JESSICA + BRANDON
Alhambra Hall
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
July 12, 2014
Tell us how you met: Brandon and I crossed paths once or twice, but we never officially met until the fall of 2011. I moved to Charleston that summer and was living with two of my best friends from law school. One day, my roommate Price came home from work and asked if I would be interested in joining a co-ed soccer team. She explained that one of her friends from work needed another girl for his team. New to Charleston, I figured it would be a great way to meet some new people so I agreed. Little did I know, however, that one of those new people would be my future husband!
Proposal Details: It was March 23, 2013. Brandon called my boss to let him in on his plan to propose and asked him to ensure I left the office a little early. We had plans to meet his family for dinner that evening and he wanted to ensure he had plenty of time to fit in the proposal beforehand. To my surprise, around 4:00PM my boss told everyone to call it a day. I texted Brandon to let him know I was off early, but rather than head home, I told him I planned to go shop for a bit. He quickly called and said he wished I would come home so we could go on a bike ride before dinner, but given the dreary March day, I was more interested in shopping!
I arrived home at about 6:00PM to find both bikes in the front yard and Brandon still anxious to go on a bike ride. I pointed out the fact that it was raining and that we were to meet his family for dinner in less than an hour, but he wasn’t backing down from the bike ride idea. I finally agreed to take a quick ride to the old Pitt Street Bridge so our dog, Moose, could get a little exercise before we had to leave.
Once we arrived, Brandon suggested we go for a little walk so Moose could have some extra time to run around. As we were walking, I noticed one of the benches had a bouquet of flowers, but I had no idea they were for me. When we got to the bench, Brandon handed me the flowers, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. And just like that, a very dreary day in March turned into the best day ever.
Brandon chose the Pitt Street Bridge, not just because it is a gorgeous place that boasts an amazing view of downtown Charleston, but because it was the same place where his late father proposed to his mother some thirty + years earlier.
The Gown & Accessories: I purchased my gown from Fabulous Frocks and chose to go without a veil. My shoes were designed by Pedro Garcia and purchased from Gwynn’s in Mt. Pleasant. I wore a vintage bracelet that my parents bought for me several years ago, new earrings purchased by my mom, a ring thatI borrowed from my friend Price, and a blue garter that my mom’s friend, Diane, made for me. They were my something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue!
The Hair + Makeup: Kelly Hylton and Company (Sarah Robinson – Hair / Emily Shown Make-Up). My bridesmaids, my mom, my mother-in-law and I sipped mimosas and snacked on Hamby’s Catering in my bridal suite at the Old Village Post House while the team from Kelly Hylton and Company worked their magic. For my hair and make-up I wanted a soft, summery, natural look.
Bridesmaids Attire: I was fortunate to have a dozen, beautiful bridesmaids. Each one could have worn a brown paper bag and made it look good so I knew whatever I chose would look fabulous on them. With that said, my hope was to find a dress that was comfortable, affordable and something they might truly want to wear again. After a lengthy search, I stumbled across two blush colored dresses by DV by Dolce Vita while shopping with my mom at Town Centre (Style Exchange) in Mt. Pleasant. I immediately loved both styles. In fact, I ended up purchasing one for myself in white. The girls each got to choose the style they wanted to wear and also got to choose to go sans necklace or pick one of two options from JCrew and Banana Republic. They all wore their own neutral colored shoes, and each carried a gold Kate Spade clutch that was a gift from me for being such amazing bridesmaids.
How did you select your venue: We live in the Old Village area of Mt. Pleasant and have always loved taking our dog, Moose, to Alhambra Hall. For us, Alhambra was an obvious choice. It was and is one of our favorite places.
Ceremony Site: Our ceremony took place at St. Andrew’s Church in the Old Village area of Mt. Pleasant.
Groom + Groomsmen Attire: Brandon and I both love a classic, black tux so choosing the groom and groomsmen attire was simple – Black Tux + Black Bow Tie. Brandon purchased his tux from Bonobos, and completed his look with a pair of his favorite cuff links, black suspenders and a red, paisley pocket square that I bought him several months earlier.
