ALLISON & GARRET
Rice Mill Wedding
Charleston, South Carolina
Q: Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?
A: As a couple, our entire relationship has been in Charleston. Since both our families are from out of state, we wanted to choose venues that both showcased Charleston's history and beauty but were still meaningful to us. The goal of our wedding was to make a 140 person event feel like an intimate and wonderful experience. Both of us are from Christian backgrounds, so having a church ceremony was important. Allison attended MUSC's Anesthesia for Nurses program and graduated in 2016 in Saint Luke's Chapel on MUSC's campus. The simplicity of the chapel itself and surrounding courtyard, and its personal significance made it the perfect choice. For our reception, we chose the Historic Rice Mill. Garret loves history and the 1861 building has authentic and stripped down charm. The long oak bar, pillars and exposed brick, even the historic earthquake bolts gave it the character that was exactly what we had imagined for our wedding reception. It was in the heart of downtown Charleston, on the waterfront, and it felt intimate to us. Colors: Champagne, beige, light grey, blush, dusty blue, greens.
Q: Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
A: Saint Luke's Chapel is a beautiful space by itself so we just added foral garlands to the altar, wreaths to the entrance doors and sprigs of eucalyptus to line the pews of the aisle. At the Rice Mill, we made decisions to play up the architectural features of the building but wanted to also add romance and femininity. The building comes alive at night. We used hundreds of candles to line the venue -- the windows of the Marina Room, the large bar and freplace. We used forals and garlands on the tables and in window nooks. The space felt so warm and inviting. Since it was on the waterfront, our planner suggested tenting the uncovered outdoor patio so guests could dine al fresco. With the sun setting over the marsh, it was the best seat in the house! We draped the covered patio and used cafe lighting for a lounge area near the bar and Garret picked cigars for a cigar bar -- mostly for the guys, but even the bride had one with her CRNA friends! We designed our own matchbooks as a souvenir for the guests to take with them.
Q: What were the forals like in your wedding? Did you use fowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
A: I was ALL about the florals for our wedding. I wanted a very classic look that was more muted in tones, but still central to the wedding design. We utilized a lot of anemones, blue thistle, astilbe, dusty pink and white roses, ranunculus, and multiple types of eucalyptus and greenery. I felt like the flowers (by Engaging Events) warmed our venues so much and added to the style of the day. Sas-E-Ink was able to design a border with anemones, thistle and greenery which we incorporated into our invitations, ceremony programs, and individual dinner menus for our guests.
Q: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
A: The most meaningful personal touch was the instrumental version of Bon Iver's "Holocene," that the Chris Teves' Trio played as I walked down the aisle. The song is incredibly meaningful to both Garret and me. Walking with my Dad, a man I cherish and admire, looking at my husband-tobe on the cusp of the life we'd chosen together, and hearing that song in the background is now one of the most vivid and beautiful memories of the day. We hadn't been able to hear the song until the day of, and Chris had adapted it perfectly - it was even better than we'd imagined. We added a lot of personal touches to the day that made it just ours. We found photographs of our parents, grandparents and even great grandparents on their wedding days' and put them on an hutch at the Rice Mill in the dining area. Just something meaningful to us and the couples in our family who've been examples for Garret and I in marriage.As our "something borrowed," we had our friend Alex read a beautiful excerpt from Captain Corelli's Mandolin during our ceremony. I had frst heard it at her wedding and it just embodied the spirit of love and marriage so perfectly; it felt right to have her bring it to life at our ceremony. Allison is an avid reader and selected a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night for the occasion to place on the programs. "I don't ask you to love me always like this, but I ask you to remember. Somewhere inside me there'll always be the person I am to-night."The toasts were another highlight of the wedding. The Maid of Honor, Best Man and the Father of the Bride all spoke, and we felt like it was such a wonderful way to paint a picture of how we are as a couple for the family and friends who don't see us often. The words they said were such an afrmation of our marriage and love.Quiana Parler and Friends were there best wedding band of all time. She is tremendously talented. The last song was "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and everyone was belting it out on the dance foor. I don't think Allison left the dance foor the whole night. We had our Rehearsal Dinner and Welcome Party at Le Farfalle. The team there was so accommodating we were able to handpick absolutely everything -- the menu, the layout, the forals, the wines. Garret and I even chose photos of ourselves from age one to the present, which we placed around the venue for a little laugh for our guests. We had a slideshow of the two of us over our relationship playing at the bar. The food was served family style and it was delicious - guests still talk about how good it was. The perfect evening to mark the merging of two families and friend groups. After dinner, all of the guests were invited for a welcome party with appetizers, desserts and drinks. It was the perfect opportunity to spend more time with family and friends and kick the weekend off.Finally, our frst dance was to Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic." We had told ourselves we were going to take dance lessons beforehand, but life got busy and we never got to it! We had to just wing it -- and we did great. It felt like it was just the two of us - laughing, already reminiscing about the previous hours, and enjoying being happy and married. We even nailed the dip! - which could have ended up dicey - but it was perfect.
