Grey Wedding at Oldfield Club by Britt Croft Photography

I can't wait for you to feast your eyes on this treat from Britt Croft Photography!  Because I just KNOW you're going to love all the charming details in this orange and grey wedding at Oldfield Club.  For starters, I'm loving the v-neck grey dresses the bridesmaids wore, not to mention their adorable orange and pink bouquets that pop right off their dresses.  Bride Bonnie took my breath away in her strapless, fit and flare gown, laid back up-do and perfect bouquet from Branches Designs.  My favorite part is how the integrated oyster shells into the decor.  The ultimate Lowcountry detail!  Thank you, thank you, thank you to Britt Croft for sharing this beauty!

Coordination: Bob Rubenkonig and Danielle Tosky  //  Venue: Oldfield River Club  //  Bride’s Dress & Veil: Chica’s Bridal  //   Bride’s Shoes: Nine West  //   Bridesmaid Attire: David’s Bridal  / | Bride’s Jewelry: Family heirloom earrings and necklace, Alex and Ani bracelet  //  Hair & Makeup: Iridescence Beauty Bar  //  Florals: Branches Designs  //  Favors: Jim ‘N Nick’s Biscuit Mix   //  Band: Tell Scarlet 

Saint Simons Wedding Engagement {Jessica + Joe}

Every so often we like to hightail it down to the Georgia coast to soak up the sun, the beauty and the adorable couples the Golden Isles have to offer.  What better way to kick off the weekend than to revel in Jessica + Joe’s Saint Simons wedding engagement from our sweet friend, Britt Croft Photography.

From Britt Croft Photography: "St. Simon’s Island, a part of the Golden Isles of Georgia, is one of the most beautiful and charming places I’ve ever been in my life. I feel like it’s Georgia’s best kept secret, but probably just because I didn’t grow up around here and it’s new to me. I absolutely love any excuse to get down that way, so when Jessica emailed me about shooting her and Joe’s wedding there this fall, I was so excited. And then twice as excited when she decided to have their engagement session there, rather than Atlanta where they currently live. No offense to you Atlanta, because you’re fun too, but SSI is incredible!"

"Jessica and Joe were so fun to spend the evening with! Jessica was SO excited, and despite a couple of hiccups in her plans before and during the session, we just rolled along and had a good time :) She and Joe are so funny together…very goofy and themselves, which I love. Jessica wanted to start shooting right in the same area they just said their I Do's, so we rocked out her cute little styled setup, and then took in the sunset along the water."

 

South Carolina Wedding {Christina + Neal}

I’ll tell you what, it’s been a crazy week over here!  It still can’t believe it’s already August.  This summer has just flown by!  As I head out to Dayton, Ohio this weekend for my sister’s bridal shower, I thought I’d share a little dose of what we all love the most…a lovely South Carolina wedding with a preppy green and navy color filled with adorable Southern wedding details.  This beauty took place in Aiken, South Carolina at Woodside Plantation Country Club and was shot by our friend Britt Croft Photography.  Happy Friday, y’all!

South Carolina Wedding Vendors

Photographer:  Britt Croft Photography  /  Event Venue:  Woodside Plantation Country Club

Charleston Engagement {Tim + Rachel}

We're headed into what is sure to be a fabulous, January weekend.  I mean, we're talking 75 degrees and sunny!  Is it springtime already!?!  So, in honor of this beautiful weather, I thought a gorgeous Charleston engagement from our pal Britt Croft Photography would be the perfect way to get the celebration started.  Tim + Rachel started things off dressed in the Steelers Save the Dates at the beach with their adorable, four-legged friend Bella before heading downtown to enjoy the historic Holy City!

 Charleston Wedding Vendors

Photographer: Britt Croft Photography

Charleston Bride {Brittani}

She's baaack!  The soon-to-be Mrs. Brittani Croft is back to share more of her Charleston wedding planning journey and this time it's all about beauty, bridals and bachelorette par-tays!  

Hey ALW! I feel like it’s been forever, and that’s probably because time is flying and we are getting SO close to our big day! It’s all about the little details now and we are really busting our butts to stay organized, enjoy this time, but make sure we are accomplishing lots of the important last minute critical things.

First though, let’s start with some of the latest fun stuff! A few weeks ago, I had my hair and makeup trial and it was really awesome to get an idea of what I’ll look like on our wedding day. Bellezza Salon and Spa in West Ashley will be doing hair and makeup for my bridesmaids and I, so it was really important to make sure that I knew what I wanted so that the morning of the wedding I wouldn’t be stressing about how exactly my hair and makeup would end up looking.

