So, I went to college with John, and having from day one felt like my brother, I can’t imagine being more excited about helping with his wedding.  Not to mention, Lauren is an awesome girl, and has absolutely stunning taste in wedding gowns, while John, dear as he is, has terrible taste in music, and Lauren is slowly saving him

They decided it would be amazing to have everyone come to Charleston to get a taste of the lowcountry, and of course, I agreed with them!  I couldn’t think of anyone more perfect to capture the memories than Evan Laettner.

They had simple requests, keep it elegant but loose, and let everyone have good food and a good time.  We were happy to do just that.  On a warm and sunny Island House day in July, the two tied the knot, and everyone shook a tail feather.

Special Thanks to: WildFlowers Inc, Florals * Evan Laettner, Photography Awesomeness * Cafe Catering, Catering * Dolce Bakery, Desserts * Paloosh Salon, Styling * Ines di Santo, Gown * Nina, Shoes

First and foremost, thank you to Diana Deaver for the amazing images of Sarah and Steven’s special day.

So Sarah loves her hometown of Charleston, and Steven couldn’t be from further away, with all of his family in Guam.  The couple now enjoys the warm sand and sun of Key West.  For their wedding, Sarah wanted everyone to get a taste of her mainland home, and in true Charleston hospitality, she and Steven planned a party to make those travelers from afar right at home!

Start with some orchids, lilies and other exotics, and laid back attire.  Add in gorgeous bouquets by Country & Lace for a punch of color. Bridesmaid dresses that could be worn a million ways had a true beach wear feel while still being elegant.

Since guest were just getting acquainted, who wouldn’t love a photo booth with crazy props!  I absolutely love this photo of Steven’s dad in a straw hat a la Huck Finn.

Long tables brought everyone to family dinner, and layers of linen, burlap, satin and greens filled an otherwise empty rectangle.

To get those recipes just right, I heard Regal Catering had a Polynesian chef tucked away, and did they ever deliver with amazing dishes like pancet and full roasted pig presented luau style per the tradition.  Add in fresh fruits and other traditional recipes, and it was a feast for the eyes as well as the appetite.

Polynesian woven fans and bright rose petals really amped up the ceremony- that along with some serious shoes worn by Sarah!

Custom stationery with textured jute and a wide open view of the Charleston Harbor had everyone sensing the islands.

The real kicker came when Steven was surprised by a little treat by his wife with the talented Efrain Martinez Avila spinning fire poi to authentic Polynesian drum beats on the lawn of Alhambra Hall!

To be sure we had just enough of the fire, nothing could be better than a sparkler finish!

Two Thomas Bennett weddings in a row, but what a great way to illustrate how different a space can become depending on your personality!  Shannon Michele Photography made sure each little detail was captured on this beautiful day.

Stephanie and Kevin love the classic downtown Charleston feel, but they wanted the homey charm of the Thomas Bennett House.  Their fun personalities burst through with great little hints like these fabulous shoes for Stephane!

Ike and Ange, or Ikelina, as they came to be known in the planning process, do not get a lot of free time together.  For their May nuptials, all they wanted to do was kick up their Kentucky heels with a great day for guests in downtown Charleston.

In the planning process, ‘organic’ was a word that kept coming out with them, so we kept things simple and beautiful.

Instead of a tent, clean ivory umbrella tables fit into the lovely garden of Thomas Bennett House, which only made the surroundings pop.  I love taking my sketches to Country & Lace, because she always turns out a perfect version of the vision.

Add some bourbon lovers and the bluegrass sounds of Blue Plantation, and you’ve got a relaxed evening of good times ahead.

Fresh herbs and garden roses made things look as if they were there to stay, and the fresh local menu from Gourmet Bay was just as mouthwatering as it was fresh and light.

I loved designing this wedding almost as much as I love the images I got from Karson Photography of it!

Jennifer and Jeremy knew a few things about their big day when we met: good music, bright colors of spring, and the oh-so-lovely Legare Waring House.

First, I must say when Val at RIchard Bell Photography is shooting, I know the memories will be beautiful and amazing, and she did not disappoint!

Bring in Debbie at Country and Lace Florist who totally understood Jen’s need for the beautiful and different from hello.  With Jen loving so many beautiful bright florals, linens needed to let them speak, so clean wipe swept through the tent with an awesome green and white print that we whipped into satin trimmed overlays to anchor the centerpieces with a nod to all of the beautiful lawn surrounding their big day.

Being two J’s, that overtook the symbol for the day from the stationery to the moss adorning the entry to the gate.  My crazy friend Hayden at the awesome Ashley Bakery brought nice and tasty culmination of the style into their cake.

Throw in Kathleen Wilson of Aquaharp to serenade everyone through the ceremony, which ended with them being pronounced married and Spiritually Yours bursting into “Oh Happy Day” as they escorted guests across the lawn into cocktail hour.

