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Beautifully draped tent lined with cafe bulb light strands and a soft sweet southern breeze blowing in the air, can’t you just feel the magic!?  Having just been down to Charleston only a month ago, I am especially smitten with gorgeous Charleston weddings like Abigael & Oilver’s on the dreamy grounds of Magnolia Plantation beautifully captured by South Carolina wedding photographer Shannon Noel Photography.  With a classic wedding base, Abigael & Oliver worked with wedding planner Sweetgrass Social Event and Design to turn their Magnolia Plantation Charleston wedding into a polished chic affair.  If there is one thing I have come to know its that a Charleston wedding seems to have some of the most amazing rental vendors to work with!  Abigael put Charleston’s diverse & eclectic selections to task, opting for fine mixed floral china, an unbelievably cool vintage saloon style bar, old farm wood tables & one seriously swoony outdoor lounge area.    Simple touches like storm window seating chart, hanging slate signs, & whimsical specialty cocktails injected the perfect amount of personality into the day.  All that was left was for the pastel palette of pink hues & gray undertones to set everyone adrift on their southern wedding dream!

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Novella of the Bride…

Our story is just like any other fairy tale romance.  Just kidding… we met in a bar!  It was a winter night in December of 2011 we were both out on the town to listen to some music.  A close family member of mine  was playing live music at a local venue and almost my entire family went to watch.  Oliver just happened to run into his old friend Paul who was also going to see the show that night and asked Oliver to join him.  Paul is a friend of mine as well.  So with a little help from Paul and the small world we live in, we were introduced to each other. After listening to the show and the night winding down, a good friend (put on her wing woman wings and got to work.   She was not going to let us go home without making sure a “2nd date” was in the future.  The rest is history. Fast forward a bit…Oliver and I love to travel.  We hope to do a lot more in the future.  We love to ride bikes, go out to dinner, be social with our friends and enjoy being young and living in NYC.

Our theme was going for the Classic southern plantation with a northern influence.  We wrote our own vows!! Cocktail hour was on the veranda with a silhouette artist cutting silhouettes for the guests, we used Charleston Artists Gullah prints for the guest book, sweetgrass roses with the story of their significance written on them.  For table seating we used long farm tables with family style dinner. We had an open air photo booth. My brother in law and cousin in law sang 2 songs during the reception.  We used mixed vintage dinnerware China and vintage silverware.  We had southern pies for dessert, Charleston virtuoso played string quartet during the ceremony, peony inspired flowers, sofa lounge area under chandelier hanging from an old oak tree with spanish moss, my mothers wedding dress was incorporated into the flower girls bouquet and ring barrers pillow.  I wore my grandmother’s (who has passed) broach on my bouquet (one of my favorite touches).  My father sewed a red heart into my wedding dress and I had no idea. I wore a penny in my shoe for good luck.

Special Touches From Family & Friends ~ I had 11 bridesmaids!!  They were a huge help throughout the whole process.  My brother in law and cousin in law both  sang during the reception- my uncle (nondenominational) married us as he did my sister, my aunts read my favorite childhood book Oliver’s aunt read a poem, our mothers combined sands from beaches of our childhood summers.

Favorite Moments ~ I know it sounds cheesy but seeing Oliver at the end of the aisle was incredible, hearing the Magnolia peacocks serenade the wedding ceremony, seeing all my guests who traveled so far to join your celebration,  dancing with my father to our favorite song, and remembering the feeling of never wanting it to end.  I had all of the people I loved under 1 tent and it felt pretty amazing.

Vendor Love

Photographer: Shannon Noel Photography | Ceremony: Magnolia Plantation White Bridge Lawn | Reception: Magnolia Plantation Plantation House Veranda Lawn | Wedding Dress: Designer Loft New York City | Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale | Hair + Makeup: Paper Dolls | Paper Goods: Elum, The Tie That Binds | Transportation: Carolina Travel and Tours | Videographer: Hart To Hart Media | Music: Rob Duren DJ, Charleston Virtuosi String Quartet | Lighting: Technical Event Company | Rentals: EventWorks, Heirloom China, Polished, 428 Main, Photo Lily, La Tavola | Florist: Branch Design Studio | Caterer: Royal Grand Events | Baker: WildFlour Pastry | Wedding/Event Planner: Sweetgrass Social Event and Design | Shilhouette Artist: Beth Pray