I’m not a huge makeup kind of girl, so we are keeping it relatively simple there since I really want to still look like myself. For my hair, I was torn between having a half up/half down look, but with the chance of it being stormy and/or outrageously hot in September, my stylist and I decided a low updo would be better and a lot less risky. Here are a few images I used for inspiration…

My hair and makeup came out fabulously and I really felt like a bride. If you’re wondering if a trial is worth it, I definitely vote yes!

So not to let my hair and makeup go to waste, I decided to also have bridals done that evening. As a photographer myself, I shoot often with the amazing Charleston wedding photographer Paige Winn, of Paige Winn Photo. You’ve probably seen some of her awesome work here on ALW! Paige met my mom and I at Boone Hall and we worked quick so as to dodge the looming showers and get some great bridal portraits. I even had my portrait bouquet with me that Beth and WildFlowers Inc. put together so it was really such an awesome little test run. I looooove my dress, but I think I need to practice moving around in it a little more!

Another really fun pre-wedding festivity is the bachelor/bachelorette party or weekend. Since Dustin is from South Carolina but I’m from Maryland, many of my closest friends are still up north. We decided to make it a co-bachelor/bachelorette weekend and meet halfway in Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach, NC. This ended up being SO much fun and honestly the best part was seeing all of our friends and their significant others meet (most for the first time) and absolutely hit it off so well! The weather didn’t cooperate for the beach, but we were able to have such an awesome time going to dinner, seeing The Campaign (we love some Will Ferrell), mini golf, and check out some of the really fun bars in downtown Wilmington. It was a total success and since many of us shared rooms at a hotel right between downtown and the beach, we were able to keep the costs manageable.

So what’s next? It’s all about planning our ceremony, DIY projects, creative favors, buying/making gifts for our wedding party, and those other fun details. I’m so thankful our friends and family have been so helpful

Fabulous Frocks + Happily Ever BorroWED

The gals of Happily Ever BorroWED made a trip to Charleston to show off their delicate bridal pieces for a weekend trunk show of fun at Fabulous Frocks!  While Lowcountry brides were on the hunt for their dream Southern wedding dress and perfect accessories, Fabulous Frocks made sure they received the complete wedding experience.  They ooh-ed and ahh-ed over romantic floral arrangements from Ooh! Events, and indulged in heavenly treats from the crew at Cupcake.  Thank goodness Britt Croft Photography was there so we can all relive the fabulous swanky details...

Brittani {Vendors}

Brittani, of Britt Croft Photography, is back, and this time, the bride-to-be is giving us some fabulous tips to keep in mind when picking your Lowcountry vendors... Hey ALW readers! I’m back again, this time spilling on some of our vendor choices. Hiring quality vendors is SO important. You really want to work with people that truly care about how important this day is in your life and respect and appreciate your business and budget.

When choosing vendors…

- Don’t be afraid to meet with a few different vendors in each category that you are looking for. I felt kind of bad about doing this…like I was sneaky and price shopping. But as a bride, it’s your prerogative to ensure you’re finding the best fit for you. Just be honest if anyone asks, and make sure you are polite and kind about it. I knew what kind of food we wanted for our wedding (good ‘ole down home country cooking!), so I inquired with three or four caterers in the beginning. Surprisingly enough, one got back to me immediately, two took weeks to get back to me, and one never did. Obviously that says a lot, and if I had only inquired with one and thought that was the normal wait time for inquiries, I may have hired a company that wouldn’t pay my wedding food much attention. Regardless, it’s always good to meet with several different options to get a feel for who will be a best fit for your type of wedding, your personality, and your budget.

- Try to meet in person. Getting a feel for someone in person can be totally different over email or the phone. How do they dress? Are they timely? Are they polite? Do they come prepared and organized? Are they enthusiastic or overbearing? These things may seem silly, but they say a lot about how this person will be on the day of your wedding. Will they be presentable and professional? On time and polite to your guests? This is hugely important!

- Ask to see examples of their work, reviews from past brides, or a taste test. This may seem like common sense, but its crazy how many brides skip on the little things. Tasting the food beforehand or hearing about what past brides felt about the planner you are sitting down with can make a big difference in how your wedding day flows.

- Who have your friends used? Ask around to your married friends and find out what vendors they used and loved or wouldn’t recommend. What’s better than hearing it straight from someone who has experienced a service previously?

So who have we chosen to work with for our wedding? Remember are getting married at The Pavilion at Pepper Plantation, so almost all of our vendors are located in the greater Charleston area.

