Melissa and Eric are a southern couple living and working in New York City, so when it came to their wedding, the pair hosted family and friends at Belfair Plantation in South Carolina for a modern take on a traditional southern wedding. With a fresh black and white palette, this wedding is the perfect NYC meets South party! We absolutely adore the simple elegant floral details by Fern Studio Floral & Event Design all shot by Landon Jacob.
What made the wedding special and unique?
Our location! We were married under a canopy of live oak trees called the avenue of the oaks located on the Belfair Plantation in South Carolina. The street was closed off and guests were driven up to the avenue by Trolley.
My parents had moved to Belfair in November, 2013 and Eric and I immediately knew that was the place we wanted to get married. I am definitely a home body, so the back yard wedding in The Father of the Bride would be my ideal wedding venue. This came very close to it with everything we wanted, a beautiful setting with an at home feel.
Tell us about the dress and where/how you found it!
Saying yes to the dress was by far the most difficult decision I had to make! I never envisioned myself in a wedding dress so I had no idea what fit or material I wanted. I flew down from NYC to Charleston and visited Maddison Row for my first appointment. I felt so comfortable there and tried on dozens of dresses. I ended up leaving without a dress even though I liked so many. I was told that I shouldn’t just like the dress, I have to love it! I went to 10 other stores over the next month back in NYC, and flew back down to Madison Row to pick the one. I tried on a Romona Keveza Alecon lace dress that had a trumpet fit with just enough tool on the bottom to add some shape but not overpower me. I knew it was a good sign when there was nothing I wanted to change about the dress and I loved it. I went with a long Vera Wang tool veil to add a little bit of NYC to my southern dress.
What were some touches added to make it personal?
I planned the entire wedding myself (no wedding planner for me!), from booking all of the vendors, to designing our wedding logo, to timeline creation, and making all décor decisions. Everything that went into the weekend was personal to Eric and I. The décor was white and cream with a touch of black as an accent color, exactly what our apartment and my wardrobe looks like. We took our engagement pictures in NYC where we live and used the photos as our table numbers to add some NYC to our southern wedding.
The rehearsal dinner was on Hilton Head Island, on the water. Guests were greeted with sweat tea vodka cocktails with beverage napkins that said ‘put some south in your mouth’. The bridesmaids got ready in jcrew monogrammed night shirts at the brides parents’ house. The groomsmen gift was Sperry boat shoes, the grooms favorite. Majority of the guests stayed on Belfair grounds in the cottages where we delivered ‘welcome down south’ welcome bags with gluten free goodies.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
Aside from our first look and amazing ceremony, I think seeing everything all come together and look so beautiful was really memorable to me. I remember walking into the reception room before the guests had arrived, and feeling so happy that it was everything I had envisioned and could ever want.
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
Eric and I met in middle school and quickly became best friends. We officially started dating our senior year of high school and have been inseparable since. We were visiting my parents in South Carolina the weekend Eric proposed. It was around sunset when my family spontaneously decided to go out to the 3rd hole on the golf course right behind our house to play a quick tournament. While everyone was walking to the hole I saw Eric standing underneath a tree by himself. I walked under to see what he was doing and as he told me to look at the names that were engraved in the trunk, I turned around and he was on one knee. My family was watching and had bottles of champagne popped ready to celebrate. The massive oak he was standing under is called the wedding tree. It has split down the middle, grown in different directions, but remains as one at the trunk.
Melissa + Eric | Belfair Plantation in Bluffton, South Carolina from Adam Siegel on Vimeo.
Vendors: Photography: Landon Jacob // Venue & Caterer: Belfair Plantation // Florist: Fern Studio Floral & Event Design // Videographer: Siegel Films // Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza (Purchased at Maddison Row) // Bridesmaid Dress: Shoshanna (Saks/Nordstrom) // Grooms Tux: Custom made // Cake: Publix (Flowers: Fern Studio) // Ceremony Music: Charleston Virtuosi // Reception Music: Quiana Parler and Friends – www.quianaparlerandfriends.com // Hair: Salon1050e // Makeup: SKINZIN // Furniture Rentals: Amazing Event Rentals // Linens: la tavola // Ceremony Transportation: Old Savannah Trolley // Invitations: EMMA J DESIGN