The Décor: Fox Events’ eye for detail was everywhere. From gorgeous ruffled linens on the cocktail tables that mirrored the ruffles on my dress, to the chic black & white lounge areas, to the beautiful ice sculpture display and black & white checkered dance floor, Lauren and A.T. listened to everything we wanted and created something even more magical than we could have ever imagined.
Aesthetic + Color Palette: We wanted our reception to embody both a classic and whimsical theme. Readied with Kate Spade’s style as inspiration, I wanted to create the perfect balance of bold and bright + sweet and romantic. I described my vision to the creative geniuses behind Fox Events and they delivered with chic black & white stripes and perfectly placed pops of color.
The Food + Beverage: Hailing from different parts of the east coast, Brandon and I wanted our guests to enjoy food representative of both our home states – South Carolina and Pennsylvania. Café Catering helped us put together a delicious menu that included lowcountry staples (buttermilk & sweet potato biscuits, pimento cheese, shrimp-n-grits and chicken-n-waffles) and Pittsburgh favorites (Primanti Bros. style sandwiches and pierogies).
The Cake: Our guests were served a delicious three-flavor cake from Wild Flour bakery. In addition, we chose to follow the Pittsburgh/Italian tradition of including a cookie table, which featured dozens of different homemade cookies baked by my mom, aunts and close family friends.
Personal Touches: We wanted to get the party started early so we quickly kicked off a night of dancing with another Pittsburgh tradition – the“Dollar Dance.” Originating in Poland, a traditional polka is played while guests form a line and throw in a few dollars for a chance to briefly dance with the bride and/or groom. After having a chance to dance, the bridesmaids offer each guest a liquor shot and they begin to form a dance circle around the bride and groom.
What were the most important elements about your wedding day to you and your husband?
Our Guests - Right after getting engaged, Brandon and I discussed the possibility of having a destination wedding in Italy, but not many of our family members or friends would have been able to make the trip and being surrounded by the people who have supported, loved and cared about us over the years was of utmost importance to us. July 12 was and is our day, but we could not be happier or more thankful that we got to share it with a room full of our very favorite people.
The Flowers: Brandon and I both enjoy gardening so we really hoped to wow our guests with beautiful, unique flowers. Fox Events could not have done a better job creating the bouquets, boutonnières and arrangements. I received countless compliments on our flowers, especially the bouquets, which were filled with gorgeous pink and blush colored peonies and garden roses, as well as giant king proteas. Sticking with our theme, Fox Events wrapped both the boutonnieres and bouquets with black & white striped ribbon, and adorned the black & white striped tables with brightly colored flowers arranged in a variety of mirrored vases. In contrast with the brightly colored arrangements, they created a gorgeous display of solid white orchids across the bar - one of my favorite details from the night!
Best Piece of Advice for Brides-to-be: Once a skeptic, I can now confidently state that a good wedding planner is worth their weight in gold.
Guest Count: 200+
The Favors: Personalized Wayfarer Sunglasses + goodie bags that guests could fill with cookies to take as a snack “to-go”
The Send-off/Getaway Vehicle: We kept it classy and rode-off in a camouflage golf cart that had been decked out by our friends with streamers, balloons, a just married poster, American flag and trail of Busch Light beer cans. I felt like a princess!
The Music: Brandon and I love to dance and have a good time so having a great party band was high up on our priority list. In fact, the band was the very first thing we booked after getting engaged. We wanted to have a packed dance floor and Mo Sol made it happen!
Ceremony Venue: St. Andrew’s Church l Reception Venue: Alhambra Hall l Photographer: Amelia + Dan l Event Planning & Floral Design: Fox Events l Cake: Wild Flour Bakery l Catering & Bar: Café Catering l Dress Boutique: Fabulous Frocks l Bridesmaids Dress Designer: DV by Dolce Vita l Hair & Makeup: Kelly Hylton and Company l Accessories: Shoes: Pedro Garcia from Gwynn's of Mount Pleasant l Men's Attire: Bonobos l Rentals: EventHaus l Invitations: Kayla Borosky (cousin/made-of-honor) l Band: Mo Sol l Rehearsal Dinner: Stars Rooftop & Grillroom l Rings: Polly’s Fine Jewelry l Officiant: Reverend Rob Sturdy
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