- Photographer: Katelyn James, Richmond, VA

- Caterer: The Crazy Dutchman, Charleston

- Florist: WildFlowers, Inc., Summerville

- Cake and Cupcakes: Publix in Mt. Pleasant (Don’t judge – I will be writing more about this later!)

- Rentals: Group Dynamics, Charleston

- Hair and Makeup: Bellezza Salon & Spa, Charleston

- DJ: The Party Music, Roy Palmgren, Charleston

Who have you chosen to work with for your big day? What were some of your challenges choosing or finding vendors that fit your vision? Leave a comment and let me know – I’d love to hear!

Nicole + Rees {Charleston Wedding}

I told you it was going to be a good blog week around here at A Lowcountry Wedding and to keep the pattern going I've got a charming Charleston wedding from our friend Britt Croft Photography.   I feel in love with this wedding the moment I laid eyes on it.  Not only was it the perfect Spring day in Charleston, but the couple looked timeless. Bride Nicole was a classic, beauty in her knee-length gown and her man looked handsome in his Navy uniform.  I'll let Britt take it from here... "Nicole and Rees arranged a very sweet and simple elopement for only their most beloved friends and family this past March. Since Rees is in the Navy and stationed in Charleston, and Nicole was living in Florida at the time, they were more than ready to begin their lives together and finally be able to live in the same city. I was honored they hired me for such an intimate day. Their ceremony took place on one of the beautiful outside porches of the quaint Phillip-Yates-Snowden Bed & Breakfast on Church Street in Charleston, then afterward we were able to stroll the cobblestone streets where passersby wished the newlyweds congratulations. We then made our way toward Waterfront Park, then back to the Battery and it was such a blast as Nicole and Rees sunk into the fact that they were finally husband and wife."

Charleston Wedding Vendors

Venue: Phillip-Yates-Snowden House Bed and Breakfast  /  Photographer: Britt Croft Photography  /  Shoes: Badgley Mischka

Charleston Bride {Brittani}

One thing we love to share with our Lowcountry Brides (well, besides stunning, jaw-dropping wedding inspiration, of course!), is tried and true tips straight from our horses, I mean, brides' mouths.  Our gal, Brittani, is back today to give us a few pointers about what she's learned thus far as she navigates her way to her big, Charleston wedding day!

Yay it’s time for another ALW update! Last time I dropped by, I updated the fantastic ALW readers on my DRESS! That was such an unexpectedly exciting part of the process and I actually go for my first fitting in just a few weeks! I cannot WAIT to get back into my beautiful wedding dress, cowboy boots and all!  The last few months since making that big decision have been CRAZY! I have been blown away by how quickly the time has gone, and I’ve learned a lot about wedding planning. Phew! I’d love to share some of the things I’ve learned you probably want to do, and some of the things you probably don’t want to do…

DO:

• Do hire a wedding planner! Ugh, what a mistake it was thinking wedding planners aren’t always necessary. As a wedding photographer, I of all people should know how important it is to have someone running the show. Oops! If I could do-over, that definitely would have been the FIRST vendor I would have hired!

• Do be realistic about what weddings cost. I LOVE weddings, trust me…there’s nothing more exciting and special and exhilarating than a wedding day. BUT, having said that, there is SO much that goes into a wedding. I was the bride that wanted to be able to spend big on the things that were most important to Dustin and I (photography, the venue, and food), and DIY and save as much as possible elsewhere. I’ve learned that’s not really realistic, at least for me and my lifestyle. When you have a full-time job, wedding planning is a whole other full-time job. That’s why planners are so important! There were so many “great big ideas” we had to save money but there’s just no TIME to make these things a reality. Life happens, and you have to be realistic about how much time you can really put aside to manage, create, and plan all of these things that seem so easy to do yourself.

• Do start whatever DIY projects you are doing early. In my mind, August was going to be wide open (the hot summers are usually my slower time work-wise), so I could do sooooo much DIYing then. Wrong. August is already halfway crazy for me. I’ve started tackling some projects now but honestly at the end of the workday, I just want to relax! I know some brides are so into crafting for their weddings and it is their way to relax at the end of the day, but between taking care of my dogs and horses, trying to work out (gotta look good for the big day!), cooking dinner, cleaning, regular household and farm chores…there never seems to be enough time at the end of the day.

