Intimate Private Residence Beach Wedding in South Carolina

What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?

I decorated a medium sized wicker basket with little shells we both picked from IOP beach. I created sticks with ribbon and bells and put into the basket to hand out to our guests to: “Ring the bell and wish them well”.

The “kissing ball” at the top of our wedding arch was made with Styrofoam and a bunch of baby breath pulled apart and hot glued to the Styrofoam. I purchased a wedding arch from Hobby Lobby which I decorated with tulle and flowers and hung the kissing ball at the center of the arch.

The vases on the wedding tables were hand-blown by my sister-in-law, Judi. Surrounding the vases were the medium size shells we picked from our beach.

Lace table runners were purchased from Hobby Lobby in the wedding aisle. The large piñata which I made using a very thick balloon, purchased at the Dollar Store (2 per package). I covered the blown up balloon with strips of drawing paper (from Dollar Store) dipped in wallpaper glue (I did 4 layers, drying 1-2 days per layer).

I created 155 tissue paper roses on varying shades of white and pink and hot glued them onto the balloon. This was a game for our 12 grandchildren to celebrate the day. Welcome baskets for all 12 grandchildren. Most of the items included were from the dollar store. Our little poodles flowered necklace was made for “Katie’s” important part in our wedding. The 6 granddaughters flowered hair wreaths were made by me.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

We were fortunate that the February date we chose (also the date of our first date), was one of the very few months where costs were most significantly lower than other months.

It’s very important to organize yourself, in order to save the most money. Start planning as soon as you have a date. That way you can shop around for prices, recommendations, and menu offerings.

Don’t skimp on the catering company. We got the best caterers in Charleston and it was worth every penny!

I chose all of our music using Spotify Premium. I took them up on a promotion they were having at the time,  free for 3 months, then I canceled the Premium, zero cost. If you decide to use Spotify, get the regular $9.99 for 3 months offer. You can pull up wedding music or add your own titles/artists. Purchase a Bluetooth speaker and stream them from your device. Works very well. Just make sure that you get the Premium or you’ll have commercials

What was most important to you two? Was there anything you chose to splurge on or skip?

The beach house was our largest splurge. We had our 6 grown children and their spouses from all over the country, our brothers and sister, their partners, and our 12 grandchildren all staying for 1 week at our venue. It contained 11 bedrooms, 3 bunkrooms for the kids, and 11 ½ baths, a large pool, and on the beach. It was a wonderful, fun, exhausting experience and well worth the money. (If you take this cost out of the mix it was very affordable).

What was your favorite detail?

Saying our wedding vows that we both wrote together. We chose to say them together out loud, actually reading from our printed document. This helped the nerves, as well as the emotions that day. We are both 68 year old widow/widowers and saying our vows this way we didn’t stumble, nor left anything out. Add a little personal humor to your vows, this lightens up the moment and helps you to finish eloquently. (God bless our wonderful minister, Father Williams, who went along with our unconventional non-church ceremony).

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

My favorite moment was having my 2 sons walk me down the beautifully decorated path to my “husband”. They were my rocks that day!

My husband’s favorite moment was seeing me walk towards him, surrounded by my sons. Everyone, except for him, had seen my dress beforehand. He had months of hearing how beautiful it was and there I was, walking toward him with such excitement and happiness on my face, I couldn’t help but wave to him, “Here I come”!

What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?

Plan your overall cost, then decide how to spend your money. Keep organized and you won’t have any worries at the last minute. Make certain to call all your vendors 1 week prior to your event to confirm your orders will be delivered in the manner in which you planned. This is very important!

Do things the way you want them, not what society, mother’s or friends dictate should be done. Most of all “Have FUN”!

Vendors

Photography: Love, Samantha Jean | Venue: Private Estate | Catering: Hamby Catering | Cake: Publix | Florals: Sweetgrass Flowers | Attire: Modern Trousseau | Hair and Makeup: Sola Salon Studios Mt Pleasant