Backyard Goes Black-Tie



WRITER CREDIT: 
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
Backyard Goes Black-Tie | How does a native Charlestonian get married at home? Luxuriously!
Kelley Andrews & Aaron Edwards
 
April 14, 2019 • St. Andrew’s Church of Mount Pleasant & Family Home
 
In a Nora Ephron-worthy meet-cute, Charleston attorneys Kelley Andrews and Aaron Edwards locked eyes during a mediation case. Kelley, working alongside her father at his Mount Pleasant firm, was summoned to the conference room one day in April 2016, and that’s when she spotted Aaron representing the opposing party. “He’ll tell you he felt like lightning struck him,” she says. For her part, Aaron first captured Kelley’s attention that evening when he caught her in the hall and asked where the restroom was. “It was the best he could come up with at the time, I guess,” she laughs. A year later, Aaron dropped another winner on her when he leaned over during dinner out one night and asked, “Do you wanna get hitched?”
 
Whereas the ask was casual, the wedding was anything but. The couple held their ceremony in the church that Kelley grew up attending (St. Andrew’s Church of Mount Pleasant in the Old Village), and the 300-some guest reception was in the beautiful backyard of her childhood home in Cassina Plantation.
 
Balancing refined elegance with the feel of an intimate cocktail party, planners A Charleston Bride and CRUSH Event Rentals transformed the Andrews’ family backyard and tennis court into a romantic spread dominated by crystal chandeliers, a posh reception tent, and a circular bar. Guests adhered to the formal dress code, sporting long gowns and black-tie tails.
 
“It was over-the-top in lots of ways, yet fun, laid-back, and relaxed—like me,” laughs Kelley. And even though the bride donned a couture gown from Paris, the celebration was not a touch stuffy nor ballroom-uptight, she notes. “It was just one big party filled with family and friends from every corner of our lives,” she says. “No one was putting on airs.”
 
Well, perhaps no one except her beloved cat, Sir Percy Blakeney. Kelley’s discerning seal point Himalayan starred in many a formal portrait alongside his mistress, and given his well-appointed leanings, it’s unlikely that he would have had it any other way. Not so for his new master. “Aaron would have married me in a barn,” says Kelley.
 
As their wedding video proved, however, a glamorous party at home was the better choice. “We didn’t really put everything together until we saw the wedding video,” says Kelley. “We both cried the first time we watched it.”
 
Vendors
 
Design, planning, coordination: A Charleston Bride, www.acharlestonbride.com
Installation: CRUSH Event Rentals, www.crusheventdesign.com
Photography: Tim Willoughby, www.timwill.com
Venues: St. Andrew’s Church (ceremony), www.standrews.church; bride’s family home (reception)
Florals: EM Creative Floral, www.emcreativefloral.com
Lighting: Technical Event Company, www.technicaleventcompany.com
Rentals: Snyder Events, www.snyderevents.com; Crush Event Rentals, www.crusheventdesign.com
Linens: La Tavola, www.latavolalinen.com
Catering, bar: Salthouse Catering, www.salthousecatering.com
Stationery: Bella Figura, www.bellafigura.com
Beauty: Madison LeCroy, www.madisonlecroy.co
Bride’s gown: Zuhair Murad, www.zuhairmurad.com
Bridesmaids’ gowns: White Runway, www.whiterunway.com
Dresser: Cacky’s Bride + Aid, www.cackysbrideaid.com
Groom’s attire: Charleston Tuxedo (suit), www.charlestontuxedo.com; Salvatore Ferragamo (shoes), www.ferragamo.com
Groomsmen’s attire: Charleston Tuxedo (suit, tie, shoes), www.charlestontuxedo.com
Flower girl’s attire: Joan Callabrese (dress), www.joancalabrese.ie; Isabel Garraton (gloves) www.isabelgarreton.com
Cat bow tie: TwinkleMingle, www.etsy.com/shop/TwinkleMingle
Photobooth: Lit by Lumos, www.litbylumos.com
Band: Atlanta Showstoppers, www.atlantashowstoppers.com
Transportation: Baker Motor Company, www.bakermotorcompany.com
Videographer: Thomas Brothers Productions, www.thomasbrothersproductions.com

 

 

 

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