Where do heroes get married and celebrate? On a giant aircraft carrier, of course!  Brian and Stephane have such an amazing story of triumph from Stephane beating cancer to Brian overcoming a tragic battle injury in the middle east.  Such a couple deserves the perfect day and a big celebration of life!  The Yorktown provided the perfect backdrop for several hundred of their fans, fam and friends to come celebrate.

Some of my fave partners in crime were on hand to send them off in a big way from Iron Gate Events Catering, to the amazing imagery of new friends Red Shutter Studios.  Let’s just say the pros made sure no one missed out on the fun!

Contributing Pros: Red Shutter Studio, Iron Gate Catering, Country & Lace Florist, Aircraft Carrier Yorktown

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!

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!

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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, to get started, write down everyone you can think of that you would want to see on your wedding day and then cut from there.  Ask your parents and future in-laws for their lists too.  Then, throw a dinner party and ask everyone who has a stake in the wedding guest list to attend.  (all things are better discussed over food and wine!).  There will be people that everyone agrees must  be in attendance; there will also be potential guests who everyone does not agree on.  Take a few things into consideration: your relation to the guest, how long its been since you last saw then, and my “golden rule” of guests lists, would you be upset if you weren’t invited to their event.

I do not believe in the “B-list!”  …and of course I’m going to tell you why:

1. Charleston is a destination city. Many of your guests will treat it like a vacation, s0 you can usually only account for about 10% of guests not to show.  That is a significant difference from the national average of 20% no-shows.
2. You can end up over your guest count.  We all know that everyone isn’t punctual with reply cards.  You can easily go over your target guest count if you extend B-list invitations and then some A-listers show up you didn’t count on.
3. B-list invites are obvious.  Let’s just say we all know when we’ve gotten those last minute apologetic phone calls.

Once you’ve got it all narrowed down, I suggest using notecards to keep track of your guests.  Using these note cards will help you keep track of your guest count, what you’ve sent them, and their gift.  Keep all of these notecards in a recipe box in alphabetical order–easy to transport and nice to keep from engagement through honeymoon!

So, don’t let the guest list get you down or family members worked up.  Your wedding is a time for celebration and whoever is in attendance on the big day will make it special…just stay pro-active and organize from the beginning!

I really wanted to throw out some of the great dress up photos, but I can’t show future brides in the look for their big days!

Be on the lookout for the next one to check out some fun new wedding pros!

Thanks to all of the great vendors for sharing their advice D’lish Desserts, Wildflowers, Lella Foster, Action Media, Karson Photography, Belle Couture Bridal, and us!