmas, Josh took me to Disney, it was also our first trip together). Instead of walking from the house with my bridesmaids, I was driven in the ’62 Corvette and dropped off at the doors, where my father was waiting, to create more of a grand entrance. We chose to do a unity braid during the ceremony.
Tell us all about the décor:The décor was very organic with neutral colors to accent the teals, wood pieces, and a few distressed metal accents. A lot of the décor was made by the groom. The reception consisted for a mix of farm tables and both large and small traditional round tables. We went with the more natural looking brown chairs with ivory cushions. The center pieces were a combination of flowers, wood elements, candles, and lanterns. We opted for a clear tent with draping and chandeliers. Lights were also hung in the tress to mimic the hanging moss.
What was on the menu for the evening? Did you serve specialty drinks?
Our menu was very southern inspired. BBQ bacon chicken bites and crab rangoon were a few of the item served at cocktail hour. Dinner was buffet style and included grilled chicken in a lemon butter sauce, herb roasted beef, shrimp and grits, macaroni and cheese, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, and of course no southern wedding would be complete without fried okra.
We had two signature cocktails named after our two favorite college football teams. The bride’s drink was “The Gamecock”, made with spiced rum and cran-apple juice, which gave the drink an almost garnet color. The groom’s drink was “The Chanticleer”, a bright teal drink made with vodka, lemonade & blue curacao. We also offered a full bar.
Personal Touches: I gave Josh a watch that he wore during the wedding and a copy of Jeff Gordon’s new book (he’s a big race fan) with the quote “I get to love you” which was the name of our first dance song. Josh gave me a diamond bracelet that I wore during the wedding, a stuffed dog that he had made to look like our dog Rocky, and a personalized wine glass that matched the groomsmen’s glasses. The groomsmen were gifted with teal ties, teal argyle socks, personalized cufflinks, a personalized beer glass, and a box that Josh made for them. The girls were given navy and white tote bags with their monograms, their wedding jewelry (spoon bracelets with their monograms and earrings), monogramed hangers to hang their dresses on for photos and blue seersucker pajama pants with their monograms that they wore while getting ready. I used a personalized hanger that had Mrs. King bent out of wire for my dress. We gifted our pastor (who is also our neighbor and friend) with a teal plaid tie that he wore to match the wedding party. He said he would think of us every time he wore it.
What is your favorite picture from your wedding day and why? This has to be one of the hardest questions on the questionnaire! We had an amazing photographer so it isn’t easy to choose just one. We love the pictures taken on the road with all of the old oak trees that line the drive in. We feel like it really showcases the charm and southern style of the wedding in such a simple way.
My something old was a diamond ring that my mother gave me on my 18th birthday (it’s been passed down for generations and I wore it everyday until I switched it out for my engagement ring). My something new was the bracelet Josh gave me to wear the day of the wedding. My something blue were my navy shoes and the Mrs. King on my garter belt. My something borrowed was a pearl ring that belonged to my best friend (Lauren Oaks) of 13 years who passed away when I was 18. I also had a piece of one of Lauren’s favorite shirts sown into the skirt of my wedding dress in the shape of a heart with her monogram on it
Describe your flowers:
I definitely prefer the natural organic feel of a forest to the manicured elegance of a garden. We kept the flowers themselves classic and understated (in a good way) by using mostly white flowers with a lot of greenery and natural touches, like cotton, curly willow branches, and berries. The flowers included: lisianthus, veronica, roses, peonies, thistle, hydrangea, queen anne’s lace, monte casino, larkspur, bulperium, and seeded eucalyptus.
The Invitation + Paper Details:
We used Wedding Paper Divas for the save the dates and invitations. Our wedding planner made the programs for us.
Guest Count: 225
The Favors:
We had bags for our guest to take home popcorn from a local store. We offered buttered, caramel apple, snickerdoodle, and white cheddar. We also had a photo booth with fun props where people could take home copies of their pictures.
