Garden Blooms & Golden Pups: A Charleston Wedding Weekend

Grab a warm beverage and get cozy while we revisit Katie and Josh’s romantic wedding weekend. Like a breath of fresh air, fall in Charleston is a time to be treasured. Revitalizing cool winds and golden afternoon light make it the perfect time to spend a weekend with your favorite people. Sweethearts Katie and Josh danced in a floral-rich world of their own celebrating their love for friends, family, and animals. These two stylish veterinarians blew our minds with their bespoke dancefloor and rose-embellished chandeliers. You won’t want to wake up from this cat-eared fever dream!

Kicking off the weekend at Halls Signature Events at 5 Faber, Katie and Josh’s loved ones trickled into the party showering one another in warm hugs. Josh was all smiles in his green plaid sports coat with Katie at his side in her strapless white jumpsuit. They cruised around the candlelit atmosphere, taking note of the fall-inspired florals bursting with eucalyptus, red ferns and turkey feathers. Katie’s sister lovingly freshened up the bride’s lipgloss while Josh reunited with old friends. After cutting into their three-tier cake embossed with Lowcountry wildlife, the couple raised a glass to an unforgettable weekend.

We arrived at the glorious Lowndes Grove estate, savoring the fresh fall winds rolling off the coastline. Weaving up the floating staircase we could hear the jubilant voices of Katie and her bridesmaids bouncing off the historic walls. Katie sat in her makeup chair looking like the female lead of a classic romance film. Her side-swept blonde updo complemented her pink silk robe and sassy marabou trim slip dress. Looking at home in their matching pink pajamas and fuzzy slippers, the bridesmaids gathered on the porch to shower Katie with adoring words. Eager to slip into her custom Anne Barge gown, Katie joined her mom and sister in the bridal suite. Katie emerged like a dream, showing off the subtle handstitched embroidery and billowing A-line train. The bridesmaids gasped, overjoyed to see their bride shining so brightly.

Josh stood in the glass-enclosed portico overlooking the manicured green lawn where he would soon say “I do” to his beloved. He looked dapper in his black tux outfitted with all the Brackish guinea feather accoutrements. Katie walked towards him, taking a moment to admire her handsome groom from behind. Tapping him on the shoulder, he immediately pulled her in for a kiss. He stepped back to take in the sight of his bride and was brought to tears. The two stood laughing as they dabbed each other’s wet cheeks. Ready to enjoy their home for a day together, they took a stroll around the estate. Mounting the backseat of a vintage Rolls Royce convertible, they snuggled in close for a kiss. Kaite’s hand-embroidered veil picked up in the wind and landed perfectly on the immaculate black trunk.

The elated bridal party spilled onto the lawn, swooning over the handsome couple and the luxurious vintage car in the driveway. The bridesmaids looked classy in their black mismatched gowns and romantic blush pink and white bouquets. The groomsmen looked sharp in their bow ties with Finn (the couple’s dog) proudly matching the guys in his bow tie collar. Happy to be reunited with their fur babies, the couple grabbed Kitt and Finn and paraded them around the lawn. Placing a few chairs in the driveway we situated the bridal party into two tiers against the lush coastal backdrop. Between the historic Southern landscape and the party’s black-and-white attire, they looked like the epitome of timeless sophistication.

Festoon Florals transformed the green lawn into a seaside garden bursting with romantic blooms. The aisle was flanked with trailing arrangements rich with far-reaching larkspur and soft roses. Geometric dahlias and garden roses climbed the wooden arch at the top of the aisle. The strings orchestra serenaded the guests as they found their seats in the colorful garden. The procession made its way down the aisle with the fashionable fur babies and precious little ones creating a shockwave of laughter. Katie emerged from the mansion with her father at her side and floated up the aisle towards Josh. The couple joined hands and turned to Father Marshall, the couple’s marriage counselor and good friend of Katie’s late paternal grandfather. Leading the audience through a highly personal and meaningful ceremony, Father Marshall pronounced the two husband and wife and they shared their first kiss as Mr. and Mrs. Thompson.

Sipping on bright pink pomegranate margaritas, the guests strolled about the estate taking note of the looming oak trees and jaw-dropping decor. With the help of Pure Luxe Bride and Festoon Florals, the couple turned the open-air tent into a botanical garden. The regal bridal party table sat in the center of the room, bordered by sweeping rows of Italian ruscus and blush pink drapes. Luscious roses hung from crystal chandeliers illuminating the wooden farmhouse dining table set with gold flatware and hot pink candles. A whimsical linear installation of snapdragon and delphine hung over the dancefloor monogrammed with a green “K & J” framed by a sage border. Grabbing a glass of Veuve from the iced champagne display, the guests referred to the gold-framed placard where each of their names was fixed to the board with different animal tail magnets.

Settling into the botanical wonderland the guests couldn’t help but feel like they were living in a fairytale. The October sun began to set on the horizon and filled the dancefloor with magical golden light. Katie and Josh shared a romantic first dance as husband and wife followed by their special dances with their parents. Savoring every bite, the guests ate short rib and a local catch with artisanal greens. Charleston Entertainment filled the tent with an intoxicating beat, luring the guests to the dancefloor. Ready to move and grove in comfort and style, Katie changed into her Jimmy Choo sneakers and marabou trim cocktail dress. Josh took her in his arms and dipped her back to steal a kiss from his movie star wife. The playful guests sang, danced and banged their neon tambourines in light-up cat ears and iridescent cowboy hats. Relishing every moment the rockstar newlyweds took to the stage to sing a final song and look out at all the smiling faces of their loves ones. Strutting through a bubble-filled runway grinning cat ear to cat ear, Katie and Josh drove off into the night in a vintage white convertible.