Natalie + David {South Carolina Wedding}

Natalie + David translated their love for vintage European and Southern tradition into a beautiful Lowcountry wedding at the romantic Roseville Plantation in Florence, South Carolina.  The couple enlisted a team of talented vendors to create their special day including the sought after duo of MCG Photography.  Our blushing bride, Natalie, gave us an inside look into her once-in-a-lifetime afternoon...

 

Tell us about the proposal...  

We both specialized in post-1660 British literature and enjoy old-fashioned charm and beautiful settings. Thus we love Jane Austen novels, and we’re members of the Middleton Place Foundation which helps to support the Middleton Place Plantation in Charleston. At Middleton Place we have an oak tree where we like to sit and spend time on the plantation grounds. We consider it “our tree,” if you will.  It was while we were sitting under this tree that David proposed to me. He was actually so thoughtful about it that he proposed in both a traditional American way and in a nineteenth-century British way.  He asked “Will you marry me,” and “Would you do me the honor of making me the happiest of men” while on bended knee.  I was absolutely ecstatic and exclaimed, in between light yet passionate kisses, “Yes, yes, always, and forever and ever yes”!! We were engaged for exactly one year and celebrated our engagement anniversary and first day as spouses the day after our wedding under “our tree” at Middleton Place Plantation.

 

 

Out of the entire day, what was the most memorable moment? 

It might sound trite, but in all honesty, the most memorable moment of the day was when we exchanged vows. We both kept crying tears of the deepest kind of joy.

What’s your favorite picture from your wedding?

Corrie and James of MCG Photography are such amazing photographers, it’s difficult to choose just one favorite.  One that certainly is at the very top of our list, however, is the one of our first kiss as wife and husband. It really was such a magical moment. 

 

Why did you choose to have A Lowcountry Wedding? 

Since I grew up in the South, it’s easy to consider me a “southern belle,” and even though David is from Portland, Oregon, we both cherish the elegant, traditional, hospitable charm that the south has to offer.

 

 How did you choose your venue? 

We wanted to get married outside at a place that feels like it has southern and old-fashioned British charm, along with a sense of timelessness. We were thrilled when we found a plantation that met all criteria and even helped us to feel like we had stepped into the setting of nineteenth-century novel.

 

Tell us a little bit about your menu.  Did you add any Lowcountry elements? 

Since our wedding was in the afternoon, we just had heavy hors d’oeuvres in addition to the wedding cake, which had lace details and yellow roses, my favorite flower, to match my bouquet.  Since I’m a vegetarian, and some of our friends are too, we served a variety of meat and vegetarian options. Favorites among the guests included the bacon-wrapped scallops and tea cookies cut in the shape of our initials, which both have Lowcountry flair.  Seafood is popular in the Lowcountry, and tea cookies reflect the way that the south, especially areas like Charleston, continue to incorporate our British heritage while also celebrating particularly American twists.  In the South, for instance, we drink a lot of tea, but instead of often serving it hot like the British, we usually serve it iced instead.  Not surprisingly, we had plenty of both sweet and unsweet iced tea for guests to enjoy at the reception.

 

Your wedding was filled with gorgeous details.  Did any have special meaning? What was your favorite?  

Since we both specialized in post-1660 British literature, we wanted elements that reminded us of both the Romantic and Victorian Periods. Because of this we incorporated details such as cap sleeves and lace. My dress was mostly lace instead of satin and had cap sleeves. The Maids of Honor, too, had dresses with these elements. We also used lace to drape many of the tables, embellish the guest book, flower girl baskets, and ring bearer pillows, and wrap around the birdseed that guests tossed at us during our “grand exit.” Incorporating these kinds of details made the wedding excitingly feel “very us,” and carefully cutting piece after piece of lace with my mom is a part of the planning that I’ll always fondly remember.

 
Looking back on your engagement and wedding, is there any advice you would give to brides in the planning process? 

