Pavilion at Patriots Point Wedding by Riverland Studios

Jessica + Michael got married this Spring in a beautiful Pavilion at Patriots Point wedding in Mt. Pleasant, SC.  The duo met each other at the University of Tennessee after being introduced by Michael’s sister. They relocated to Charleston after Micheal got a job here and they quickly fell in love with the Lowcountry. They were joined by family and friends as they said 'I do' in an elegant outdoor ceremony.  Their Golden Retrievers, Ari + Vince, even made a surprise appearance!  The color palette for the evening was gold and white, which was beautifully displayed in the cake provided by Charleston Cakes Etc.  Bride Jessica and her bridesmaids stunned, as the girls wore long, gold After Six dresses while Jessica donned a dreamy lace gown. At the reception, guests celebrated to the tunes of The Party Music and dined on treats from Relish Distinctive Catering.  Thanks to Riverland Studios for sharing all the details!

Charleston Wedding Vendors

Photographer:  Riverland Studios//Bridesmaid Dresses: After Six from Bella Bridesmaid Charleston//Event Venue: Pavilion at Patriots Point//Caterer: Relish Distinctive Catering//

Submitted via Two Bright Lights Dying for more Lowcountry Wedding Inspiration!?  Check out these beauties…

• Coastal Folly Beach Wedding from Charleston wedding vendor Dana Cubbage Weddings
• Laid back, DIY Lowcountry Wedding from Jeanne Mitchum Photography with burlap and anemones
• Vibrant Myrtle Beach Wedding from Memorable Moments and Scott Smallin Photography
• Sequins and Peony Wedding Inspiration from Savannah Wedding Vendors, Ivory + Beau and Rach Lea Photography
• Dreamy Hilton Head Wedding at the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort from Landon Jacob
• A Lowcountry Wedding Magazine filled with 13 real weddings from Charleston, Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach

Beaufort Wedding at The Oaks Plantation by The American Photographer

When Bride Ryan submitted her gorgeous Beaufort Wedding at The Oaks Plantation, I immediately knew that it had to grace the pages of A Lowcountry Wedding.  Not only did I love hearing about the sweet couple's love story, but I adore all the thoughtful details they included throughout their picture perfect day!  Ryan was stunning in a strapless lace gown and an effortless up-do, while her maids rocked gold cocktail dresses from Bella Bridesmaids.  Thanks to The American Photographer for capturing all the details!

Tell us a little bit about how you met your husband…

Whit (Whitney) and I met while attending Costal Carolina University in Myrtle Beach, SC.  We both share a love for dancing and that is exactly where we met....on the dance floor!  We were both in sororities and fraternities and had several functions together, but it wasn't until the night he asked me to dance that I really took noticed him.

Whit and I were both coming out of very long relationships so initially we talked for a few months before making anything official. After several months of dinner dates (pizza), boating trips, movie dates, and a lot of dancing, he decided to make it official. We went to A night of 1,000 candles, which is a beautiful holiday themed set up at Brook Green Gardens (Pawley’s Island, SC) and he then asked me to be his girlfriend. We later moved to Charleston together.

Tell us ALL about the proposal...

Whit and I had been dating for a little over three years.  It was on a beautiful Fall Friday (October 19, 2012) that Whit and I had been planning a trip back home to visit my parents for the weekend. Being from the low country I have a great appreciation for the beautiful plantations that surround us.  There was one in particular that always caught my eye, as I had to drive past it anytime I made the trip back home. It is called Bonny Hall Plantation.  Whit knew my love for the place and its beauty. So on that Fall Friday as Whit and I were making the trip home "to have dinner with my family" he pulled in to the entrance of the plantation. He said that he had spoken with the manager and had permission for us to walk around and just take a look at the grounds.  I was a bit hesitant about this story, but none the less proceed to follow him, hand in hand and walked around the historic grounds.  He led me to the backyard where there stood a beautiful old, large oak tree, with a tree house of some sort built into it. He convinced me to climb the ladder to the top with him. (While he continuously cleared his throat over and over...he does this when he is nervous) As I stood up there embracing the gorgeous view of the marsh, he directs my attention to a rope dangling at the bottom of the tree. He begins to tug on this rope/pulley apparatus and up comes a cute little picnic basket covered in moss. He opens it up and there sits the most gorgeous diamond ring. Whit got on one knee and the rest is history.

What made you choose your venue?  What elements drew you to it?

I wanted a venue that portrayed the low country and all of its southern charm.  I had always imagined getting married on the water at a plantation with a historic yet romantic feel.  The Oaks Plantation has a quaint historic home on the property, where the girls and I were all able to get ready. Out back is a large yard where we held the ceremony under the beautiful old oak trees on one side and the reception was on the other side; all while being surrounded by the gorgeous Beaufort River. It was my mission to find a place that had all the elements I had been envisioning.  And that’s exactly what I found.

