A Perfect Fit



WRITER CREDIT: 
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
A Perfect Fit | Teenage sweethearts trade the Tar Heel State for their favorite getaway and host an open-air party for close friends and family 

Alice Chang & Forrest Comartos
October 14, 2013
Lowndes Grove Plantation


Alice Chang may stand a diminutive five feet to Forrest Comartos’ towering six feet four inches, but the two couldn’t be any better matched—nor thrive any better in close quarters. The Tar Heels, who became a couple in 1998 as high school seniors while boarding at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, dated long-distance while each finished college, then moved to New York where they shared a tiny 500-square-foot apartment. In time, they both headed back South; first Alice joined her family’s Asian grocery, restaurant, and bakery business to see it expand from Raleigh to Charlotte, and then Forrest came into the fold, too, working alongside her as the company’s financial accountant. “I call him the CFO and me the CEO, ” jokes Alice, “but he sometimes calls himself my executive assistant.”

Since living in Charlotte, Charleston factored into their romance any time the devoted foodies had a day off. Last February, when Forrest called timeout for a long weekend, they hopped in the car and headed to the Holy City. While Alice says she knew he was going to propose (“He never decides if we get a day off—I do!”), Forrest nonetheless surprised her when he unpacked his grandmother’s circa 1910 engagement ring.

Apparently he had stashed it in their house for years without her knowing. Where? “Way up high in our closet,” laughs Alice.

From there, the couple reserved downtown’s Lowndes Grove Plantation. “We chose Lowndes Grove for its wide view of the peaceful water,” says Alice, “and for the house that gives the location its grandeur, the palm trees that remind us of the beach, and the expansive lawn.”  They engaged Easton Events to fashion a day that was “intimate but grand, soft, delicate, and happy,” says Alice.

Alice and Forrest exchanged vows overlooking the Ashley and afterward, hosted a meal with both Southern and Asian flavors. “We love fine things and good food,” says Alice, “but they are only fine and good when we get to share them with everyone we love.”

 

Vendor List

Bride’s Gown: Inbal Dror, Mark Ingram Atelier, www.MarkIngramAtelier.com

Bridesmaids Gowns: BCBG, www.BCBG.com

Calligraphy: Elizabeth Porcher Jones, www.ElizabethPorcherJones.com

Cake, Catering, and Bar Service: Fish Restaurant, www.PPHGCharleston.com

Ceremony and Reception Location: Lowndes Grove Plantation, www.PPHGCharleston.com

Hair and Makeup: Charlotte Belk, www.WeddingHairbyCharlotte.com

Invitations: 42 Pressed, www.42Pressed.com

Floral Design and Draping: Sara York Grimshaw Designs, www.SYGDesigns.com

Getaway Vehicle: Absolutely Charleston, www.AbsolutelyCharlestonWedding.com

Groom’s Suit: Burberry, www.US.Burberry.com

Groomsmen Attire: J.Crew, www.JCrew.com

Groom’s & Groomsmen’s Ties: J.Crew, www.JCrew.com

Groom’s & Groomsmen’s Socks: Happy Socks, www.HappySocks.com

Lighting & Structure: Technical Event Company, www.TechnicalEventCompany.com

Linens: La Tavola Linen, www.LaTavolaLinen.com

Music: Classical Charleston, www.ClassicalCharleston.com

Photography: Virgil Bunao, www.VirgilBunao.com

Rentals (Furniture, China, and Flatware): Snyder Event Rentals, www.SnyderEventRentals.com; Ooh! Events, www.TheArtofCreating.com/OohEvents

Wedding Design and Coordination: Easton Events, www.EastonEvents.com