DON'T:

• Don’t get too caught up in Pinterest. Used the right way, Pinterest can be such a great tool for planning your wedding and coming up with fun projects. BUT, the trick with Pinterest is to not feel like your wedding has to look like someone elses’s. The whole point of getting really creative with your wedding is to make it a true representation of you and your fiancé and the things that are most special in your relationship. It’s so easy to look at pin after pin and think “that’s perfect!” but you should really start with a list of unique traits or themes you want to include in your wedding and search out inspiration from there. For us, since we were long distance for so long and spent a LOT of time flying and driving, travel is going to be a big theme. We’re also super dedicated to our farm and both grew up with horses, so that’s a big shared passion. We love our dogs like kids, so of course the dogs and being a blended family (Dustin has a 5-year-old son) are also very “us.”

• Maybe this is just me, but if I had to do it again, I would not try DIYing invitations. I work with a really good print lab because of my business, so I totally thought I could handle this on my own. Invitations are important, but to me they weren’t one of the biggest priorities. In reality, invitations are basically the first impression you are giving your guests. It’s worth it to invest in a talented designer (I love Sarah at Dodeline Design) who gets what you’re going for and can handle this for you. Invitations have Stressed. Me. Out. You can even find TONS of great invitation suites on Etsy, if going through a designer isn't for you. At the end of the day, by weighing the pros and cons, spending another $200 or so on invitations would have been totally worth it, rather than dealing with the headache I’ve caused myself.

• Don’t lose sight of what your wedding is really about. There are going to be things you want to do but won’t get done. There are things that aren’t going to go as planned. Don’t forget what the day is really about…you and your new husband, your new life together, and the opportunity to have all of the people you love the most in one place at the same time, celebrating together. What will be, will be.

Hopefully those little tips are helpful in some way or another. There are definitely some things I wish I could re-do but we’re this far in and we’ve just got to roll with the punches! I know the next three months are going to FLY, and although I can’t wait for the day to be here, I don’t want the days to fly by too fast because I don’t want our actual wedding day to fly by too fast! I know that no matter what happens, the day will be wonderful and I really look forward to the celebration!

What’s going on next? I’ll be back pretty soon with some insight into the vendors we chose and some other fun details like bridal portraits and what we’re doing for bachelor/bachelorette parties! See ya soon ALW!

Charleston Wedding Dress Shopping {Brittani}

I'm excited to welcome back our good friend Brittani of Britt Croft Photography.  Brittani is constantly working with brides as she captures their wedding day but this year she finally gets to be a bride herself!  We've followed her journey as she decided on her gorgeous Lowcountry venue and picked her perfect photographer and today we get to hear all about the dress...  .

Hey ALW! I’m so excited to be back and sharing one of my favorite parts so far in the wedding planning process! Yes, I found my DRESS!

I’ll be honest; I was dreading this part of the process. I’m not the girl who had known all along what I wanted to walk down the aisle to my future husband in. I am short and petite with an athletic build, so I was convinced every dress was going to swallow me up and make me look like a big round cotton ball. We southerners love cotton, but we don’t want to look like cotton.

Since my family is still back in Maryland and it was so important to me that my mom and grandmother were a part of the process, I flew home for a weekend solely dedicated to wedding dress shopping. Something I was excited about was having two of the most important ladies to me there for support and honest opinions. It was really special and something I’ll never forget.

I had made an appointment at Ellie’s Bridal Boutique  in charming Alexandria, Virginia, and we were off bright and early that morning. I brought in a couple pages torn from a magazine and printed off my computer, and what I handed my consultant looked a little something like this…

I truly felt like my taste was ALL over the place and I had no idea what would work for my body. I also had a very modest budget, because although this is an important dress, on the practical side of things, I’ll wear it once or twice (bridals and wedding day), and that will be that.

My consultant, Crystal, was fabulous and super understanding of my overall confusion and modest budget. She told me to literally just walk around the floor and start pulling things that interested me, so that’s what my Mom and I did, and soon it was time to step into the dresses.

The first dress I put on was a gorgeous strapless Casablanca with rouching and a form fitting shape. I was in love. I could not believe how good I felt. We were all so excited and if the first one went so well, I couldn’t wait to try on a few more! So after a few minutes of oohing and ahhing, I jumped into my second dress. It just didn’t give me the same feeling. Nor did the third. Or the fourth. Or the fifth. Each dress I tried on, I’d compare to the first. I’d say, “It’s nice, but I like the first one better” or “It’s okay, but it doesn’t make me feel like the first dress did.” We were definitely seeing a pattern, so I put the first dress back on and that was all there was to it. That was it! I truly didn’t want to take it off. Crystal put a veil on me and handed me a little bouquet and I literally looked like a bride. I really loved what I saw in the mirror and I was elated with how simple and stress-free the process was!

I can’t spoil the fun and share an image of the dress, but I will say I am in love with Casablanca and for what I wanted (something relatively simple, still elegant, but within a reasonable price), I feel like Casablanca is a home run.