Lets hear about the details!

We were married under an oak tree, (at the Oaks Plantation) which seemed fitting given that Whit had proposed to me in an oak tree. As for the water aspect, I think one of my favorite things was leaving on a boat at the end of the evening. Whit and I both have a love for the water and this was the perfect touch to close out what was an amazing night. Also, we were married on October 19^th which was exactly one year to the day that he had proposed to me.  It was all about the details for me. Our guest book was not the typical book guests’ sign at weddings; it was a book of Southern Lowcountry Plantations, one of which was where he had proposed. I had a custom ring box made out of a tree stump that had our initials and wedding date etched into it.   I had several added touches that incorporated where it all began, in a tree.

Specialty Drinks...

Keeping with the southern theme Whit and I both had specialty drinks at our separate bars.  My drink was a “Southern Belle-ini” which consisted of white grape peach juice and champagne with a frozen raspberry. My bridesmaids and I were served this tasty cocktail when we went to try on bridesmaids dresses at The Gown Boutique. I thought it was so good; I had to make sure it was shared with my guests.  As for the groom, his cocktail was called Southern Royalty which was crown royal and coke, simple yet Whit’s favorite.  And my favorite aspect of the specialty drinks was the oyster shooters!  A raw oyster in a shot glass filled with vodka and topped with cocktail sauce….a southern thing!

 How many guests attended? We had approximately 200-250 guests at our wedding

Color Palette: Champagne/Gold, cream, touch of blush.  Bridesmaid dresses were cement, linens were cream and sashes on cocktail tables were blush.

Something Old: a handkerchief that my grandmother saved for me to wear on my wedding day

Something New: my Louboutin wedding shoes

Something borrowed: broach in my bouquet that my MOH wore on her wedding day

Something Blue:  handkerchief with my initials monogrammed in blue from my other MOH

What’s your favorite picture from your wedding and why?

One of my favorite pictures is of Whit and I staring into each other’s eyes, my veil blowing over his head, and the trees and water in the background. I felt that it captured the exact emotions of happiness and love that was over flowing that day. We both liked the photo so much that we used it to make custom thank you cards for our guests.  I must say my other favorite photo was with another important man in my life, my dad.  It was the photo of us during our father daughter dance. It captured the happiness in my heart that was made possible in part by my dad!

Tell us about the Lowcountry cuisine...

I admit to being a bit of a foodie, so this was very important to me. Not only was the taste of the food important but presentation was on the top of my list.

For cocktail hour we had tuna tartar topped with avocado and a chipotle crema served in mini cones that each had an individual holes they rested in on a cutting board.  We had mini open faced BLT’s served on tea biscuits with an herbed mayo base.  And what southern wedding is complete without a good fried green tomato topped with a Cajun cream sauce.

As for the dinner portion of the menu, I wanted to continue with good southern comfort food.  We had a salad to start, which consisted of romaine lettuce, artichokes, hearts of palm, shaved red onions and parmesan topped with champagne vinaigrette. The meats included grilled pork tenderloin topped with a raspberry mustard sauce, and grilled bourbon pecan chicken. As for the sides we had sweet potato mash with brown sugar butter, smoked gouda mac n cheese, haricots verts, and a biscuit bar with fresh, hot, and fluffy biscuits served with an assortment of jams and preserves. Side note, anyone who knows Whit and I knows that we have an extreme love for pizza. So for our late night snack we brought it none other than papa john’s pizza for all.

Most Valuable piece of advice you’d give to a newly engaged bride:

Valuable advice would be, when choosing people that are a part of your wedding, choose those that will be supportive, loving and caring throughout the whole process. People that will be there for you two as a couple after the I do’s.  And one more piece of advice, do hire a videographer! Best decision I made, and I’m so happy that we can relive our special day over and over!

Beaufort Wedding Vendors

Venue: The Oaks Plantation, St. Helena, SC  //  Photographers: The American Photographer, Early Branch, SC & second shooter Scott Hansen Photography  //  Reception Band: Tru Sol- Myrtle Beach, SC  //  Ceremony Music: Lowcountry String Quartet, Beaufort, SC  //  Bridal Shop/Wedding Dress: The Gown Boutique of Charleston, SC  //  Bridesmaids Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid of Charleston, SC  //  Cake: Creative Cakes by RaFayele  //  Bar &Catering: Geist & Company- Bluffton, SC  //  Florist: Nix Florist, Hampton, SC  //  Rentals: Amazing Event Rentals- Beaufort, SC  //  Brides Hair/Makeup: Karen Lambert of Serenity Day Spa & Salon- Statesboro, GA  //  Bridesmaids Hair: Bangs Salon- Beaufort, SC  //  Videographer: Reel Weddings - Myrtle Beach, SC  //  Invitations: Jeffrey Bannon Charleston, SC  //  Tuxedos: Jim's Formal Wear- Florence, SC  //  Wedding Planner: Teresa O’Connel  //  Wedding Directors: Tammy Lane & Lori Poston  //  Officiant: Father David Dubay

