Kat and Tyler’s Dream Wedding at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
(From the Bride) Katina and Tyler moved to Charleston from Massachusetts a year ago and fell in love with the Lowcountry. With Kat’s family in NJ and Tyler’s in Chicago, they knew they wanted to host a destination wedding in Kat and Ty’s new home, and found the perfect venue at Magnolia Plantation. The Carriage House set the tone with its rustic, romantic gardens and natural, relaxed vibe. Kat set about designing a wedding that featured all the Southern charm that Charleston could offer their Northern guests: bridesmaid dresses by LulaKate, groomsmen shirts by Half Moon Outfitters, and the coffee table book Charleston Then and Now as their guest book, for guests to add their names to Charleston’s history. Sweet tea and lemonade in mason jars greeted guests upon arrival. To help keep cool in the July heat, large patio umbrellas shaded the ceremony seats, and wooden fans were offered as favors. Debi Brickell at First Bloom used a romantic palette of soft blush, coral, yellow, and green flowers to enhance Magnolia’s summer beauty with loose, garden-style arrangements in bowls, bottles, and lanterns. As a unity ritual during the ceremony, Kat and Tyler incorporated traditional Greek crowns (honoring Kat’s heritage) joined by a ribbon that are exchanged on the couple’s heads three times; for the crowns they used sweetgrass wreaths custom-made by a local craftswoman. For the reception, Duvall set up a tasty catering menu featuring fried green tomato hors d’oevres, chilled melon soup with salad, and boursin cheese grits served alongside filet mignon and grouper. For dessert, Kat and Tyler did not want a traditional wedding cake, so they worked with Michelle Diminich at Dolce to design a dessert table with a selection of treats including hummingbird cakes, something the bride and groom had never seen up North. Overall, their wedding represented everything Katina and Tyler came to love about Charleston: its natural beauty, great food, and charming mix of history and romance.
