We've been loving how many brides have incorporated stripes into their wedding color palettes. Stripes are the perfect preppy and coastal addition to any girl's wedding decor...and let's face it, we love all things coastal and preppy here in Charleston. We've rounded up quite a few of our favorite ways to incorporate some stripped accessories into your Lowcountry Big Day! They range from linens and invitations to bridesmaids dresses and favors...
Terrilyn + Scott {Naples Wedding}
The Charleston area is home to countless destination weddings every year. Couples are drawn to the city's rich history, timeless beauty, heavenly food and the indescribable Lowcountry ease. A certain excitement and build up comes with a destination wedding, not just from the bride and groom, but the guests as well. From the save-the-dates and weather to the local cuisine and stunning scenery, a destination wedding is a memorable occasion for all involved! Destination photographers Luminaire Foto sent over Terrilyn + Scott's fabulous destination affair at the swanky Ritz Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida and we just couldn't wait to post it. Terrilyn was glowing in her strapless gown and makeup from Hope Henderson Artistry that she accessorized with pearl jewelry and a gorgeous bouquet. They used a vibrant palette of pinks and oranges that seemed very fitting of their palm tree rich venue. Guests were treated to a sweet outdoor ceremony followed by a dazzling reception with amazing decor, lively entertainment from RW Music and a killer cake!
Skylar + Chad {Washington Wedding}
Before we jump right in to today's dreamy Washington wedding, we wanted to give everybody a little update. Our brand spanking new blog will be launching in the next few weeks (hopefully the beginning of February!) and as our way of saying thanks to all our favorite Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head wedding vendors, we're offering some fantastic introductory rates on our new blog tiles. So, if you're interested in reaching Lowcountry brides, shoot us an email at hello{at}alowcountrywed.com and we'll pass along the info! Okay....now on to Skylar + Chad! This adorable couple wed in an intimate outdoor ceremony this past September in beautiful Blaine, Washington. Skylar impressively handled the rustic decor (and even tackled that gorgeous cake!), while her mother used the green and purple color palette to design all of the fabulous flowers. Courtney Bowlden Photography captured emotional images of the glowing bride in her stunning strapless gown as she saw Chad for the first time. I mean...they kinda made me tear up.
Chelsea + Ryan {Florida Wedding}
Dusty + Travis {California Wedding} Michelle Johnson Photography
Anne Marie + Ryan {Carnton Plantation Wedding}
Place Settings {Wedding Details}
Maggie + Mike {Burke Manor Inn Wedding}
Tell us a little bit about how you met your husband... My husband and I met on Match.Com…. Yup it really does work. I feel in love with a picture where the sun was in his eyes. That bald head of his was really the magic ticket. Honestly it does help that he is a sexy man, but his words in the profile he wrote went straight to my heart.
How did he propose? How long were you engaged for?
Mike proposed to me at Winter Green Ski Resort this past January. Martin Luther’s King’s birthday. A year prior he took me there as my first time ever to ski. I broke my ring finger. This January as we started to get all of our gear on he told me to wait a minute.. He walked into the bedroom came around the corner bent down on one knee and asked me to marry him. And I quote this is his proposal “even know that you are a pain in my ass, I love you more than life itself and cannot imagine my life without by my side” Will you marry me? AS I stand there in my ski wear with face and head gear on and he could not see my face. Only my eyes I was floored. Yeah we spoke of rings etc…. but never did I expect that. We were engaged for 7 months before we said our dos. And keep in mind that on our wedding day of August 27th we had a hurricane, Days prior a heart quake and one week to the day my father had a heart attack where he got two stints but in, but was still there to give me away and we had our very first dance EVER.
Your wedding was filled with gorgeous details. Did any have special meaning? What was your favorite? The flowers had special meaning. The girl who did them lived outside the box as I asked her to do. I gave her a clear canvas to show her talents but at the same time my touch. The flowers were done in Japanese lettering to match my shoulder tattoo. It means double happiness and love. And those are what we stood on when we said our own vows to each other. We did a sand ceremony as well that I wrote myself and the class that we poured our sand in matched the flowers and my tattoo.
