Lindsay and Chris’s wedding at Legare Waring House

Lindsay and Chris’s breathtaking Charleston destination wedding is filled with all that Southern romance we love. Mac & B Events planned the event at Legare Waring House where the like oak trees flanked a ceremony filled with vibrant florals by Out of the Garden. The tented reception on the plantation was fresh and elegant with pink florals and blue and gold accents. Everything was stunning—but the bride and groom’s favorite part was the music. They sourced multiple bands and a string trio to customize each and every special moment. Lucky for us, the incredible Mike Cassimatis Photography was on hand to capture in all in these beautiful images.

What made the wedding special and unique?

The fact that 133 guests from all over the U.S. (none from South Carolina) all made the trip to Charleston for our special day. Charleston is literally breathtaking and being able to share our love for Charleston with the people who mean the most to us was truly an indescribable feeling. Also, definitely the MUSIC. We had a string trio from Charleston Virtuosi playing during the ceremony, but a surprise for our guests was the Plantation Singers who sneaked in behind the guests once the ceremony had already started. The Plantation Singers, an a cappella and percussion Southern gospel singing group, immediately started singing This Little Light of Mine right after Christopher and I were first introduced and walking down the aisle. Many of the guests were actually startled because their backs had been turned to the Plantation Singers and they had no idea that the group had sneaked in. The energy of the Plantation Singers was surreal and definitely started the celebratory momentum that lasted throughout the night. Once at cocktail hour, Peter Kiral of Charleston Virtuosi, played the electric violin and was one of the most talented musicians that I have ever seen. The real party then started (and ended) with the Voltage Brothers who performed top hits from literally every genre. Their repertoire consists of nine Super Bowls, guest artists at the President’s Dinner in Washington, D.C., several Presidential Inaugurations and also appearing with renowned artists including Frank Sinatra, The Temptations, The Commodores, Gladys Knight and the Pips and Earth, Wind, & Fire. The dance floor was literally full the entire night, with their short intermission consisting of a play list compiled with old-school Nelly hits, as requested, to make sure that we had a little bit of St. Louis in Charleston.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

Funny (sadly) enough, I was actually all by myself.  I had previously tried on several dresses with my mom (who is from a town two hours away) and didn’t fall in love with any of the dresses that I tried on when I was with her. However, the designer that I seemed to really keep liking, Martina Liana, was having a trunk show the next weekend. I had described the exact type of dress that I was looking for and the stylist at the bridal boutique actually requested that a certain Martina Liana dress be brought down (which was not included in the trunk show). That next weekend, I went to the trunk show by myself with no intention of actually finding THE dress. The very first dress that I tried on (the one that the stylist had requested be brought down to St. Louis) was literally everything that I had imagined. I toasted myself with champagne and then Face-Timed my mom to get her approval. My mother-in-law (who lives in St. Louis) also raced to the boutique once I had told her that I had found the dress so that she could also see me in it. The designer was so accommodating that they even agreed for the dress to remain at the boutique until the following weekend so that my mother could see me try it on in person. The bodice is lace with illusion tulle which continues into the straps giving the illusion of a strapless neckline. The back is completely illusion tulle adorned with fabric-covered buttons which extend all the way down the skirt to the court train which leads to a scalloped-lace pattern. Overall, I would describe it as a statement dress with a touch of Southern charm.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

My neighbor from Sikeston, Missouri, who has known me since I was a baby (and is also a Circuit Court Judge in Missouri) officiated our wedding.  It was really special to have  him be a part of our special day since he has literally known me since day one. We also used the wedding cake topper that my parents had used at their wedding. A picture of my parents cutting their wedding cake was on the table next to our wedding cake.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Reading aloud our vows that we had written to each other. It was something that I was at first hesitant about doing in front of all of our guests, but am so glad that we did.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

During law school, I became best friends with the girl who ended up being my Maid of Honor. She had actually grown up with Christopher and had introduced me to him at her birthday party during my first year of law school. It seemed that we were at the exact right place at the exact right time as it was perfect timing in both of our lives to have met. We ended up dating over the next 7.5 years and together, endured the rigors of law school, passing the Bar exam and starting our careers. Regarding our engagement, trying different restaurants for dinner each weekend in St. Louis (and simply eating in general) is one of our favorite things. So, it made perfect sense that a restaurant is where Christopher proposed to me. While we usually like to take our time at dinner, Christopher seemed to be in a hurry for me to figure out what I wanted to order and kept telling me to take a look at the menu (we had not even ordered cocktails yet). I obliged and before I could even completely open the menu, he was down on one knee. He had handwritten “Will you marry me?” and placed it inside the menu. It was the first time that I had ever instantly started crying happy tears in my life and also the first (and last time) that I have seen Christopher’s attempt at cursive handwriting! He had originally planned on proposing the next night (when my parents were supposed to be in town to celebrate with us) but he had just picked up my engagement ring from the jewelers hours before and literally could not wait for the next night to give it to me. The ring was absolutely perfect so I can’t really blame him for not being able to wait!

Chris & Lindsay from Paragon Filmworks on Vimeo.

Photography: Mike Cassimatis Photography // Planning: Mac & B Events // Florist: Out of the Garden // Venue: Legare Waring House, Charleston, SC // Cake: Ashley Bakery // MUAH: Ash & Co // Rentals: Snyder, Eventhaus, Ooh Events // Video: Paragon Films // Cigar Bar: Cigar Row // Entertainment: Plantation Singers, Charleston Virtuosi, Voltage Brothers // Catering: Mosaic // Film Lab: Indie Film Lab // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box