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Dreamy southern wedding locale in the ever amazing Charleston South Carolina. Spanish moss swinging from trees.  Spots of gold &  navy detailing at every turn, intermingled with pinks in the form of delicate ribbons on cake on gooseneck blooms.  Picturesque Charleston wedding setup with gas lantern lite estate home & sweeping river views.  In other words, down right Charleston wedding perfection!  LeAnna Stapleton & Joseph Haigler wanted the true southern romantic wedding and did they ever get it in spades!  Playing the day into a more traditional hand, from locale & decor to the gorgeous styling of LeAnna & her bridal party, southern dreams sprang to life.  Finding a dreamy ceremony spot nestled along the reeds, the day was brought to life with tall glass vases filled with billowing blooms while white petals led the way down the aisle. LeAnna & Joseph’s Charleston wedding is the picture perfect southern wedding dream many dream of.  As if that all wasnt enough, one sweetly adorable flower girl was on hand, hamming it up in her own way, and quite possibly on of the more stylish and beautifully dressed mothers of the {bride/groom} I have seen in some time {you killed it!}!  From cakes to blooms to one beyond gorgeous bride, enjoy this Charleston wedding treat, and pin away!

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Novella of the Bride…

LeAnna is a Jersey girl at heart that fell in love with Charleston’s southern charm.  LeAnna attended the College of Charleston, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.  In her free time, LeAnna loves going to the beach and being out on the water with friends.  She likes training for and running half marathons, hanging with her & Joey’s pitbull, Sampson, reading, trying new foods & restaurants, and traveling as much as possible!  Joey has lived too many places to name, but also attended the College of Charleston and also graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.  He enjoys going to shows, drinking good beer, taking LeAnna to new restaurants, lifting weights and running, and spending time with Sampson.  After college, both Joey & LeAnna worked at the same company in different financial departments.  Finally, after working there for over 2 years, LeAnna was offered an opportunity to take Joey’s position, as he was starting a new department.  It was during those training sessions that LeAnna began to fall for Joey’s corny jokes and excellent accounting skills.  A few months later, they both admitted their feelings for one another, and have been inseparable since!  They started dating in September 2009, which is why Joey wanted to marry LeAnna in the month of September, as it would remind him of the times when they were first falling in love.

We actually live in the same community as the venue, and we have ridden our bikes and ran past the venue many times before we were engaged.  Dunes West was the first venue we looked at, and after looking at just a few others, we knew it was the right place for us.  Jason Hanson, the Food & Beverage Director, made us feel so at ease and we knew we would be in great hands with him along with Megan.  The building itself is a plantation style with two floors and wrap around balconies, which are perfect for watching the gorgeous sunset over the water.  We loved the oak trees and also fell in love with the private courtyard which we used for our ceremony.

Since most of our guests were visiting from out of town, we wanted to give them a taste of Charleston.  We started by providing guests with fan programs for the ceremony & having a string duo perform while they were being seated.  Rose petals were scattered along the isle as well as on the dinner tables to add a soft, romantic touch.  We tried to keep the menu very southern as well, from the grit cakes & fried green tomato appetizers, to the mac & cheese station, southern style green beans, and squash casserole at dinner.  We had fun with the design of our cake, which we must credit Chef Deb for her creative idea.  We loved how each tier was a little different put was pulled together perfectly.

A Little Help From Their Friends ~ Aside from our good friend, Megan, who was the wedding planner, my Maid of Honor Kristina Mackie helped with some other graphic designs.  For our table names, we used pictures of us from different places we have traveled together, so she created those for us, as well as the seating chart, which was designed as a giant post card of sorts.  She also created the Instagram & Bar Menu signs.

Favorite Moments ~ We are so glad that we let Aaron & Jill talk us into doing a first look.  We spent an hour, just Joey & I together, walking around the venue while they took pictures of us from afar.  I am so glad we got to see each other’s reactions privately and up close, and talk to each other before the events of the day started and all the guests arrived.  We also each wrote 3 things we love about each other to read in addition to the traditional vows, and it was so special to hear and be able to say to one another in front of all of our loved ones.

Vendor Love

Photographer: Aaron and Jillian Photography | Venue: Dunes West Golf & River Club  | Wedding Dress: Amy Kuschel  | Bridesmaid Dresses: Watters
| Shoes: Nina  | Hair + Makeup: Charleston Events Hair & Makeup  | Groom’s Attire: Jean’s Bridal  | Invitations: Dodeline Design  | Transportation: Charleston Style Limo  | Music + Lighting: Epic Charleston  | Rentals: Snyder Events  | Florist: Branch Design  | Caterer: Dunes West Golf & River Club  | Baker: DeClare Cakes  | Wedding Planner: Mingle Charleston