This Intimate Summer Wedding Puts A Fresh Spin on Southern Charm

Lauren Megerdichian
July 15, 2019
Categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

This is southern charm like you’ve never seen done before, y’all. The gorgeous bride and groom tied the knot in an intimate summer wedding right outside of Charleston at Kiawah River under blankets of spanish moss – the setting couldn’t have been more romantic. Designed by Host & Haven, the solo reception table was decorated with unique details such as tortoise shell plates, bamboo director chairs and fresh white blooms from Vero Designs. Simply Sarah Photography captured every sweet moment perfectly, check out the full gallery for some major The Notebook vibes.

From the bride… Will and I met at Washington & Lee University. I was a freshman and he was a junior. Strangely enough, Will was the first guy I met on campus! My roommate and I went to a fraternity party and I remember feeling like a fish out of water. Will came right up to us and started chatting away. It wasn’t love at first sight. We became good friends for my first year of college and hung around in the same circles. It wasn’t until my sophomore year that we both started to think we might be something more than just friends. We started dating casually and then Will was hurt in a really bad accident during a tennis match. He was captain of the tennis team at W&L and he put his leg through a window at the indoor tennis center during a match. It was a pretty awful accident and he almost lost his leg that day. I think we truly fell in love in those weeks and months after his accident. We spent so much time together and I was very much a part of his recovery process. Sometimes in the face of adversity and bad times, something really beautiful can come out of it!

Will and I got engaged in Oxford England at Blenheim Palace! Will and I were living in the UK at the time for our respective jobs. I was in London and he lived in Oxford. Blenheim is a beautiful palace just outside of Oxford in the Cotswold’s that we frequented on weekends. We used to go for walks there and attend lots of local events. It is such a beautiful spot that Will felt it would be the perfect place to propose. He needed someone to bring the ring over from the US so he enlisted his parents to fly over for a visit to bring the ring and plan a surprise. We went to tour the estate with his parents and then he pulled me aside to go for a walk around the lake. He was nervous so I knew something was up! He got down on one knee right beside the lake and in the middle of rolling English fields. It was such a beautiful backdrop for the occasion. We then met up with his family for a champagne brunch at a pub to celebrate! I later learned that the night before, he dropped the ring in the sink of my apartment trying to look at it. After it almost went down the drain, he needed to get that ring on my finger ASAP!

Our favorite memory from our wedding is definitely the band. We hired the Liquid Pleasure super show for our reception. The band is a really special piece of our history together. Liquid Pleasure would play every year at Washington and Lee’s Parent’s Weekend. To this day our parents still talk about those parties and rave about the ladies who really bring the heat. They are the most fun and make everyone dance like there is no tomorrow. Our friends have since hired them for their weddings so it has been awesome to see them over and over again! My second favorite memory is leaving the ceremony to head to the reception. We had a second to just soak everything in and talk just the two of us.

We can’t say enough good things about Simply Sarah. Not only is she an amazing photographer, but we truly think of her as a friend after our wedding day. She makes you feel so comfortable in front of the camera and really gets to know you on a personal level. The whole day flowed so effortlessly which is a testament to Sarah’s care and guidance throughout the festivities. The pictures are natural and full of life and love which is a testament to her skill and timeless aesthetic. She made us laugh, cry, and celebrate all day. We usually don’t like getting our picture taken but you hardly even notice the camera when Sarah is around. I wouldn’t have hired anyone else to capture all the special moments of our day. Sarah’s work will be a forever memento of the best day of our lives!