TARYN & ALEX
Brays Island Wedding
Sheldon, South Carolina
Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette?
Our color palette included navy, burgundy, soft pink, and gold. We knew that the setting of our wedding, Brays Island, had a beautiful backdrop, and we wanted that to be our theme. Brays is a former plantation that has a focus on nature and Lowcountry living. We wanted our wedding to be a fun party, but we also wanted a ceremony in the Catholic church. Our wedding was held in Beaufort at a small historic chapel, and we had an outdoor reception on the Inn lawn at Brays Island
How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
Taryn and Alex met as college sophomores at the University of Pennsylvania through mutual friends at a mojito night Alex was hosting. The two dated throughout college and into real life. Taryn followed Alex back to his home city, Jacksonville, Florida. After four years of dating, Alex tried his best to surprise Taryn with a proposal on the beach at sunrise. Taryn's parents flew in (this one was a surprise at least!), and both their families shared dinner at what is now Alex and Taryn's favorite restaurant. The ring that Alex used to propose was custom made from one of his mom's earrings, and diamonds from his parent's first wedding band.
Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception?
We had minimal decor for our ceremony and reception because we wanted to tie into the natural beauty of Brays Island as much as possible. We did incorporate linen table settings that fit our color palette and used gold flatware. Taryn hand lettered a card box, a chalkboard menu, and oyster shell escort cards. Alex's sister and grandma helped design the graphic for the invitations.
What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop?
We wanted to use flowers and greenery native to the region. We partnered with the Brays Island florist to design centerpieces, bouquets, and garland that complimented our color palette and the landscape.
Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
We hired a band, Who Rescued Who, that we loved seeing live at local breweries in Jacksonville (where we're from!). We each chose two specialty cocktails. Alex decided on a Manhattan, and for Taryn, an Apple Cider Mimosa complete with cinnamon sugar on the rim. For the reception after-party, we had grilled cheese sliders, curly fries, and ice cream sandwiches to help our guests refuel after all the dancing. We also passed out disposable cameras to capture the great moments from the guests’ point of view. The brave partiers who made it to the end of the night may or may not have ended up going for a quick swim in the pool at the Inn! Our favorite parts of the wedding included seeing all of our family and friends on the dance floor and getting to share Brays Island with everyone.
What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
Alex was looking forward to cutting the cake, and Taryn was ready to dance! Special moments included eating dinner together at the sweetheart table and watching all of our guests enjoy the evening, the heartfelt speeches (both planned and unplanned), and sharing our first dance under the stars.
Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day
It helped us to split up the responsibilities and decide on what items mattered most to each of us. This allowed us to focus our budget and our priorities.W e limited our guests to the most important people in our lives, rather than inviting everyone we could think of. This made sharing moments with our guests extra special. Make sure to enjoy the ride (and trust your planner)!
Apparel: JT Vinson // Event Planner: Magnolia Affairs // Shoes: Blue by Betsey Johnson // Lighting: JLK events // Invitation Designer: Zazzle // Makeup Artist: Southern Belle By MariaNoël // Cake Designer: Lowcountry Flour Girls // Linens and Coverings:Nuage Designs // Equipment Rentals: Event Works Rentals // Transportation: The Point Limo // Band: Who Rescued Who // Ceremony Location: St. Peter's Catholic Church // Event Venue: Brays Island // Photographer: becphotography
Submitted via Two Bright Lights