With Cafe Catering feeding everyone and DJ Bryan cranking out the tunage, it really couldn’t be topped.

With all of those cute touches, what more could a couple ask for but a crowd of guests ready to have a good time and celebrate with them!  Luckily for Jen and Jeremy, they happily obliged.

There is something I seek out in every initial meeting with a couple that is a crucial part of the process and that is the two to three things that are most important to them.

For Michael and Sarah, having a good time on their beach vacay was #1!  Good music and good times were the focus, and did they ever let them roll.  We simply added some amazing photography to capture the fun with Indie Sunday Photography.

To keep a beach ceremony intimate, one of my favorite things is to have everyone standing clustered around you.  Add Jean Jolly, an amazing singer/songwriter and close friend, and don’t forget a curry ring bearer named Jerry, and Voila! You’ve got a super sweet ceremony.

A front beach backyard full of southern fare from Tidewater Catering and cupcake confections from Wildflour Pastry kept everyone smiling while none other than Triple Lindy rocked it out!  They are def one of my fave bands!

How they made it personal:

-the COOLEST boutonnieres handmade by a talented friend

-an officiant and guitarist who are part of their circle of friends

-a family fun enough to conga line with the craziest masks I’ve ever seen as some surprise entertainment

Congrats, Sarah and Michael!

Amber and Bruce wanted a day that fit them.  What better way for two deeply-rooted lowcountry families to celebrate than a grand old southern throw down.

Special thanks to our new friends at Tumbleston Photography for capturing great memories!

Old Wide Awake was the perfect spot to celebrate a marriage, and crank up the music as loud as needed with no one around to hear!

Sweet Moments for making it personal:

-Amber showed her style with fab jewel-toned shoes

-The bride’s sister and BFF sang a sweet duet of “Til There Was You”

-Special Dances throughout the night with all of the most special people

-A gorgeous vintage stretch in which the entire guest list could have left

So everyone thinks it’s hilarious when a planer is planning.  While seemingly relaxed during my year long engagement, the hubs thought it hilarious to keep me on my toes by letting me the wedding had to be resched 3 months before the date!!!  I know, it was INSANITY.  It was doable, however, and with the military or any other important cause, you do what needs to be done.  With good partners in crime, anything is possible, and I’d like to thank the wonderful people below that I am also honored to call my friends and colleagues in the industry.

* Every amazing image below courtesy of Tomme Hilton.

I couldn’t possibly cheat you out of the opportunity to judge me for yourself.  About us: we’ve spent the past four years meeting up in various corners of the globe and exploring, then heading back to normal life, apart.  While we still, although married, have not figured out how to live in the same geographic location, we are, nonetheless, blissfully happy.  I do warn people now that if they want movie romance, they should prepare themselves for a lot of airport scenes.

So here’s the deets:

First impression thanks to my dear friend, Bethany of Thistleberry Press in Savannah.  Fantastic custom letterpress!

Belle Couture lined Modern Trousseau up to help create the tea length number to fit our war wedding, as we aptly named it, since we had 3 months to replan when we found out my hubs couldn’t make our original date thanks to duty calling.  Of course Lella Foster had to help me accessorize and Ann at Charleston Stems made everything colorful and gorgeous!

Thanks to Hampton Park Gazebo and the infamous Trae at Granville’s for good food and good times!

Our signature:  We paid homage to our traveling ways with vintage luggage for displays and the ever-present-in-my-life airmail boxes as centerpiece containers.  Erich is a diver  and on his travels, he  sends me a shell from every dive, so those definitely had to be shown off!

Molly from D’Lish Desserts gave me the amped up red and clean lines to fit perfectly and my happy Manolos made it a truly a cinderella evening-* that and having the perfect prince charming *I’m assuming I get brownie points for the last line.

DJ Bryan Mahanes kept us rocking all night!

Of course, the most thanks to my team, the Yoj gals!

By popular demand, here are a few more shots from the Chamberlains’ December 5 nuptials!

Richard Bell Photography

Richard Bell Photography

Oh boy!  So Jill and JB are fun, and on top of that, they have fun friends.  With a crowd like this , focus on amazing lighting and food and let them do the rest!

(c) 2009 charophoto.com

Things started off with an elegant ceremony at historic St. Luke’s downtown.  Charo was on-hand early, so not a second of the day would be missed, and she caught some FAB shots!

(c) 2009 charophoto.com

Every element of the day was about providing guests with a memorable party from the fab cocktails that greeted them at the entrance to the Boone Hall Cotton Dock to adding some time to allow for lots o’ shaking tailfeathers!

(c) 2009 charophoto.com

Throw in a classic black mustang driven by 7-year itch Marilyn, and you have to be fun to have a tiered cake of funfetti!

(c) 2009 charophoto.com

Rick Dean Photography

After dinner things got crazy and all of the beautiful people hit the dance floor.  It was not an option to leave out these amazing shots of the action!