LINDSAY & THOMAS
October 25, 2013
Venue: Yellow Dogs by the Sea - Hilton Head
Photographer: Dana Cubbage Photography
One Easter morning, Lindsay began rifling through her Easter basket when a shiny gold egg caught her eye. Naturally, she scooped it up and popped it open to find the perfect rose gold ring and Thomas on bended knee. After their gold-infused engagement, it was no surprise that Lindsay incorporated her shiny obsession into their wedding day decor for what she calls “Southern meets Sequins”.
Bar & Catering: Downtown Catering Company // Florist: Flowers By Sue // Cake: Signe’s Heaven Bound Bakery // Gown: Wtoo By Watters // Bridal Shop: Bridal and Formal (Cincinnati, OH) // Bridesmaids Dresses: Bari Jay from One Devine Day (Georgetown, KY) // Groom & Groomsmen’s Attire: Jos A. Bank // Rentals: The Tent Factory // Gold Animals: Gnome Sweet Gnome // Wedding Favors: Koozies - Artwear Screen Printing Co. // Stationery: Paper Source // Hair & Makeup: Capello Salon (Greenville SC) // Officiant: Dr. James E. Jones // Rehearsal Dinner: Steamer Seafood // Rings: Marshall’s Jewelers (Bardstown KY)
Tell us how you met: Thomas was working in the same office building as my twin sister and she had insisted that we meet for several years. I was at her office one afternoon, he came over to introduce himself, and the rest as they say is history.
Proposal Details: It's a family tradition of mine that we all buy each other a little something to fill everyone's Easter baskets. There was a shiny gold egg hidden in my basket so of course I dug in for that one first (because who doesn't want to find a golden Easter egg in their basket?) and inside was the most gorgeous rose gold ring - Thomas got on one knee there was no hesitation on my part! I was beyond thrilled to start that new chapter in our lives. Getting engaged was like falling in love all over again, such a magical time.
How did you select your date + venue: Everything just kind of fell into place. We wanted to get married on the beach when the weather was comfortable for an outdoor reception. I lived in Charleston for a few years, grew up vacationing in Hilton Head, and my sister had gotten married in Hilton Head a few years back. October in the lowcountry just made sense. We lucked out finding the Yellow Dog beach house on Dune Lane, it had an oceanfront lawn - perfect for a beach ceremony followed by dinner around the pool.
The Gown: The gown was not at all what I expected to wear! I feel like you hear that, that you'll pick out something you never thought you would wear. I pictured something very classic and simple, then tried on all those ruffles just for fun and that was it!
The Hair + Makeup: I worked with Emily in Charleston when I lived there a few years back. She always whipped up some serious bridal magic and I knew I would feel comfortable with her. I opted for a simple updo, I never fuss much with my hair and makeup any other day and I wanted to feel like myself.
The Accessories (Shoes, Jewelry, Veil): My earrings were my only accessory. I found this jewelry designer, Erickson Beamon, and loved their statement pieces. They were pink and gold, with a little bit of something blue. They were perfect. The only other thing I wore was my grandmothers engagement ring.
Bridesmaids Attire: I found the Bari Jay bridesmaid dresses searching pink and gold weddings online. The sweet ruffle neckline and soft shade of pink were a no brainer.
Groom + Groomsmen Attire: Thomas was in charge of that. Simple neutral suits with a classic pink tie. That was one huge task I knew I could trust him to take care of, he wears a suit very well.
Ceremony Site + Details: The ceremony was short, sweet, and simple, but is also my favorite memory from the day. Saying our vows to each other is what that whole day was about. My childhood pastor is also a very close family friend and I was elated that he and his wife were able to be there and perform the ceremony. They had our guest throw seashells into the ocean with prayers for love, joy, and peace written on them, it was a very special moment.
Aesthetic + Color Palette: All gold everything. I love that gold has made a comeback in such a huge way. I wanted to have a backyard "glam-e-cue", southern food meets sequins. Adding the touches of soft pink made it more romantic and inviting.
The Décor: The beach setting was so beautiful, I didn't want to go overboard with decorations. I loved how well the gold sequin table runners worked out, and the cake table was amazing! So many sequins puddling all the way to the ground. Gold mercury vases were placed throughout with small floral arrangments, and string lighting provided a warm glow. Everything was subtle with touches of glitter.
The Food + Beverage: Downtown Catering did a fabulous job, our friends and family still rave about how delicious everything was. We had a traditional southern spread of barbecue and shrimp and grits, with sides of brown sugar bacon salad, green beans, gouda mac and cheese, and cornbread. The intimate setting allowed for a self serve bar complete with Kentucky bourbon and sweet tea vodka. I found these fantastic gold horse cocktail stirrers from Gnome Sweet Gnome, they were perfect for a nod to our home state.
The Cake: I didn't even think twice about the cake. We've been eating Signe's Bakery cakes for years, and they did my sisters wedding cake a few years back. I knew I could just tell her what my colors were, what flavors we liked, and leave the rest to her (trust your vendors, they know what they're doing). We used a couple of little gold giraffes from Gnome Sweet Gnome as a topper, and added a pink and gold cupids arrow shooting through the cake for a final touch.
Personal Touches: I glittered and painted pumpkins to adorn the staircases, and everyone had their own personalized mini pumpkin as their place card holder. Having an October wedding, I wanted to tastefully incorporate some fall decor - I was so pleased with how well it worked.
The Flowers: Planning a destination wedding, meeting with vendors sometimes proved to be difficult. I gave Flowers By Sue the creative freedom to do what she wanted. I mailed her my vases ahead of time and let her know the color scheme and what flowers I liked and didn't like. The rest was in her hands and she did a beautiful job.
Invitations + Paper Details: We ordered the paper from the Paper Source and bought a few fun fonts to work with. We made our own envelop liners using glitter paper from Hobby Lobby. It seems like a daunting task, but doing everything ourselves was so much fun. I was so in love with how the invites turned out. My sister actually made almost all of my shower invitations, the rehearsal invites, place cards, and the menus.
Guest Count: 70
The Favors: My sister is great with graphics, she pieced together a South Carolina palmetto moon with the outline of the state of Kentucky. They went together beautifully and we used it for our rehearsal invites as well as our koozie design. We still see our friends using our koozies, it's a very common favor but there's a reason for that - everyone loves a koozie!
Best Piece of Advice for Brides-to-Be: Stay focused on what your wedding is really about. Your wedding day will come and go so fast and the only lasting thing from that day is your marriage. Enjoy the planning and embrace what a truly special time it is, but don't get overwhelmed with tiny details. Trust your vendors and your gut, and remember to make time to still "date" your fiance through the planning process.