What was your first dance song? “I Get to Love You” by Ruelle
Bridesmaids Attire: The bridesmaids wore teal draped chiffon dresses by Alfred Angelo. They were full length single shoulder dresses with a pleated bodice. We gifted them the jewelry which included rhinestone earrings and a monogramed spoon bracelet.
Guest Count: 225
The Favors: We had bags for our guest to take home popcorn from a local store. We offered buttered, caramel apple, snickerdoodle, and white cheddar. We also had a photo booth with fun props where people could take home copies of their pictures.
What Lowcountry elements did you incorporate into your big day?
A historic home on a rice plantation, old oak trees with hanging moss, lots of wood elements, a southern inspired menu, classic car, the peanut table, the cigar bar, ice cream bar, popcorn, our dog at the reception.
What was your first dance song? “I Get to Love You” by Ruelle
Describe your cake and or sweets: We wanted our cake to match the feel of the wedding so we decided to do a crumb coat cake with a few flowers for decoration and a natural wood monogram cake topper. The cake itself was a two tier lemon berry cake, which is the groom’s favorite. We also had four flavors of cupcakes (berries & cream, chocolate with sea salt caramel, pecan praline, and harvest spice) for our guest.
What were the most important elements about your wedding day to you and your husband?
The location: We’re both local so almost all of our friends and family were able to attend, that was very important in choosing the area we wanted to have the wedding. I’ve always dreamed of having an outdoor wedding surrounded by trees. Even though I would’ve been happy just to marry Josh, I’m very thankful we were blessed with such a beautiful day and the most gorgeous sunset over the rice paddy.
The photographer and videographer: These were very important to me and at the top of my priority list when it came allocating our budget. These pictures and videos are something we’ll be able to keep and look back at for years to come.
What are you plans and goals as a newly married couple? We hope to one day have a farm, carry on and help grow the family ice cream business, and have a happy healthy family.
The Favors: We had bags for our guest to take home popcorn from a local store. We offered buttered, caramel apple, snickerdoodle, and white cheddar. We also had a photo booth with fun props where people could take home copies of their pictures.
Best Piece of Advice for Brides-to-be:
I have two pieces of advice for brides-to-be. First, I’d tell anyone getting married to make sure they have a good photographer AND videographer. It really is worth the money to have both if you can manage it within your budget. Look at samples of their work to make sure their style matches yours. I’ve had a few friends hire just because of a big name or a low price and end up unhappy with the result. The pictures and videos are the only things you will have to remember your special day years from now, say when celebrating your 25th anniversary. Also, you’re wedding day is pretty crazy and it has been really nice to look back though pictures and see things that I completely missed the day of. Secondly, because these pictures are forever, make sure you’re happy with your hair and makeup. Although you’ll be beautiful no matter what, everyone knows the feeling of not liking the way they look in a picture. Avoid this by doing a hair and makeup trial, and don’t be afraid to speak up if you don’t like something, I promise you wont hurt their feelings.
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Love their Litchfield Plantation wedding? Check out the MYRTLE BEACH WEDDING VENDORS who created it...
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Litchfield Plantation l Photographer: Corina Silva Studios l Event Planning & Design: Gigi Noelle Events l Floral Design: Gigi Noelle Events l Catering: Creative Catering l Gown: Wtoo by Watters l Dress Boutique: The Little White Dress l Bridesmaids Dresses: Alfred Angelo l Hair: DeLaine Inc, Freddie Rose Salon l Makeup: You. Only Better Makeup Artistry l Men’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse l Invitations: Wedding Shop by Shutterfly l Ceremony Music: Liz Sullivan l Linens: La Tavola l Cake: Buttercream Cakes & Catering l Rentals: Hotz Rentals l Lighting: MC Sound Light & Video l Band: Tru Sol Band l Videographer: Hart to Heart Media l Restrooms: Palmetto Portables l Photo booth: Carolina Fun Booth l Favors: Colette’s Popcorn l Ice Cream: Kirk’s Ice Cream Parlor l Officiant: Kaggia Scott l Rehearsal Dinner: The Cooper House l Rings: Vicki Lyn Michael’s Jewelers
