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...
Taylor Green & Rhett Bennett
June 26, 2015
Lowndes Grove Plantation
If you’re head over heels for Taylor Green and Rhett Bennett’s watercolored wedding crest (see it on the welcome box below), join the club. Brought to life by painter Arabella June, it features the couple’s dogs; a Zeta Tau Alpha crown for Taylor’s sorority; peaches as a nod to Rhett’s alma mater, University of Georgia; magnolias and roses in honor of the bride’s and her late grandmother’s favorite flowers, respectively; a horseshoe for his home state (Kentucky); and last, but certainly not least, the letter “A” for her son, Asher. Talk about a layered life!
“It was fascinating to see them tell their story through that imagery,” says planner Lindsey Shanks of A Charleston Bride, who spearheaded the couple’s nuptials at Lowndes Grove Plantation last summer. But let’s rewind a bit, shall we?
Cut to 2013 and an office in Fort Worth, Texas, where Taylor and Rhett had worked as friendly colleagues for years. When she started working from home to be closer to Asher, her day-to-day absence was a wake-up call for Rhett. A few “let’s catch up” dinners led to daily tête-à-têtes, and after a month, Taylor says she knew. “As I watched Rhett and Asher become the best of friends, I really fell in love,” she says. “I used to joke that he came over to see my son, not me!”
Around Christmas nearly a year later, Rhett called Taylor out to her backyard to bear witness to their Dalmatian’s latest antics. Well, Smokie hadn’t been naughty, but Rhett? He’d been nice. Christmas lights spelled out “Will You Marry Me?” across the roof and below them a hopeful Rhett kneeled, holding the most beautiful ring Taylor says she’s ever seen.
Fast forward to Lowndes Grove Plantation (picked because they split their time between here and the Lone Star State) and 2015. For 160 guests hailing mostly from Kentucky, Mississippi, and Texas, the couple’s Lowcountry wedding was a chance to explore a new corner of the South. For the bride and groom, it was a night of revelry with their loved ones, boogieing with Asher on the dance floor, and sipping Kentucky bourbon with the grown-ups.
At the end of the night, the newlyweds strolled down a dock lined with sparklers, hopped in a wooden 1950s speedboat, and pushed off for a fireworks show and send-off cruise around the Charleston Harbor. “It was perfect,” says Taylor. “For an hour, we got to reflect on our wedding night and just be together.” Now, they get a little reminder of that special weekend every time they pass through the foyer of their Fort Worth home, where the banner painted with their crest proudly hangs.
Vendor List
Wedding design, florals: A Charleston Bride, www.ACharlestonBride.com
Venue, catering, cake: Patrick Properties, www.PPHGCharleston.com
Lighting: Technical Event Company, www.TechnicalEventCompany.com
Linens: Nuage Linens, www.NuageDesigns.com
Lounge furniture, décor: Ooh! Event Rentals, www.Rentals.OohEvents.com
Tabletop: Polished Rentals, www.PolishedTabletop.com
Photography: Ryan Ray, www.RyanrayPhoto.com
Rentals: Snyder Events, www.SnyderEvents.com
Stationary, signage: Studio R Design, www.Studio-R-Design.com
Calligraphy: Elizabeth Porcher Jones, www.ElizabethPorcherJones.com
Wedding crest: Arabella June, www.ArabellaJune.com
Altar banner: Boutique Tents, www.BoutiqueTents.net
Welcome baskets: A Signature Welcome, www.ASignatureWelcome.com
Ceremony musicians: Bob Williams, www.CharlestonDuo.com
Reception musicians: Simply Irresistible, www.SimplyIrresistibleBand.com
Transportation: Absolutely Charleston, www.AbsolutelyCharleston.com
Getaway boat: Classic Boat Charleston, www.ClassicBoatCharleston.com
Videography: East West Production, www.EastWestProduction.com
Bride’s attire: Anne Barge, available in Charleston through White on Daniel Island, www.WhiteOnDI.com (gown); Cartier (bracelet), www.cartier.us; Nordstrom (earrings), www.Nordstrom.com; Jimmy Choo, www.JimmyChoo.com (shoes)
Dress steamer: Cacky Bride + Aid, www.cackysbrideaid.com
Beauty: Ash + Co. Bridal, www.AshaandCoBridalHair.com
Bridesmaid's attire: Alfred Angelo, available in Charleston through Bridals by Jodi (www.BridalsByJodi.com) and Condon's Bridal Boutique, www.CondonsBridal.com
Menswear: Men’s Warehouse, www.MensWarehouse.com
Ring bearer's attire: Florence Eiseman, www.FlorenceEiseman.com
