Oh, have we been waiting to get our hands on this Southern celebration. It’s the Charleston wedding of our blogger bride, Shelby of Pretty in the Pines and after fun peeks at everything from her venue hunt to her bridesmaid brunch, we just knew this gem was going to be a good one. Get the behind the scenes scoop of the day from the Bride herself and pore through all the beauty captured by Jake + Heather, plus a sweet film by Heart Stone!
From Shelby of Pretty in the Pines…I am SO excited to share with you all of the details of our favorite day… June 10th (which is also my grandparent’s anniversary). Having spent a year and a half planning our wedding together, we were beyond ready for the day to finally arrive. The entire weekend was filled with so much love, was more perfect than we imagined, and we just loved reliving the day through these beautiful photos captured by our photographers Jake and Heather. Where do I even begin?!
When I woke up the morning of our wedding day, I felt the most calm I’d felt in a long time. I had this sense of pure joy and gratitude and I just couldn’t believe how I was going be marrying my favorite person in front of all of our family and friends. Soon after my bridesmaids and I arrived to the beautiful Legare Waring House, I snuck downstairs to peek at the reception being set up under the tent. Seeing the vision we had been putting together in our minds come to life was so exciting and all I could think about was how I wanted this day to slow down! Even the weather was unseasonably cool and pleasant (well, no humidity and in the 80’s for Charleston, SC is not normal). The sunshine was out and I was bursting with excitement for everyone to arrive! One of my favorite parts of the day was getting our hair/make-up done with my mom and bridesmaids. I treated each bridesmaid to a cute robe to get ready in and the prettiest crystal cluster earrings to go perfectly with their bridesmaid dresses. This was actually the first time that I had even seen all of the bridesmaid dresses in person. We decided to do mix-and-match dresses from completely different places in a variety of grey and blue shades with each having it’s own unique details and embellishments. I’ll always vividly remember the moments of getting ready with my girls and listening to 2000’s hip-hop music with Ash & Co.! Everyone just looked SO beautiful.
My husband, TJ, had a pretty epic morning as well. He was walking around downtown Charleston with one of his groomsmen looking for a place to have brunch and he ran into our chocolate lab, Colberson, walking with her pet-sitter! It made TJ’s morning to see her and we both say that it was a sign for how perfect the rest of the day would be.
TJ and I decided to have a first look for several reasons but mainly so that we would be able to spend more time with our guests during cocktail hour instead of taking photos. With our wedding being a “destination” wedding, it was important for us to spend time with each guest who traveled to be there. With an intimate 110 guest count, that was totally doable! Everyone always says this but it is true… your wedding day will fly by SO quickly. Before I knew it, I was in my dress and it was time to go see TJ for our first look. As I walked outside to find the guy I fell in love with over 7 years ago standing under a big beautiful oak tree waiting for me, I couldn’t help but just cry tears of happiness. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was, how beautiful it was outside, and seeing him felt like a dream. When I got to the oak tree, I tapped him on the shoulder, and gave him the biggest hug imaginable.
Our ceremony was set in between two rows of huge oaks trees with long branches that met in the middle to create a canopy of shade for the guests. My bridesmaid, Meredith, who also happens to own Oaks and Gray Paper, designed a beautiful welcome sign for us garnished with greenery that guests were greeted with upon arrival. TJ and I chose a few of our most special songs for the ceremony (we love Ed Sheeran’s ‘Tenerife Sea’) and we made sure the ceremony was very “us”, complete with a couple of our favorite readings and our handwritten vows. Our guests enjoyed cocktails after the ceremony overlooking a beautiful lagoon. TJ and I had to somehow include our dog in the wedding so we named our signature cocktail after her… which was a huge hit! We had our guests take mini polaroid photos to insert into our guestbook but ultimately resulted in our flower girls and ring bearers going around and taking photos of everyone… it was adorable!
Our reception was held on a large patio behind the house underneath a huge white tent. We loved that our venue was basically a blank slate which left us a lot of room for creativity when choosing the design behind it all. Grey-washed long farm tables, soft pink flowers and greenery, a grey wooden dance floor, and white beaded chandeliers filled the space. We went for casual yet classic style with a hint of boho incorporating soft shades of grey and white with pops of soft blues. We did our first dance to ‘True’ by George Strait, ate the best southern food, and danced the night away while our band, Steel Toe Stiletto, kept the party going.
Advice I would give for anyone else planning their wedding? Invest in what will make your day memorable, not just beautiful on the outside. Don’t stress about the small stuff. Our guests still talk about how great the band was, the food, how many “Colberson Cocktails” they enjoyed (named after our dog), the beautiful outdoor setting, and our vows. The chevron wooden bars or chandeliers? Not so much, although, they sure were pretty. We were also so thankful we had Stephanie Shaul Events there to help make the day run smoothly. Having an experienced planner allowed us to really soak in each moment with each other and with our family/friends! Words can’t even begin to describe how special that weekend was and how loved our family and friends made us feel. Promising your love to your best friend for forever is a feeling that is so surreal… it is simply the best!
Thank you so much for following along with our wedding planning journey on SMP! It has been so fun documenting all of the details and, hopefully, you’ve found some inspiration or helpful advice along the way! You can follow along with our marriage journey on www.prettyinthepines.com!
A Charleston Engagement | Surprise Bridesmaid Brunch | Tips for Selecting Your Venue | How to Make Your Registry Meaningful | Travel Themed Bridal Shower
Photography: Jake + Heather | Videography: Heart Stone Films | Florals: Wildflowers Inc. | Gown: Pronovias | Cake: Artistic Cakes by Linda | Invitations: Minted | Rings: Bailey's Fine Jewelry | Catering: Crazy Dutchman Catering | Hair and Makeup: Ash & Co. | Band: Stee Toe Stiletto | Ceremony Music: Bunn DJ Company | Bridal Robe: BHLDN | Bride: Shelby Vanhoy | Bridesmaid Earrings: Bauble Bar | Bridesmaid Robes: Amazon | Getaway Car: Lowcountry Valet | Location: Legare Waring House | Programs and Menus: Lichen Ink | Reception Dress: BHLDN | Rentals: Ooh! EventHaus | Signage and Calligraphy: Oaks + Gray Paper | Tent and Dance Floor: Snyder Event Rentals | Wedding Coordination and Styling: Stephanie Scholl Events