A Perfect Start



WRITER CREDIT: 
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
A Perfect Start | A friendship leads to a very romantic day at Runnymede Plantation

Candice Cline & James Graham Kenan, IV
April 2, 2011
Runnymede Plantation

They say you can tell a person by their friends—an adage that certainly rings true in the case of Candice Cline, the director of a private foundation, and James “Graham” Kenan, who graduated from Charleston School of Law and recently passed the BAR.  After meeting as friends in Innsbruck, Austria in 2002, Candice and Graham reconnected when both were living in Charleston years later. When she asked him to join her at a concert (with her family), they hit it off. Four years later, Graham proposed on the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

When it came to the wedding location, the Lowcountry residents brought their far-flung courtship back home. “Some people are relieved to get out of town,” says Candice, “but I get excited when I know I have the weekend to relax and enjoy Charleston. We liked the idea of having friends and family experience our favorite city.”The couple chose Runnymede Plantation—a newly offered location neighboring Middleton, Magnolia, and Drayton Hall plantations—for their April 2, 2011 nuptials. After opting for teal Amsale bridesmaids’ dresses from Bella Bridesmaid, Candice enlisted Tara and Kate Badger Little of  Tara Guérard Soirée. They softened the palette with pale gray and peach and—heeding Candice’s affinity for natural materials—added wood, copper, and linen to the mix.  

When the Big Day came, Candice and Graham tied the knot beneath a 1,000-year-old oak tree in a ceremony that included a verse reading from Candice’s late mother’s Bible. During the reception, guests dined on seasonal fare from Savannah caterer Susan Mason before dancing to band Party on the Moon. “We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend,” says Candice.


The Wedding Row

February 24 2020
Molly and Chris’s colleagues at J.P. Morgan in New York had a feeling the two were perfect for each other and tried for months to set them up. When they finally met up at an event? Cue: magic. Over...

February 24 2020
After Long Islanders Tom and Danielle met in chorus class during their freshman year of high school, it took him a full year to build up enough courage to ask her to be his girlfriend. Her response...

February 24 2020
On the first day of college at the University of Georgia, a complete stranger tried to convince Sarah to drop freshman English; he’d heard the professor was terrible. Turns out the professor was,...

February 14 2020
To all the single ladies (and gents): Valentine’s Day isn’t only for those already in love. As Alex and Pete’s story proves, it may be the perfect day for a meet-cute. Pennsylvania-born Pete was in...

February 12 2020
Four days before Allison and Brendan’s dream Charleston wedding, Hurricane Florence was making its way toward the Lowcountry and the city was under evacuation orders. The Dallas-based couple pulled...

February 11 2020
Courtney wasn’t looking to settle down, but when friends convinced her to take Kristen on a date, something felt different. Before long, they found themselves in a long-distance relationship—Courtney...

February 7 2020
Bumble may be responsible for introducing this couple, but it was a magical first date filled with sushi, hours of conversation, karaoke, and endless laughter that truly brought together Michelle and...

February 6 2020
Maggie and Mike’s story puts a whole new spin on bro-mance. It all started in Chicago when her boss, who was dating a fellow named Eric, wanted to set Maggie up with her boyfriend’s younger brother....