What was the dress shopping process like for you when it was your turn? Or if you’re in the planning stages, re you dreading it like I was, or you know exactly what you want? It truly is a unique experience for everyone but since I was so uptight about it being stressful and “impossible,” I’m so happy that it all came together like it did. I cannot wait to get back into my dress in the next few months for my first fitting!

Yellow and Blue Chesapeake Bay Wedding from Britt Croft Photography

There are two things I really like: 1)Weddings (obvi!) and 2) The coast.  So, when I get to combine both I'm a pretty happy gal and, luckily for me, that happens on a regular basis and today it's no different!  Our pal Brittani of Britt Croft Photography recently shot Lindsey + Chris' Chesapeake Bay wedding and has ever-so graciously decided to share this gorgeous eye candy with us!  The couple tied the knot on The Pier at North Beach this past October under a clear blue sky in front of all their friends and family.  After, they kept the party going at a private residence with a tented reception decorated in a preppy yellow + blue color palette.  If this doesn't make you want to head to the water then I don't know what will!

Vendors

Photographer: Britt Croft Photography  /  Catering: Wyvill Catering  /  Ceremony location: The Pier at North Beach  /  Reception location: A private home in North Beach  /  Bride's dress: David's Bridal

Charleston Weddings {A Charleston Bride} Brittani

So our friend Brittani, a Charleston Bride, of Britt Croft Photography, is planning her big Charleston wedding this coming September.  I asked her if she'd take us on the journey as she blogs her way through all things wedding planning, right up until her fabulous Lowcountry Wedding!  Today, it's all about her photographer.  Take it away, Britt...

"Hi ALW! It's been a while, but I've been truckin' along with my wedding to do list! Last time I wrote, I chatted about selecting our Charleston wedding venue.  I get so excited when I think about it because I just know it's so "us" and will set the perfect mood and backdrop for our big day.

Probably the most important thing to me, naturally, was the photography. Everyone has different priorities, but for us, the photography is what will take us back years down the road. It's how we'll remember so many of the thing that flew by that day, or that we were too busy to think about. Our wedding album will become a family heirloom that we will pass along to our children and grandchildren. Photography was definitely at the top of the list in terms of importance. Along with the venue and food (also so important to us), the photography was also a big chunk of our budget.

As a wedding photographer myself, people have asked me from day one of our engagement who would shoot our wedding. "Surely you must have chosen that first!" people would say. Nope. Sure didn't. In fact, the decision stressed me out A LOT. It was SO important to me that I was terrified of making the wrong decision...so I put it off and put it off, but after we booked our venue, I really had to buckle down and discuss it with Dustin before the awesome photographers I loved booked up for our date.

I spent a ton of time thinking about it. There are so many photographers whose work I love that I didn't know how I could choose. I finally narrowed it down to three. I thought some more. I browsed portfolios, blogs, etc. I tried to get a feel for personalities and such. I thought about it even more. I wanted someone with us on our big day that I felt I could relate to. I know that on your wedding day, you spend a lot of time with your photographer. I wanted someone who used light beautifully...that is SO important to me! I wanted someone who told a story, who would appreciate us wanting to do a first look, would pay close attention to details and the personalization we plan to add to our Southern wedding, and who put a lot of emphasis on bride and groom portraits. Portraits of my handsome southern man and I on our big day is so important to me because I know those will be some of the most powerful and intimate pictures from the day. Just us...loving being in love. I thought some more. I figured I needed a plan of action...I needed to prioritize my list and see who was available. Well, I decided who was my number one choice and emailed yer. Yup! She was available for September 15th! Yay! We chatted a bit about the day and soon after were officially booked!

So...who'd we choose? Well, the sweet Katelyn James. After doing all that thinking...this wedding in particular really sold me: Buddy & Jill . There was SO much that was just so relatable about it. Buddy's looks and handiness reminds me of Dustin in a lot of ways...and of course the whole cozy country theme and "farmers wife" thing was perfect. We knew from the beginning we wanted our whole wedding party to wear boots, too, and I just loved the whole mood and vibe of this wedding. We really felt like Katelyn would know how to work with us and shoot our kind of wedding. We can't wait to see how she tells the story of a day we are so eager to be here. Anddddd...we are getting super excited about our engagement session! It'll be here before we know it in April and it will be so special to have some truly authentic professional portraits of us just being us.

So what happened next? Well, we booked our caterer, DJ, AND I just recently found my dress!!! I thought the latter would be a stressful and exhausting experience, but it was anything but. I can't wait to share about those next two steps with y'all in the next few weeks! :)