[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]Blush pink and white, with lush pastel accents (lilac, peach, sage, light blue)[/field]
[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]Our dream wedding design was a classic, airy, summer English garden that was wistfully misplaced on the Charleston coast. My vision for our wedding was to highlight the natural beauty of our venue featuring the colors of golden hour. I envisioned our florals to be at the forefront of our design, while seamlessly blending into the surroundings, as if the floral cross and our tented place setting just happened to be a part of nature as it was. From the rich greenery to the blush petals mimicking the sunset to the rich navy of my bridesmaids gowns paying homage to the water, each choice was made to organically highlight the beauty of our surroundings and the hearts of those in attendance.[/field]
[field title=”Proposal Story”]Having met seven years ago in the beautiful coastal town of Charleston, Zach and I were no strangers to walks on the beach. Whether it was to celebrate an anniversary or to simply celebrate the gift it is to live where we do, Zach and I would take our girl, Sadie the lab, for walks along the coast and dinner at our favorite sushi spots, cautiously optimistically talking about the future. After almost five years together, Zach made the selfless choice to leave our beloved city to follow me to graduate school in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. There, our little family grew, with the addition of Ashe the husky, and we felt more and more confident in our love, confidence, and commitment to each other. On May 11, 2023, during a vacation back home to Pawleys Island on the South Carolina coast, Zach surprised me more than I ever have been and proposed with his grandmother’s ring on the most special walk on the beach, with the dogs of course, we’ve ever taken. We celebrated with families and closest friends at my parents house, followed by our happiest sushi date yet.[/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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[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]Growing up in New Jersey, my mom, siblings, and I spent many afternoons admiring the stunning gowns shown on Say Yes to the Dress at Kleinfelds, only an hour and half away in New York City. When it was finally my older sister and maid of honor Katie’s turn to find her dream dress we knew there was only place to go. Katie found her stunning lace ballgown at Kleinfeld and as I watched my beautiful sister turn into the princess I always knew she was, I silently hoped that one day I would get my own moment to spin around in my best dress (fearless!) in the stunning Kleinfeld salon. After my beachside proposal soon enough it was time to jump in the car and venture up to New York. I saw Anne Barge’s Dream Weaver online and knew it was high on my list to try on. I had always worn fitted gowns, but once you try on a ballgown you NEVER go back! The stunning beaded jacquard fabric, classic yet updated cut, and elegant design swept me away immediately. Dream Weaver is timeless, with a touch of glistening floral detail, and resonated so deeply with how I envisioned myself on my wedding day. Paired with a cathedral veil with beaded magnolias on the train, Dream Weaver made me feel the most beautiful I ever have, from the inside out.
My exit dress let me live out my Eras Tour dreams. My mom found the perfect bejeweled boots at Dillard’s around Christmas 2023, and my dad exclaimed “Where would you ever wear those?”. One of the most amazing parts of marriage is how the confidence you feel in your relationship inherently turns into confidence you feel about yourself. To end our reception, I strutted out feeling fully fearless (and very much like I was the man), celebrating every part of myself and the incredible love story I found.[/field]
[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]The women who made up my bridal party are some of the most important people in my life. While we were celebrating my unconditional love with Zach on June 15th, I saw this as a chance to honor the women who showed me that love first. My goal was that each of every one of these women felt confident and beautiful just as they are. The classic, beautiful, and effortlessly southern look of navy gowns in summer complimented and enhanced the inner beauty of my most important ladies, while seamlessly blending with the natural surroundings along the Ashley River at Lowndes Grove.
Something blue: The tried and true tradition of something blue came to me in a unique way while wedding planning. I feel extraordinarily grateful to have the friendships I made with my bridesmaids literally spanning decades. My something blue was my chance to highlight a possibly unexpected, but deeply magical friendship that came into my life more recently. Tori, my dear friend and wife of the Best Man, started as the name of a girl Brana, met at work who quickly captured all of our hearts. The person who once started as my something new, grew to become a part of my heart I never knew was missing. As breathlessly beautiful as the light blue she wore, Tori, my something blue, will be a part of my life, always.[/field]
[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]Very similarly to the bridesmaids, Zach’s groomsman are some of the most important men in his life. Zach chose Men’s Warehouse for his attire to ensure that all of his guys could have access to chic, modern suits wherever they were. Zach’s tux was a classic black and white look, paired with a bow tie and black and gold accessories. Zach wore his best watch, passed down from his dad as his own something borrowed.[/field]
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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”]The amazing selections from Patrick Properties allowed us to share the delish flavors found here in Charleston with so many of our family members who have never been! We wanted our options to be accessible for everyone we love and a good balance between fun and unique hors d’oeuvres at cocktail hour and filling satisfying dinner stations. The choice of stations allowed us to create an open atmosphere for organic conversation and connections while our guests enjoyed the entirety of the grounds at Lowndes Grove.