How did you choose your venue? We choose the B&B to be sure that all of our family was together and not spread apart. As they come from far and in between we wanted our family close and to share memories and to make new ones.
Tell us a little bit about your menu... Well I am a very picky eater. And our family and friends all love meat and potatoes. So we had prime rib, salad, mixed garden veggies and a potato bar with all the fixings. It was delicious. There are still people talking about the food and it as over three months ago. We had wine imported in from our engagement night that we later found out that is not easy to find. We had NY wine sent to us as well. Each had a meaning and those were shared with everybody.
What’s your favorite picture from your wedding? My favorite pic is where my father and I are dancing. As I said that was the very first time I ever danced with him and considering he had a heart attack one week prior to that. Well I just about didn’t get that chance of a life time. My father raised me from 15 years old until the time I was 17 by himself. Until I gave him a shot of courage to ask someone out who now is my step mother. Yes, I hooked my dad up…
Out of the entire day, what was the most memorable moment? Out of the entire day... sitting here with tears in my eyes as I type this is that I shared special, priceless moments with my father. We danced to Britney Spears all the way to Pit Pull. His hands in the air and feet off the ground he never skipped a beat and told me that it was the best day of his life. My dreams weren’t just answered or my blessings didn’t stop when god gave me a guardian angel with Mike…. They continued when he spared my dad’s life to give me memories that only very few of us ever get a chance to have with their fathers. If you knew more about me you would clearly understand why my dad is my world. And the best memorable moment with Mike was when cake went down the front of my halter wedding dress between my cleavage and he went right in after it in front of god and everybody. That was a memory that I don’t just have it is also on DVD…..
Looking back on your engagement and wedding, is there any advice you would give to brides in the planning process?
Take one day at a time. Don’t let anybody talk you into something that you or your soon to be husband doesn’t want. And enjoy it. It goes by way to fast. Remember it is about both of you and nobody else. So do what makes you happy and what is meaningful to the both of you. After all this is the first party as husband and wife that you are giving so make a hell of day.
Krista + Dave's Montaluce Winery Wedding via Liz Yeakle Photography
How did he propose? How long were you engaged for?
Dave is quite the romantic…..Every month, there is a grade level meeting at my school. Dave and I were now teaching at different schools. I showed up to our monthly meeting and read the agenda. It stated that there would be a guest speaker from our “sister school” (where Dave taught). I really didn’t think anything of it, until when the guest speaker was Dave! He walked into our meeting and started a PowerPoint presentation about “student recognition.” Each slide lead more into how creating a family with trust and love is important. At the end, there was a huge heart on the screen that read “I found my true love.” He walked over (in front of 40 other people!) and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. He had already talked to my principal, and had got a sub for me for the rest of the day. There was a limo waiting for me at school, and he took me to the Sundial restaurant, which looks over the city of Altanta. We were engaged for 11 months!
Out of the entire day, what was the most memorable moment?
The most memorable moment was when my wedding party had left the bridal suite to walk down the aisle and I was waiting with my Dad. We were standing in front of a giant, wooden door, and the time seemed to be passing so slowly. My dad whispered to me “I can feel your mom, she’s here.” When he said that, I could feel her there, and as I walked down the aisle, I felt that I walked down with both my parents
Your wedding was filled with gorgeous details. Did any have special meaning? What was your favorite?
