Wildly Romantic Waterfront Wedding Overflowing With Florals

Melissa Hammam
August 15, 2023
Categories: Real Weddings, Romantic, Seasonal Wedding Trend, Spring, The Blog

[section title=”The Planning”]

[field title=”Wedding Colors”]

The wedding colors were blush, ivory, white, and green.

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[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

For Bailey and Steven’s wedding, we wanted to create a traditional Southern vibe with fun elements that spoke to the couple. The high school sweethearts met in Charleston, South Carolina, so it was important we found a quintessential Charleston venue right on the water as the couple spent so many of their years together being by the water with friends and family. We loved the traditional approach with just a touch of glam.

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]I was back for a short break from PA school in August of 2021. Steven had asked me if I wanted to come have a drink with him on his parent’s dock before going out to dinner. He picked me up and we drove to his parents house. It was funny, he would not make eye contact with me and kept talking about these dolphins that he had seen off the dock. I had been on that dock for 9 summers and very rarely did we actually see dolphins, so I was suspicious, but it was still highly possible. We got to his parents house and I said I was going to run inside real quick and drop my bag off and grab us some drinks. Steven said no no just wait I’ll do it all its “crazy inside”. At that moment I knew something was up. My sister asking if my nails needed to be done that week or my mom asking about my hair, it was starting to make sense. But…my sister was out of town (or at least I thought), so I still did not think he would propose with Anna Rhett gone. We walked out to the dock, still talking about the dolphins and the weather, and finally we made it out to the dock. Steven told me to look out for the dolphins and look at the kids playing in the water. Then he said my name and I turned around and he was down on one knee. A photographer popped up from behind the tube on the boat, and I could not believe this day was finally here. Steven and I had been together since sophomore year of high school and now we were finally tying the knot! Smiles, hugs, and tears occurred as we took pictures out on the dock. We facetimed my family, ran up and saw Steven’s parents in their house, and then Steven took me to see my grandparents. After visiting with them I was curious if dinner was actually going to happen or if more surprises were in store. We pulled back up to Steven’s parents house and all of mine and Steven’s closest friends were there waiting on us. It was a special night with so much excitement for the engagement season and wedding planning to come. [/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]

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[board_carousel title=”First Look”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]

[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

I went back and forth on whether I wanted some lace or no lace. I tried on dresses in October of 2021, but Anna Rhett was not there, so I knew I would not be buying the dress without my sister/MOH/best friend! At that point, I had tried on several dresses with lace tops and a plain bottom. After that appointment, I kept looking at other lace dresses and I knew that I would always compare the lace on my dress to others—so funny story, Anna Rhett and I actually “designed” my dress before we went back. I wanted straps, but I wanted the straps to lay a certain way on my shoulders and not look like a tank top. Anna Rhett and I found an Anne Barge strapless dress that we loved. It had pointed edges, which we thought would be perfect to continue straps off of and it look seamless, along with a ruched top and fit and flare bottom. When we went back to White on DI, we immediately pulled the dress, and that was it…I found my dress!! We added buttons all the way down the back as I loved buttons and did a cathedral-length train. Picking out the veil was special with my mom, and I hope this will be a family heirloom I can pass down to my children and grandchildren. We could not just leave the store with one dress, so I ended up getting my reception dress there as well. It was a completely different vibe, something “fun.” It was short, strapless with beading and flower applique, along with a feather bottom. It was so fitting for a fun party dress! It was such a fun experience shared with my family, and I could not wait to show Steven. I am the worst at keeping secrets but I was able to keep it a secret from Steven and all my friends, so it truly was a surprise on the day of!

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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]

The girls wore Amsale dresses in blush.

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[field title=”Groomsman Attire”][/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]

[field title=”Food & Drink”]

It was very important to celebrate the Lowcountry with Bailey and Steven’s guests. The couple grew up going to many oyster roasts together- a classic Southern get-together. So it was only fitting Technical Event Company built the couple a custom wooden raw bar for cocktail hour featuring the couple’s favorite seafood! As a surprise to Steven, Ice Age Ice Sculptures designed the couple an ice sculpture celebrating their new last initial in which bartenders used for Steven’s specialty cocktail- a Mexican mule! The dinner menu also included many southern staples-fried oysters, fried green tomatoes, and chicken and waffles. In a nod to Bailey, we surprised guests with espresso martinis after the couple cut the cake to keep the night going!

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

vero eventsWhen it came to our approach to the design, we wanted to keep our look traditional, clean and crisp but with a few focal pieces that set Bailey and Steven’s wedding apart from any other. Some of our favorite pieces included the greenery hoops throughout the tents. Vero designs dressed up greenery chandeliers that acted as accents to our chandeliers in the ten. Bailey also loved the idea of flowers completely covering the stage front and wanted to keep this look cohesive by adding to the bar back shelves in the adjacent tent. Bailey’s traditional bouquet featured over 50 garden roses! vero events used a variety of roses, ranunculus, hellebore, sweet pea, and hydrangea.

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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

Bailey and Steven had a family friend bake their wedding cake for them, which it made it all that more special. Mary Palmer baked a 4 tier cake with different flavors to appease all guests- cookies and cream, lemon and raspberry, carrot cake and cream cheese, and red velvet with cream cheese. A bottle of personalized Veuve Cliquot accompanied the cake table with Waterford crystal champagne flutes.

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]

The two exchanged vows in their family church, Grace Episcopal. The minister has known Bailey since she was a baby, so it was such a special moment to officiate her wedding. Bailey processed to Trumpet Voluntary- the same song her mom walked down the aisle to at her wedding. It was a very special moment for the two of them!

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[field title=”Special Detail #1″]

There were so many details about the day that I loved, from personal details to the vision Chloe Ewing and A Charleston Bridewere able to create! I got to wear my grandmother’s jewelry, which was a special touch as it gave me my “something old” and “something borrowed”. The invitations and stationery were STUNNING with gold foil and detailed drawings of the church underneath. I loved the koozies that Studio R Design was able to create. Steven and I have very fond memories of years of oyster roasts, so we incorporated that onto our koozies, which was a fun and personal touch! The entire ceremony space was breathtaking, with the flowers created by vero events and the lounge area created by A Charleston Bride; it was everything I wanted and more. The entire day and every single detail was absolutely perfect! I am so grateful to all the vendors who made my dream wedding come true. Chloe and A Charleston Bride were not just my wedding planner but some of our favorite people who are now friends! I have nothing but wonderful things to say and wish we could do it all over again next year!

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[field title=”Special Detail #2″]My favorite design aspect from the day was our lounge and bar tent. With over 350 guests, we knew we needed ample seating and a large bar to accommodate the large guest count. We actually built out the existing tabby at Lowndes Grove to create more space for guests. We had a custom 32 foot bar with lamps that created a cozy atmosphere. We added more personalized details with coffee table books so guests truly felt like they were at home and a huge central lounge that featured a stunning floral arrangement.[/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #3″]Many may not realize that we actually had to endure a pop-up micro-burst that brought wind, hail, and a torrential downpour as Bailey and Steven were exchanging their vows at the church nearby. Although we ended up tenting all areas, rain soaked our linens, knocked over lamps and flower arrangements. As soon as guests started to head over to the venue, the skies cleared and no guests had any idea what had just happened. It is a testament to our vendors that we were able to pull this off. Linens were replaced with dry ones, the florist came back to replace broken vases, and we had a staff member dedicated to holding the ice sculpture during the entire storm to stop it from falling over! As planners, it is hard to accept that sometimes things are just out of our control. However, having trusted vendors that will endure the elements to make sure your clients are happy make all the difference![/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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