Cocktail Hour:
Champagne Boozy Pops: a classy summer throwback to late nights on King St at the Booze Pop stand
Shea Crab Soup Shots (such a big hit), Chicken & Waffles, Fried Oysters (several guests said this was there first time having an oyster!), Beef Wellington, Cucumber & Hummus Cup, Dinner Stations:
Carved Turkey
Petite Filet
Salmon
Truffle Gnocchi
Late Night Snacks:
Buffalo Chicken Wings tossed in Duff’s Hot Sauce. Duff’s is a local chicken wing spot in upstate New York and is home to me and my family’s altime favorite wings. We saw that PPG offered wings and requested to have them tossed in Duff’s sauce to give our guests an authentic Buffalo experience. Upstate New York is not always considered the most glamorous place, but it’s home to the people that love me and Zach fiercely and unconditionally. Growing up I made a promise to myself that I would only take one man up to Buffalo and it would be the person that I was going to marry. Zach made his first trip up to Buffalo in 2021 and attended his first Buffalo Bills game in 2022 and enjoyed his favorite chicken wing at our wedding in 2024.[/field]
[field title=”Florals & Decor”]We knew we wanted the flowers and natural beauty of our venues to be the focus of our design. I found Festoon’s portfolio online several years ago and knew instantly that Whitney and her team would be the ones to make our summer garden dream a reality! Our place setting was also a chance for us to incorporate our own style, with a stunning pink scalloped charger and gold utensils. The white linens on the main tables were intentionally chosen to match and compliment the beaded flowers found on my gown. From the bright patterned cocktail table linens by the dock to the pastel blue candles by our setting, each detail was chosen to cohesively create the bright, light, and airy feel that radiated through the whole weekend.[/field]
[field title=”Wedding Cake”]Our cake flavors were Italian Cream with Chocolate Ganache and the Chocolate Kahlua with Vanilla buttercream (who doesn’t coffee and cake together?). I wanted to feature more of our stunning flowers placed organically on and around our cake. Our sweet girls of course made their appearance as well, taking a bite of the side and stealing the show as our take on a cake topper. The piped icing was also designed to match the magnolia pattern on my dress and veil.[/field]
[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]My grandparents walked down the aisle to Moon River, which is their wedding song played 62 years ago at their wedding ceremony. During our ceremony, we lit the same unity candle that was lit at both my parents wedding and my sister and brother-in-law’s wedding, representing our two lives and families coming together as one. The blessing of hands was one of my favorite parts of the ceremony, as it is our hands that show love and fulfill the acts and promises we both made.[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #1″]#1: Ever since I was young I always knew I wanted to incorporate my mother’s floral teacups that were passed down to her by her own grandmother. I always heard stories of the beautiful woman that Jennie Cupole was, and felt so strongly that a part of her was captured so well in her beloved teacups. As part of our guest seating display, her teacups were featured and delicately placed among blooms and greenery. This stunning piece was the perfect way to honor a woman who meant so much to my mother and grandmother and flawlessly tie in the cornerstone of our design inspiration. Highlighting my own grandparents was important to me as well. The perfume I wore, Petals by Lili Bermuda, is a signature fragrance from my grandmother’s dear friend’s local perfumery in Bermuda. Her and my grandfather spent many years vacationing in the beautiful parish of Hamilton, and when it was time to pick the perfume I would wear on my wedding day, Petals was the perfect choice.[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #2″]When it came time to select our ceremony music, I knew even from years ago that I wanted to ask our dear family friend and my lifelong harp teacher, Elaine, to perform. I always imagined the woman who means so much to me playing the classic wedding piece, Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major, as I walked down the aisle. Elaine has supported me and watched me grow both as a musician and a person through some of the most important moments of my adult life. She performed on my Lyon & Healy Style 100 harp and helped to create the sacred and absolutely magical atmosphere at our ceremony.[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #3″]#3: It wouldn’t be our wedding day if our girls, Sadie and Ashe, weren’t a part of it. Co-parenting our dogs has been an incredibly important part of growing the responsibility, trust, and confidence in our relationship. They were well featured in details throughout our day, including making a special appearance for pictures before our first touch as our signature drinks.[/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]
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Photography: Kailee DiMeglio Photography | Event Design: Pure Luxe Bride | Event Planning: Pure Luxe Bride | Floral Design: Festoon | Wedding Dress: Anne Barge | Cake: Ashley Bakery | Invitations: Studio R | Ceremony Venue: I'on Chapel | Reception Venue: Lowndes Grove | Catering: PPHG | DJ: Melodic Entertainment | Beauty: Charleston Bridal Collab | Film Lab: PhotoVision Prints | Lighting and Draping: Lowcountry Entertainment | Linens: Nuage Linens | Linens: BBJ Linen | La Tavola Linen | Rentals: Snyder | Rentals: Eventworks | Specialty Vendor: Cacky's Bridal Aid | Video: Dock House Digital | Watercoloring: Studio R