Sea Island Wedding by Sarah DeShaw

Dreams of a Caribbean wedding quickly changed once this adorable couple saw the beauty of Sea Island. Their wedding is the perfect expression of all the elements they wanted to infuse like nature, comfort and style. They used the gorgeous oak trees as inspiration for their reception and just wait til you see all the pretty, pretty flowers! Sarah DeShaw captured each and every beautiful moment and there’s even more right here!

From the Bride… Mike and I are the perfect complement to each other. We met working at the New York City Economic Development Corporation together back in 2005. Our journey together has taken us from our workplace to Chicago and back to New York, where we settled in Brooklyn. We’ve been in Park Slope, Brooklyn since 2008.

When we first got engaged, we were planning on having a Caribbean wedding but quickly changed gears to embrace a more domestic yet still tropical locale. The Cloister at Sea Island was the best of both worlds. It had everything we needed for our guests to feel swept away but yet was still close enough to home. Once we decided on Sea Island, everything just flowed from there. At the invitation shop a beautiful ivory piece just jumped off the wall for me. I fell in love with the mossy green tree that was its motif. That tree, just like the ones our guests would travel under as they approached the resort, became our inspiration. It represented everything we wanted our wedding to be. Natural, inviting and beautiful. Expanding on that, Sea Island is surrounded not only by ocean and palm trees, but also lush, green lawns and large oak trees. We tried to incorporate moss green and chocolate brown throughout our wedding design. For the flowers, we used a cascade of beautiful spring flowers including peonies, ranunculus and, for a pop of color, blush pink roses. For the altar swag, we incorporated a lot of green and blush pinks in our flowers. We also used many, many candles throughout the reception to soften the lighting. I wanted everything to just glow!

When guests started arriving in Georgia, we wanted them to feel at home. So we treated them to a little of that famous Southern hospitality and some amazing BBQ, of course! The night set the tone for an inviting weekend. On the day of the wedding, we woke up to some rain clouds in the sky but were lucky enough to have it stay dry long enough for us to get married in the amazingly picturesque garden. It was my dream come true. At the reception, guests danced the night away in a softly-lit room with French doors that looked directly out to the ocean. Everyone dined on local cuisine and topped the night off with a beautiful cake with two intertwined chocolate birds on top! My favorite. It was the perfect Georgia night…

Wedding Photography: Sarah DeShaw / Wedding Venue: Sea Island in Sea Island, Georgia / Wedding Planning: Danielle Elder of Classic Events NYC / Floral + Event Design: Sea Island / Wedding Stationery: Lion in the Sun / Ceremony Music: Music by Pegge / Music: Island Sound Live / Favors: Georgia Peach Cookies via Byrd Cookie Company / Wedding Dress: Nicole Miller / Bride’s Shoes: Butter / Bride’s Earrings: Ippolita / Rings: David S. Diamonds / Hair: Steve Steve Hightower Hair Artists’ Studio / Makeup: Katherine Taylor / Groom’s Attire: His Own / Rehearsal Dinner Catering: Southern Soul Barbecue / Post Wedding Brunch Catering: Thyme It Right