On Cloud Nine | What does a gurney have to do with a wedding this posh? Let’s just say that love can take the oddest twists and turns rolling toward happily ever after
October 14, 2017 • Second Presbyterian Church & Lowndes Grove Plantation
When Kristian Perks was in the hospital recuperating from shoulder surgery and hopped up on meds, he finally found the nerve to text his one-time high school crush, Mallory Severs. It was a rather peculiar message: a selfie from his gurney accompanied by absolutely no explanation. “I think the medication finally gave him the courage to make a move,” says Mallory. Kristian’s special brand of boldness was just what the doctor ordered, though, and it led to a six-year long courtship for the two who met growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Most of their six years of dating were spent as road warriors, alternating weekends between Auburn, Alabama (where she was in school), and Chapel Hill, North Carolina (where he was in school), then back and forth from Charleston to Charlotte after they’d graduated. Holidays were spent traipsing through the Caribbean, visiting Kristian’s family throughout Europe, and relaxing at Mallory’s family’s Isle of Palms vacation home.
Then one day in 2016, Mallory found herself posing at Lowndes Grove Plantation for a work head shot. (At the time she was a planner at Charleston’s Sweetgrass Social Event & Design where her sister, Meredith Severs Tanton, is lead coordinator.) Aaron Osteen of Aaron & Jillian Photography suggested Mallory spin around to get the hair out of her face. “I thought it was odd,” she tells us, “but as soon as I spun around, there was Kristian on one knee. He scared me to the point I screamed! I had no idea he was in Charleston and definitely didn’t expect him to be on one knee behind me during a photo shoot.”
Once she recovered, the coordinating commenced. Since Mallory had always wanted to wed at Lowndes Grove, she followed Kristian’s proposal there with a wedding on-site. The bride-to-be of course teamed with Meredith, a wise move, considering her big sister had reserved the venue a year and a half prior to the Big Ask (she had a hunch). From there, Mallory’s dream of bringing West Coast flair to the East Coast via a vineyard-inspired celebration came together flawlessly. Proving that two heads are better than one (“Kristian gave his opinion but was a bit outnumbered,” Mallory says), the siblings focused on the spacious main lawn. There, they erected wooden arbors and decked them with cascading greenery and floral clusters to mimic a California winery. With lavishly set tables beneath and ritzy chandeliers hung from above, a magical al fresco reception was spirited into reality.
“Sitting underneath that great structure right as the sun was setting … I was in awe,” says Mallory. “Other than the ceremony, that was the most memorable moment.”
Written By Melissa Reardon
Photographs By Lucy Cuneo
A transplant from Virginia, Weston “Wes” McAfee vividly remembers the first time he saw his future bride-to-be. Charleston native Dana Elaine...
An Elegant Affair Proves New Year’s Eve Might Just Be The Perfect Time To Start A New Life Together
By Joanne O’Sullivan | Images by Brandon Lata Photography
Few people anywhere in the...
A Match Made in Heaven
Classic white blooms, greenery, and wooden elements set off this stunning Charleston wedding under the oaks
When it comes to love and marriage, couples who pair well...
A Charleston Winter Wedding Embraces the Season with Sophistication and Glamour
Just a few hours before sunset in mid-winter, Charleston takes on a certain golden glow, unparalleled at any other...
Take Cues from this Intimate Dreamy Blue “I Do”
Amy Bronston and Trevor Pittman’s love story reads like a romantic movie. It was during the 2019 holiday season in Washington DC, where...
This Halloween matrimony perfectly plays up the holiday—with a dash of fun and plenty of class in a scenic coastal Charleston setting
By Joanne O’Sullivan | Images by Anne Rhett Photography...
By Melissa Reardon | Images by Kelsey Halm Photo
Expert Advice for a Beautiful Fall Bouquet
With seasonal change comes an exciting rich color palette and tons of texture with which to design....
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Photos by Dana Cubbage Weddings | Written by Melissa Reardon
They say the greatest marriages are built on teamwork. And indeed, it’s one of the marital building blocks...
Want to save money but not skimp on style? Take a cue from Style Me Pretty, who introduces us to this North Carolina couple who oh-so fashionably eloped to Charleston's Legare Waring House
Feast your eyes on this treasure chest of jewels ranging from ultra-fine to utterly fashionable. Whether you’re dressing for your wedding or any of the myriad events leading up to it, these pieces add polish—and panache