Q: Let's talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.
A: Allison: “I knew I wanted to look timeless and elegant. I tried several styles, and decided on a Liancarlo sweetheart strapless mermaid style gown with soft tulle and Alençon lace from Betty Bridal Atelier. The bodice had some boning which I loved because it accentuated my waist - a feature my husband loves - but still had room in the hips to move and dance! The underlay was champagne, which gave the gown and Alençon lace accents such dimension. I would chose that gown again and again. I felt so beautiful! For the ceremony, I paired it with a tulle veil with a raw edge. I did a low loose updo to compliment the BHLDN chandelier earrings I'd chosen, and I left my neckline bare. I was determined to have comfortable shoes so I wore and ivory satin strappy wedge by Badgley Mischka.”
Garret: “I had a custom navy tuxedo made by Joseph A. Banks. My groomsmen were wearing navy tuxedos, but I wanted to be just a little bit different. I decided to do a black lapel and black trim accents, and I paired that with a brown Johnston & Murphy cap toe shoe. Allison gifted me Brackish Bowties shark tooth cuff links which was a thoughtful way for her to incorporate our engagement into the day.”
Q: How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
A: We met on a night out with friends at a local restaurant and bar. The old fashioned way! I walked in and couldn't help but notice Garret - I am a sucker for a good beard! We kept making eye contact so I felt like he was interested, but he made me make the first move! When I finally did the chemistry was instant. We talked for quite a while, he asked me for my phone number and a few days later he took me on our first date. We went to Closed for Business, a dive with a great spicy chicken sandwich, laughed and got to know each other and the rest is history! I got home and told my roommate "I'm gonna marry her." -- and 3 years later I did. When you know, you know.The Proposal We had been together a little over two years. One of our favorite weekend pastimes is getting up early, heading to The Lost Dog Cafe for coffee and breakfast, and then walking Folly Beach in search of shark teeth. I thought nothing of it when he suggested we go in early December. After breakfast, we were walking on the beach... I was a few yards ahead of Garret - I get a little competitive in the hunt! and he said "Hey Al, check this one out..." I turned around and he was down on one knee asking me to spend the rest of my life with him. It was the one of the best moments of my life. As if the proposal wasn't great enough, Garret had also organized an engagement party at our local hangout. I arrived expecting to meet one of our friends. Instead, I walked into a restaurant decorated with balloons and pictures of us from the last two years, and all of our friends popping out to congratulate us. It was the best surprise.
Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
A: One of the most special moments for me was our first look. It was so wonderful being able to see Garret and have our reactions to each other for the first time on our wedding day be just for us. Just to spend an hour with him, remembering that this day is for the two of us and why we are here, was such a special moment. The ceremony was our most anticipated moment. I feel like as a guest, most people are just ready to get to the party, but it is so different as the bride and groom. Standing there with Garret and saying our vows, I have never listened to the words I was saying or meant them more in my life. In that moment, I truly felt the significance and meaning of the ceremony and how this marriage would change my life. I was so glad I had chosen him and he had chosen me. It was surreal.
Q: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?
A: Get a wedding planner! Engaging Events was truly incredible. It is their job to help you design the wedding of your dreams and will absolutely change your wedding for the better. They also made the day of fawless! Garret and I and our families got to enjoy everything with no worries! Also, don't sweat the small stuff! Remember why you are really doing this -- for each other! It is so easy to get caught up in little details, and forget the big picture.
Having a wedding in Charleston, SC? Check out the Charleston wedding vendors behind this dreamy day…
Event Planning & Floral Design: Engaging Events ll Reception Venue: The Rice Mill Building ll Photographer: MCG Photography ll Ceremony Venue: St. Luke’s Chapel ll Gown: Betty Bridal ll Hair & Makeup: Vanity Salon, Lordis Loft ll Invitations: SAS-E Ink ll Catering: Good Food Catering ll Cake: Sablee ll Transportation: Charleston Style Limo, Absolutely Charleston ll Specialty: Plants Alive ll Linens: BBJ Linen ll Rentals: Eventworks ll Band: Quiana Parler Band ll Musician: Chris Teves Trio ll Videographer: Hart to Heart Media
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