Absolutely- It’s so easy to get caught up in what can seem like the million and a half details. With so many elements to choose and try to perfect, it’s really no wonder that there are countless programs, books, and magazines dedicated to planning a wedding. When planning gets stressful, it’s important to remind yourself what the day is really about. It’s not details like your shoes, the table drapes, and the design on the napkins that matter most, but the love that you and your fiancé share and are there to celebrate. The day is about that celebration and your devotion to one another, not how elaborately you can throw a party to please the guests.  What you, and even your guests, will remember most are the moments that help express just how much you and your fiancé love each other.  Keeping these thoughts in mind can help immensely when you and your fiancé are working your way through the stress of planning and after the wedding as well.  No one, I imagine, wants to look back on her wedding day and remember it as the most stressful day of her life, but instead one of the happiest. Keep your focus on the love and happiness you and your fiancé share, and your wedding day will be one of the happiest days of your life, regardless of how any of the details unfold. 

Vendors

Photographer: MCG Photography  /  Ceremony and Reception Venue: Roseville Plantation  /  Videography: Heart Stone Films  /  Designer/Planner: We did most all of the planning, but we had assistance from Theresa Mann of As Southern As Possible Events  /  Invitations: The American Wedding  (and programs were by Laura Ashley)  /  Cake: Freeman’s Bakery  /  Flowers: Flowers by Starks  /  Favors: The American Wedding  /  Gown: David’s Bridal  /  Bridesmaids Dresses: Southern Brides  /  Tuxedos: Jos. A. Banks  /  Hair & Makeup: Stuart Laurence Salon  /  Caterer: The Catering Connection

Brittani {Guest Post}

I'm excited to introduce bride-to-be Brittani! 

Brittani is a recent college grad and a talented photographer who will be tying the knot in the Lowcountry next year.  She's graciously invited us to join her on her wedding planning journey as she navigates her way through venue selections, menu choices and everything in between!

Hey there ALW readers! My name is Brittani and I’m a bride-to-be planning my 2012 wedding to the man of my dreams. I’m so excited to start this journey with you all and I want to give a huge thanks to Erin for allowing me to share my experiences; on one of my favorite wedding blogs, no less! Erin and I both hope that by sharing as I go through the stages of this crazy thing called wedding planning, I may be able to help other brides-to-be navigate this crazy time, gain a little insight as to how (or how not to!) go about the process, or at the very least, offer a little entertainment.

To start this series, I’m sure you all want to know a little bit about me and my fiancé, so here we go! I’m a 22-year-old Maryland native who recently moved to the south and can’t get enough of this amazing place I now get to call home. I graduated from college this past spring and I’m currently living my dream as a lifestyle wedding and pet photographer here in the beautiful lowcountry of South Carolina.

My fiancé’s name is Dustin and he’s a 26-year-old handsome cowboy with deep South Carolina roots and an accent that will just about make you melt. We met in 2009 when I was a sophomore in college and he was travelling for work and in Maryland for a six month job in D.C. To spare you a long story, there was certainly a connection there from day one that I tried my hardest to ignore. Despite his persistence to get to know me better, I spent a few months refusing to give him the time of day. Oops! I’m so glad he can be stubborn though, because his persistence eventually paid off and by the time he was moving to Indiana for the next job, something inside told me I needed to get to know him better.

On a whim I flew to Indiana to see if that friendship we had developed for two months over the phone could be anything more, and let me just say – I truly believe that the very best things come to you when you NEVER expect it. After that trip, we both knew it was going to be hard but we wanted to try to make this long distance relationship work.

For two years we flew all over while he continued to travel for work, put thousands of miles on our vehicles, and spent a LOT of time missing one another. But I will forever be appreciative of what those few years taught me and how deeply I value our relationship for getting through sometimes six or seven weeks apart only to have three days together.

When I started my senior year of college, Dustin had moved back to South Carolina to work for a different company that would require less travelling and would allow more time with his son from a previous relationship (more on this little dude later!). We’d been talking about marriage for a long time and knew early in the relationship that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. With graduation fast coming, I knew a proposal had to be in the plans before long.

I drove to South Carolina over my spring break in March and truly thought “This is it!” the entire drive down. This was the perfect time to get engaged, but Dustin quickly threw that idea out the window shortly after I arrived by telling me he really didn’t want to get engaged until after I graduated so that I wouldn’t lose my focus. Of course I was disappointed, but he had a point. He also made sure to make a joke out of it and tell me that if I wanted him to propose so badly, he’d just go to the grocery store and get one of those cheap plastic rings out of the little bubblegum machine by the front doors.

