Elegant Lowndes Grove Plantation Wedding

Melissa Baran
June 9, 2015
Categories: Real Weddings, Romantic, The Blog
Tags: Southern Wedding

If the charming South were my home, Lowndes Grove Plantation would most definitely have been a contender for our wedding venue. Beyond Virgil Bunao‘s breathtaking captures of this day, the beautiful Bride’s statement sums it up: When Dave and I drove into the gates, I started crying from excitement; we knew that this was the place we’d get married. See every bit of happy tear-inducing beauty in the gallery.

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From The Bride…The day after my fiance and I got engaged, I dove headfirst into the planning process. I saw a picture online that led me to call Lowndes Grove – not even 24 hours after our engagement, I had already booked our first (and only) venue tour. When Dave and I drove into the gates, I started crying from excitement; we knew that this was the place we’d get married. We fell in love with the timeless elegance of the house and the classically Charleston backdrop of the trees hanging over the Ashley River. Initially we planned to get married in front of the house, but due to rain, we got married on the side of the house in front of the river. Talk about blessing in disguise!

When I met with Melissa (and everyone else) at A Charleston Bride, it was like she reached into my brain and put my thoughts into words, and then into something tangible. With a January wedding, I knew I wanted to focus on muted, soft hues. Gray is my favorite color, so I wanted to keep with a somewhat dusky theme – there’s something beautiful in the haze. I went with a smoky lavender to emphasize the gray tones throughout, and my bridesmaid dresses were “stone” – they tend to appear different colors based on the light (sometimes brown, sometimes gray, sometimes mauve – as you may be able to see in pictures). For the bouquet, I wanted something “different” – nothing showy, but definitely a unique quirk to it… which is where the air plant came in. I love how funky it is – and the muted tones of its leaves, of course. My dress is one that I almost refused to try on… I’ve known the owners of the bridal salon (Formally Yours in Lilburn, GA) for several years, and they suggested I try it “just for fun” – clearly they knew me, as I fell in love with it. I love the delicacy of the lace but the subtle pop of the gold underlayer. I’m really attracted to neutrals, because I love that they don’t call attention to themselves – they blend in yet can easily stand alone. I didn’t want the dresses, the flowers, the linens, or any other material aspect to be the focal point – they were merely vehicles to highlight our love for one another, for our family, and for the celebration of our marriage (emphasis on celebration!). So many of Virgil’s photographs capture this atmosphere – I really tear up every time I look at the pictures from that night!

Dave and I met at church, and we had two of our pastors officiating- each were able to incorporate a personal story about us into the ceremony. For the reception, we wanted the dance floor as the main focus – we easily spent half the night dancing. Our band (East Coast Party Band) was amazing – they really emphasized the “party” atmosphere that we were going for.

You know how people say that they really wished they could have done more at their wedding? I’ve heard both brides and grooms say, “I wish I ate/drank/danced more…” Dave and I have no regrets about that night. We ate, we drank, we danced, we celebrated – there’s not one thing that I look back and say, “man, I wish I got to do that.” The night was absolutely magical, and there’s nothing more that we could wish for!