We count any day Ryan Ray’s photos grace our pages as a REALLY good day. This time around, he’s taking us on a two-part adventure to Charleston, South Carolina for a wedding weekend that’s anchored in classic Southern elegance. Beginning with the rehearsal dinner designed by A Charleston Bride and described as “an ode to the groom’s Kentucky upbringing” you can dive right into the fun and stay tuned for the I Do up next!
From A Charleston Bride…Taylor and Rhett met in the ordinary circumstances of life working together, but years later when they decided to date, it transformed into something amazing. Upon meeting them both, you are immediately comfortable. It’s almost instantaneous. They both have a way of making you feel familiar and important with just a smile and a kind word. There is a bright light that radiates between the two of them and makes you believe in happy endings. You can feel all the gratitude and love they have for each other and it has a wonderful effect on everyone and everything around them.
The wedding weekend took place the last weekend in June in Charleston SC. The couple chose this location because they have a second home and business in the holy city and they frequently travel to visit for downtime. The rehearsal dinner took place at The Governor Thomas Bennett House, the wedding at Lowndes Grove Plantation, and the post-wedding brunch at The Mills House Hotel. Each venue represented unique aspects of Charleston charm and the couples love of the low country.
In meeting to discuss design, it’s always important to understand and get to know the couple well. How they design, how they dress, general taste, and just their overall demeanor. A well-designed wedding or event should evoke emotions from the guest that remind them of the couple. There is no greater compliment to a planner than to hear “this wedding is so them” and is the driving force of how I approach the design and ambiance. A wedding can be timeless, soft, and beautiful without being safe.
The rehearsal dinner had a masculine design and was an ode to the groom’s Kentucky upbringing. We created an earth-toned atmosphere of blues, greys, greens, mahogany wood, and subtle touches of gold and ivory throughout. Each place setting had a textured grey napkin, gilded stem cotton pod, fresh rosemary sprig, and horseshoe keepsake to accompany the playful bordered menu card design. Greenery runners of magnolia, eucalyptus, and rosemary ran down farm tables and loose green and white floral adorned the round tables mixed with textured natural linens.
A bluegrass band played southern melodies as guest entered the courtyard garden and were greeted with whiskey lemonade cocktails and passed buttermilk fried oysters, pimento cheese, and skewered shrimp and grits. The seating assignments were located on recycled wood pallets covered in greenery and chick wire and directed their table. The pallet was reused later in the night as a focal for speeches and a matching design backdrop with hanging vintage bulbs was placed behind the band. We used gingham fabric for pillows and utilized existing benches and rocking chairs for lounge seating.
The simplistic, yet stunning sail cloth tent for the seated dinner truly radiated in the night sky as their family and friends shared stories of the couple. The night was classic, relaxed, and naturally graceful.
A blue grass band played southern melodies as guest entered the courtyard garden and were greeted with whiskey lemonade cocktails and passed buttermilk fried oysters, pimento cheese, and skewered shrimp and grits. The seating assignments were located on recycled wood pallets covered in greenery and chick wire and directed their table. The pallet was reused later in the night as a focal for speeches and a matching design backdrop with hanging vintage bulbs was placed behind the band. We used gingham fabric for pillows and utilized existing benches and rocking chairs for lounge seating. The simplistic, yet stunning sail cloth tent for the seated dinner truly radiated in the night sky as their family and friends shared stories of the couple. The night was classic, relaxed, and naturally graceful.
Photography: Ryan Ray Photography | Cinematography: East West | Event Planning + Design: A Charleston Bride | Floral Design: A Charleston Bride | Wedding Dress: Anne Barge | Invitations: Studio R | Hair + Makeup: Ash & Co. | Calligraphy: Elizabeth Porcher Jones | Band: Simply Irresistible | Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse | Ceremony Music: Bob William Duo | Transportation: Absolutely Charleston | Venue: Lowndes Grove Plantation | Boat Exit: Classic Boat Charleston | Bridal Assistant: Cacky's Bridal Aid | Linen Rentals: BBJ La Tavola | Painted Crest Banner: Anne Melvin | Rehearsal Dinner: The Governor Thomas Bennett House | Rentals: Snyder | Rentals: Ooh! EventHaus | Rentals: Nuage Designs | Rentals: Polished | Ring Bearer's Attire: Florence Eiseman | Wedding Crest Design: Arabella June Design Studio | Welcome Bags: A Signature Welcome