One day after he got home from work, he asked me to help him out by his horse’s pasture, so reluctantly I peeled myself from an assignment I was working on and walked out to the field with him. I really can’t remember everything he said but he pulled me in close for a hug and told me he loved me, and then said, “Oh yeh, I almost forgot, I got you something,” and pulled out one of those cheap bubble containers from the store! I literally threw my head back, laughed, and just gave him a look that said “Good one!” He looked at me and replied, “No really, open it,” and the second I pulled that plastic pink top off, the most GORGEOUS ring was staring me in the face. Umm, you don’t have to be a genius to know that this thing definitely did not come out of a bubblegum machine! I was completely taken back, totally surprised that he actually surprised me (I’d always swore he wouldn’t be able to!), and started to cry. He said more sweet stuff and finished it off with “Will you marry me?” As the story goes, I said yes.

While it was a super-low key proposal, it was exactly us and just what I’d always hoped it would be…sweet, down-to-earth, and totally unexpected. We knew we wanted a pretty long engagement, and I definitely didn't want to start the planning process until I graduated. Soon after graduation in May, I moved to South Carolina and we spent the summer enjoying our time with Landon (his son), our horses, and our two yellow labs. Finally in August, we started the planning process and set our date.

Planning a wedding is extremely exciting and I can’t wait until that day to see the months of preparation, visualization, and planning come to be. But more than anything, I truly look forward to being surrounded by our friends and family, celebrating our love and commitment to one another, and officially coming together as a family.

In the couple of weeks I’ll be sharing what date we chose, which parts of the wedding were the most important to us, how we decided the vibe we wanted for the event, and more. I hope you join me over the next few months and of course I’d love to hear some of your experiences as well, so feel free to leave a comment!

Rebecca + Philip {South Carolina Wedding}

Back In 2004, toady's bride, Rebecca, relocated to Nashville, Tennessee.  While still becoming

 acquainted with the Music City, friends introduced her to Jo Dee Messina band member, Philip. 

The duo had an instant bond and shortly thereafter had their first date...in Honolulu, Hawaii! 

(Does that not sound like an episode of The Bachelor to you!?)  Seven years later Philip popped the question on July 12, 2010, Rebecca's birthday.

The couple had a gorgeous rustic wedding this Spring at Sans Souci Farms in Sumter, South Carolina.  The perfect weather,  picturesque Carolina scenery and the talented team from

Ricki Ford Photographers combined for these beautiful timeless images.

loooove this last shot...

Vendors

photographer: ricki ford photographers  /  caterer: catering for all occasions  / 

reception venue: sans souci farms  /  florist: the daisy shop  / 

planner: brenda holmes  /  entertainment: tad graham

Patricia + Josh {Galveston, Texas Engagement}

I know everyone says that on your wedding day it's all about you but it's not...and I don't

necessarily think it should be.  It's about you, your hubby-to-be and your families.  It's about

celebrating bringing two families together and also making your own.  That's why I love when

couples incorporate their kids (or pets!) into their engagement sessions.  With the help of

Love Caryn Photography, this sweet duo, Patricia + Josh, took to Stewart Beach in Galveston, Texas bright and early to take advantage of the perfect morning light.  With them, they brought

their beautiful twin girls and darling 7 month old baby boy for a timeless family affair.

Kaci {Myrtle Beach Bridals}

A good bridal session should be standard for any pretty little Southern Belle...and Mrs. Kaci's

shoot is a prime example. Planning an afternoon to get all dolled up in your wedding day attire is key.  Not only will it allow you a solid run through to make sure everything looks good and time to make any adjustments, it will also provide you with some stress-free time with your photographer to create some seriously frame-able images you might not have time for day of. 

Photographer Gillian Reinhardt of Carolina Studios spent a beautiful Lowcountry afternoon capturing this stunning bride in all her glory :)  Check back later this afternoon for Kaci and

her studly husband Nigel's engagement photos.

P.S. My favorite of all these beauties is the one directly below and to the right...the close up. Gorgeous!