A Hurricane Pivot Plan and Pops of Pink in Lowcountry

Lauren Megerdichian
January 22, 2024
Categories: Real Weddings, Romantic, The Blog

[section title=”The Planning”]

[field title=”Wedding Colors”]chartreuse, olive, neutrals and all hues of pinks[/field]

[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]We were lucky enough to essentially have two weddings–one planned extensively, and one thrown together at the last minute to outrun a hurricane! More on that to come… When making our original wedding plans, we really wanted every second of the day to feel like a party – fun was my focus! This was reflected in the vibrant colors, the spicy margaritas, the second hand parade, the interactive band, the cowboys hats, etc. I really wanted people to walk away simply saying they had the best time! From a design standpoint, we wanted something that was reflective of us as a couple. We had small nods to the Lowcountry like game feathers in the florals, while also attempting to keep the design timeless. Having pops of color was a MUST, so we brought those elements in through flowers and the invitation suite. Ultimately, we did have the wedding party of our dreams, just at a slightly later date! We actually said our vows a few days early in a totally unexpected setting, and, looking back now, I wouldn’t change a thing. [/field]

[field title=”Proposal Story”]Forrest’s proposal was amazing, but it hardly caught me by surprise! Allow me to elaborate… There I was at dinner with a friend on a Thursday night when I got an unexpected text from my future mother in law, Carolyn. The text was intended for my mother, but Carolyn had accidentally included me as well! To my great shock and elation, I read Carolyn’s message to my mom: glowing remarks about how excited she was for me to join the family followed by an extremely detailed play-by-play of how Forrest was soon to propose that Sunday! It took the two moms about 5 minutes to realize their error.

They tried their best to intercept, calling my dinner companion to steal my phone away, but it was too late- the cat was out of the bag, and I was delighted. As she put it later “not only did I spill the beans, but I gave you the whole darn recipe!” In truth, it was hilarious and actually set the pace for the rest of our wedding festivities…just a perfect chaotic mess that I wouldn’t change a bit!

Forrest did end up successfully surprising me a few weekends later. He proposed at my childhood home, the spot where we had our very first kiss in high school, and then invited all of my friends and family to his parents’ house afterwards for fun and fireworks!

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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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[section title=”The Fashion”]

[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

I adored my wedding dress– a romantic gown with cascading shoulder bows from Modern Trousseau in Charleston. My wedding earrings were custom made by Dee Ruel of Charleston, and my shoes were from Something Bleu. My party look was sleeker- a dress by Marquise Bridal paired with Islo Isabelle Lorusso gold pumps and a rhinestone-encrusted cowboy hat from EastnWest. A cowboy hat always makes everything more fun! My “hurricane wedding” look was a little more ad hoc. I wore a dress by a designer on Etsy, Cult Gaia pearl earrings, and a pair of shoes I grabbed from the mall in a frenzy that morning.

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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]My vision for my bridesmaids was for them to feel as beautiful and bomb as I hoped to feel on my wedding day! I told them to wear any pink dress as long as it made them feel amazing. My girls brought a fun mix of elegant and funky, and I think they looked fab.

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[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]Our wedding was black tie, and Forrest and his groomsmen wore bow ties from the local brand Brackish with their tuxes. Even in elegant formal wear, the boys managed not to take themselves too seriously, arriving in style in the local “Longhorn Limo.” This automobile is a gem: a 1980s limousine with red velvet seating and great vibes. This fit well with my wedding day gift to Forrest: an engraved cowbell! This was a nod to our mutual love for SNL that I knew would make Forrest laugh. [/field]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]

[field title=”Food & Drink”]Food stations served classic Charleston fare –crab cakes and scallops, fried chicken, short ribs, and a crowd favorite – ricotta ravioli! And who could forget the late night — corn dogs, ice cream sandwiches and smash burgers!

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]Our florals featured tons of texture and mixtures of elements from proteas, to garden roses, to palms, and ranunculus. The florist did a great job of marrying funky elements in with the tried and true traditional blooms.[/field]

[field title=”Wedding Cake”]The cake was fun yet sophisticated. We wanted something sleek in design to let the flowers around it shine. It was just as yummy as it was pretty – with flavors layers of Lemon, Vanilla with salted Caramel, and Hazelnut with Cream Cheese.

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

At both weddings, I walked down the aisle to “Multiplied” by NeedtoBreathe. This song is magical in every way, even when played from a small bluetooth speaker, which is what we had to do during our hurricane wedding, as the musicians were unavailable on such short notice, and the sound system had been struck by lightning! This perfectly imperfect memory was made even sweeter when we finally had a string quartet playing the song live as I walked down the aisle again at our second celebration.

My pastor, Buster Brown, officiated both of our wedding ceremonies. He is the head pastor of the church I have attended my entire life, and I respect him beyond words. Reverend Janis Kent, one of my personal heroes and a dear friend, delivered a reading and prayed over our marriage as the sun set over the water at our second celebration. Of the entire night, her prayer is one of my most treasured memories. I will carry it with me forever.

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[field title=”Special Detail #1″]Our original wedding plans were interrupted by Hurricane Ian bearing down on Charleston. Even despite my close family friendship with our local weatherman, none of us could predict this! When our venue was forced to shut down due to high wind speeds, we decided to forge ahead and get married a day early, converting our rehearsal dinner into a wedding celebration. This came with its own set of logistical hurricanes. Most importantly, we needed a church. After a phone call to a pastor I had never met and an impromptu vote by the church elders on this unconventional last minute request, we secured a sanctuary across the street from our rehearsal dinner! The rest is history. In the midst of the chaos, the rain, the wind, the constant pivoting and the emotional rollercoaster…our people showed up. And when I say showed up, I mean SHOWED UP with all the love, encouragement, excitement, smiles, and big fun energy of any big ol’ wedding. A literal hurricane could not stop our friends and family from showing up for us that night. To this day, I truly have never felt more in awe. In particular, my dad and my mother in law Carolyn, were rocks that entire week and went above and beyond in every way to make our rehearsal dinner turned wedding one of the most beautiful nights of our lives![/field]

[field title=”Special Detail #2″]One of my favorite moments of our “second wedding day” was the champagne toast to our bridal party. I took this as an opportunity on our big day to tell all of our best friends exactly how big THEY make us feel! I got to express how incredible our friends are and how thankful I am that God placed each of them in our lives. I treasure and admire their unique personalities and strengths, and was sure to tell them that yes Forrest is now stuck with me forever, but they are too![/field]

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