Arden and Jordan’s wedding was a family-focused fête held in the always-picturesque city of Charleston, South Carolina. We’re loving the focus on classic details like the bride’s custom lace Kate McDonald gown, the leaf green taffeta bridesmaid’s gowns, a stunning ceremony at the historic Grace Episcopal Church and a cheery green, blue and peach floral palette. The couple enlisted the talent of Ashley Seawell Photography to capture all the details of their wedding day and private club reception and we know all you classic brides will love it!
What made the wedding special and unique?
I’m not sure I can boil it down to even one or two things! But, perhaps the most unique thing is that the same person who married my parents thirty-seven years ago graciously married us. We were so thankful to be able to share that with him and with my parents.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
The gown was a gorgeous custom Kate McDonald creation that we discovered at Southern Protocol Boutique in Charleston. We had looked several places already and had a difficult time finding something that I wanted: lace, ball gown, and something I hadn’t seen in the blogs and magazines. Michelle at Southern Protocol placed me in a short white lace dress by Kate McDonald and paired it with a large silk ball gown skirt. We ended up adding a removable silk bow, made some other tweaks with the short dress to give it an open back, and voila! I removed the skirt and bow for the reception, and still have the short white dress in my closet to wear during the summer.
What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?
It feels like almost everything we did for the wedding made it truly us. My mom and I planned it all together, and everything had its own personal touch. For the ceremony, I wore my maternal grandmother’s locket and my paternal grandmother’s bracelet. Almost everyone involved in the ceremony was family, and my mom and I hand picked each song, each hymn, and each reading. For the reception, the flowers were done by a family friend, and the flower vases and urns came from my mom’s boutique. As friends signed our guestbook, we had pictures of our parents and grandparents on their wedding day. Nearly everything was extremely personal, and I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
Walking down the aisle with my dad. Family is extraordinarily important to me, and this was the moment I had played over in my head for weeks on end leading up to the ceremony. When the organ piped through the church and we started walking towards the altar with so many of our friends and family looking on, it was tremendously emotional and perfect. I’m not sure I’ll ever forget that feeling of overwhelming gratefulness and excitement.
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
We met at a soccer game with friends. After Jordan had talked my ear off, I was about to never speak to him again, but my mom insisted. Fast forward almost two years, and Jordan asked me to go to dinner with him on Friday (or usual weekly date). We walked beneath the oaks in the Old Village, out to Alhambra Hall and back, all while Jordan strangely asked if there were any docks around. I knew at that point that he had wanted to ask, but he was likely thwarted at Alhambra by the throngs of dogs and their humans. After dinner, he took me down to the Pitt Street Bridge, pointed nervously at the Ravenel Bridge (“Look at all the cars! They look like ants!”), and, shivering from the February cold, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.
Photography: Ashley Seawell Photography // Event Design, Planning, and Florals: Doris King // Paper: Reaves Engraving // Ceremony Venue: Grace Episcopal Church // Reception Venue / Food and Beverages: Private Club // Bride’s Gown: Purchased at Southern Protocol // Dress: Kate McDonald // Skirt: Heidi Elnora // Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Lula Kate // Wedding Cake: Ashley Bakery // Hair and Makeup: Mikel Rumsey