Get ready, folks… ’cause this is a good one. First of all, this might be one of our favorite “how they met” stories of all time. She was the wedding planner, he was a guest at the wedding, he asked the bride for her number… and the rest is history. I mean is that not a real life rom-com or what!? Folie A Deux brought the bride’s colorful vision to life, with bright florals from Gray Harper adorning every corner. Lucky for us, The Happy Bloom was there to capture every can’t miss moment – including the sweetest surprise bridesmaid ever! See the full gallery for more!
From The Happy Bloom… What happens when a wedding planner with a love of color plans her own destination wedding in the lowcountry state of South Carolina? Magic! Joanna, owner of Square Mile Events in New Jersey, set her eyes on the state of South Carolina for her big day.
With a love for details and passion for family, she began to design the perfect destination weekend for her closes friends and family. At first glance – we saw Joanna joined by her 7 bridesmaids starting hair and makeup early in the AM. But upon closer inspection, we discovered that their pup (French Bulldog, Ellie) donned her own honorary bridesmaid attire during the getting ready process of the day. Guests were treated to Southern cuisine, an incredible view of the ocean and tequila shots that acted both as a refreshing cocktail hour started AND an escort card to help a guest find their seat.
From Bride, Joanna… It is only fitting that Eric and I met at a wedding where I happened to be the bride’s wedding planner. He asked the bride for my number after her big day and we have been together ever since. We knew we wanted to host a destination wedding to give our guests an opportunity to unwind and relax over the course of a weekend. Joanna’s family has had a vacation home in Hilton Head for over ten years and after the first site visit to Sea Pines Resort we both knew the venue was perfect for our big day. The kindest compliment we received about our wedding was that we made a large wedding with 200 guests feel intimate and personal.
Joanna included a handful of wedding details as a nod to her Scandinavian heritage including leading guests in a traditional Swedish toast and escort card margarita straws with “Skål!” printed on the flags. Our florist attached Joanna’s grandfather’s medal from when he was knighted in Finland in 1939 to her bouquet to keep a piece of him with her for the day. We included our beloved French Bulldog Ellie in our ceremony processional as well as her silhouette in various decor elements including our custom crest and French Bulldog topiaries framing our tent. Our close friend served as our officiant and we recited personal vows under the iconic Liberty Oak tree at Harbour Town. We loved our bright blooms and our florist donated all of our flowers to Savannah Hospice the day after our wedding so others could enjoy them as we had the night before.
Photography: Justin Leon Brown (formerly The Happy Bloom) | Videographer: Heart Stone Films | Florist: Gray Harper Event Maker | Invitations: Flourishing Penguin | Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Azazie | Catering: Sea Pines | Hair + Makeup: Bride's Side Beauty | Suits: Indochino | Bridal Boutique: RK Bridal | Bride's Dress: St. Patrick-La Sposa | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Music: On The Move Entertainment | Planning: Folie à Deux Events | Rentals: Beachview Event Rentals and Design | Rentals + Tent: Ranco Tent Rentals | Resort: Sea Pines | Ring Box: The Mrs Box