My mom passed away when I was in high school, and I wanted to do something to remember her, but not have it too sad. To start the ceremony, our guitarist (Austin Adams) played the instrumental version of “Please remember Me” by sara mclaughlin. As he played the song, my mom’s sister walked down and lit a candle that had the “Lords Prayer” enscribed in it. My favorite part was that Dave and I wanted to keep the ceremony simple and personal; so, instead of having readings from the bible read, I picked two of my closest, childhood friends to write and read a personal message. They did a great job! They wrote a combination of personal stories, song lyrics, and ended it with a verse from the bible. During the reception, we decided to have a photo table. I brought in wedding pictures from both my side and Dave’s side. Moreover, we brought in childhood pictures of Dave and I J
How did you choose your venue?
Dave and I spent many weekends up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia. We feel in love with the outdoor, simple life feel. We had researched some wineries up in that area, and fell in love with Montaluce Winery. When we went to meet with their wedding planner, I immediately fell in love and didn’t look at any other venue!
Tell us a little bit about your menu...
Dave and I had both Wisconsin and New York cheese for appetizers, along with Margarita flatbread Pizza. We had a summer salad, bread, and a family style dinner. We had steak and fish as our main dishes, along with several sides (Sorry, I can’t remember all of them!)
Looking back on your engagement and wedding, is there any advice you would give to brides in the planning process?
Always go with what your heart is telling you, in the end it’s your wedding. Allow people to help, it can get overwhelming at times. The week before is the most stressful, be sure to get lots of sleep J Remember to enjoy the time with family, friends, and especially your fiancé, it goes so fast!
Becca + Kalani {California Engagement}
Ira + Andreas {Hotel Gutshof Wedding}
Kristen + Drake {Dunaway Gardens Wedding}
Megan + Joel {Tennessee Wedding}
Britt Croft Wedding Photography Giveaway!
Rustic Winter Wedding Inspiration
Well, my holiday vacation officially started last night...which meant I had to sleep in this morning :) So, sorry for the delayed post! But, since we're in the Christmas 'home stretch', I just had to share this rustic winter wedding shoot from the talented twosome of McGowan Images and MegB Designs. I know it's been unseasonable warm in our neck of the woods, but these images may just help put you in the holiday spirit! From the designer, Meagan Bechtel of MegB Designs:
"My idea for this shoot was really simple – I wanted to convey a beautiful winter wedding scene, without being overtly Christmas or using any holiday cliches. I tried to stick with a few basics – neutral colored china and linens, antiqued silver and mercury glass, various sizes of pinecones, and just a few touches of bright red. We were so lucky to be granted the use of a local Christmas tree farm, which was the perfect backdrop for this scene. When I’m designing, it’s helpful for me to think of what I what I already own, what I can probably borrow, and what I might be able to source cheap, or second-hand. That’s pretty much the basis for my philosophy: beg, borrow, or thrift. I guess my point is, you don’t need a lot of money to set up a fabulous-looking event, or table-scape. We did two table settings, a desert station, and styled a bride and groom, and did it for cheap - my final total for this shoot was less than a hundred bucks: $20 for the whoopie pies ingredients, $20 for the florals/materials, $15 for 5 yards of cotton muslin to recover the chairs cushions/cloth napkins, $10 for a few well-priced Goodwill finds, and about $20 for the candles, peppermints, cranberries, and rock salt. As I did on my own wedding day, I trusted McGowan Images to capture this shoot the way I imagined it. We talked about wanting it to feel wintery, but at the same time, warm and sun-drenched. That's the kind of Christmas you get in Central Texas. I think the images turned out even better than we were hoping for, and I hope they help inspire a cash-strapped bride to think outside the box for winter wedding design."
Charleston Weddings {Statement Necklaces}
Ashleigh + Shane {Biltmore Estate Wedding}
Kirsten + Travis {Tennessee Engagement}
Aisle Decor {Wedding Details}
Jennifer + Sean {Nashville Wedding}
Color palette: We chose a palette of jewel toned colors. There was blue, purple, and pink incorporated throughout the ceremony and reception site. We also used charcoal gray table clothes with white chairs and linens so that the rich colors in the table arrangements would stand out. We wanted a modern and simple atmosphere.