Legare Waring House Wedding by Amy Prikazsky Photography

A little over a year ago, we shared Katie + TJ's sweet Downtown Charleston Engagement session captured by the talented Amy Prikazsky Photography.  These two make for a seriously adorable couple, so, of course I was thrilled when Katie recently sent over their gorgeous Legare Waring House wedding.  The couple had a lively Lowcountry celebration under the beautiful Avenue of Oaks where, once again, Amy Prikazsky joined them to capture all the details.

Tell us a little bit about how you met your husband…

I met my husband through a mutual friend in college. We all laugh about how he called me a “cutie patootie” after our initial meeting. He said he remembers everything about that moment, how my hair looked, what dress I had on and most of all my smile. I love hearing him tell the story !

How did he propose?

His proposal was nothing short of hilarious, just like him!  On Friday, May 11, 2012 I was asleep in my bed when I awoke suddenly to TJ falling on top of me with a golf club in hand. After he explained that he wasn't trying to kill me, I noticed a collage of pictures on the ceiling with a message that said "will you marry me". He thought he could reach the ceiling on his own, but he had to bring a ladder in the room to get up there. He still wasn’t quite tall enough, so he grabbed a golf club in order to smooth out the poster collage. In the final moment, he lost his balance and fell on top of me. His hope was that I would wake up the next morning and see the collage, but that obviously did not go as planned. Since I was already awake, he flipped on the lights and proposed right there in bed. The collage he hung using the golf club is still on the ceiling (mostly because of the industrial strength adhesive he used to hang it) but more so because I like to wake up every morning to see all of our happy memoirs together. We were engaged for 14 months before the wedding.

What made you choose your venue?

I decided on the Legare Waring House because of the overall look and feel. I was looking for an outdoor venue, specifically a plantation, where I could have both the ceremony and reception. Being able to utilize the house really sold me. I loved how we had an indoor space to get ready and considering the wedding was in July, it provided a nice space to cool down during the reception. The Avenue of Oaks provided the perfect backdrop for our ceremony.

How many guests attended: 175

Color Palette: We used neutral linens and natural wood color chairs. The flowers were whites, pinks and greens. Our bridal party provided a splash of color. The bridesmaids wore Jenny Yoo dresses in grapefruit, and the groomsmen wore grey suits with coral, blue and white striped ties.

Out of the entire day, what was the most memorable moment?

The most memorable moment had to be the ceremony. My husband showed real emotion when he said his vows, and I will treasure that forever.

Tell us all about the details!  Did any have special meaning?

I wanted to use neutral flowers and linens to play off of the natural feeling of Legare Waring House. Green is my favorite color, so lots of the details incorporated this color. I wanted the bridal party to be my pop of color, which is why I chose coral dresses and bowties.

What’s your favorite picture from your big day?

I would have to say my favorite picture is the shot of the wedding party under the Avenue of Oaks. We decided to have the girls hold parasols, and I love the way those pictures turned out.

Tell us a little bit about your menu…

We knew our guests were traveling from near and far, so we provided a variety of options. We had various stations set up including a carving station, mashed potato bar and shrimp and grits. We also had crab dip, teriyaki chicken, apricot and pecan brie and a variety of other dishes.

Something old:  Grandmother’s Hankerchief

Something new:  Wedding Dress

Something borrowed:  Grandmothers’ Brooches (from both sides of the family)

Something blue:  Monogrammed patch sewn inside of my dress

Most valuable piece of advice you’d give to a newly engaged bride:

Give yourself plenty of time to plan!! Wedding planning is a process, and you don’t want to rush things. Also, don’t spend too much of your budget in the beginning. There will be lots of surprised/unplanned costs in the final two months before the wedding.

Katie + TJ from LifeInRewind.com on Vimeo.

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 Charleston Wedding Vendors

Venue: Legare Waring House  /  Rentals and Coordination: Snyder Events  /  Florist: Wildflowers Inc.  /  Photography: Amy Prikasky Photography  /  Videographer: PJ Brown with Life in Rewind Films  /  Dress: Casablanca purchased from Mecklenburg Bridal in Charlotte, NC  /  Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo from Bella Bridesmaid in Charlotte, NC  /  Ceremony Music: Classical Charleston  /  Reception Music: The Blue Tips Rhythm Revue  /  Caterer: O'cain Catering from Orangeburg, SC  /  Bar Service: Snyder Bar  /  Cake: Publix  /  Hair: Alise Buckner  /  Makeup: Kelly Campbell   /  Getaway Car: Charleston Black Cab Company