A Shore Thing



A Shore Thing | A pair of jet-setters invites guests to a Southern isle for a weekend filled to the brim with wedding celebrations.

Diana Kassen & Ezra Mehlman 

September 1, 2013

The Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Island

Diana Kassen and Ezra Mehlman met at a Washington, D.C. consulting firm, where fate sat them at adjacent desks. “I started a few months before Ezra, so when he joined the team, I showed him the ropes,” laughs Diana. The two began dating, and over a six-year courtship they trotted the globe together, getting passport stamps for everywhere from Buenos Aires to Istanbul.  Then, to celebrate their respective graduations from business school in May 2012, the pair jetted to Park City, Utah, to celebrate. There, Ezra asked Diana to go on a hike with him, and along the way she stopped to take a snapshot of the picturesque mountains. When she turned around, Ezra was down on one knee. “Of course, I said, ‘Yes!’” Diana says.

 

They found themselves in South Carolina for their wedding thanks to a favorite haunt. “We’ve been visiting Kiawah every summer and winter since we started dating,” says Diana. “It’s a special place to us. We wanted our friends and families to experience its magic, too.”

 

To max out that magic, the two, who now live in New York, entrusted Tara Guérard Soirée to organize a Labor Day weekend brimming with festivities. Saturday night, guests gathered for a rehearsal fête with live bluegrass and s’mores. The next evening, on The Sanctuary Hotel’s Grand Lawn, Diana and Ezra said sunset “I dos.” After a cocktail hour, everyone flocked to the dance floor for the hora and partied until the wee hours. The following morning, the newlyweds hosted a farewell brunch. 

 

As lavish as the good times were, the company was even better, says Diana. “The very best part of the weekend was having so many people we love in one place.” 

 

Vendor List

Baker: Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal, www.weddingcakesbyjimsmeal.com

Bridal Attire: Monique Lhuillier, www.moniquelhuillier.com

Caterer: The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island, www.kiawahresort.com/accommodations/the-sanctuary-hotel

Day-of coordinator: Cacky’s Bride + Aid, www.cackysbrideaid.com

Groom’s Attire: Suitsupply, www.suitsupply.com

Musicians: U.S. Beat, www.usbeat.com

Photographer: Corbin Gurkin Photography, www.corbingurkin.com

Wedding design, florist, & linens: Tara Guérard Soirée, www.taraguerardsoiree.com

Stationery: The Lettered Olive, www.theletteredolive.com

Videographer: Virgil Bunao, www.virgilbunao.com

Venue: The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island, www.kiawahresort.com/accommodations/the-sanctuary-hotel

The Wedding Row

April 5 2019
Jessica and Jay met online and dated long distance (she was here in Charleston, he was in Connecticut) before she made the move up North. The two came back to visit the Holy City often, though, and...

April 4 2019
Food plays a part in every aspect of this Atlanta, Georgia, couple’s relationship, from the first time they met to their Big Day at The Gibbes Museum of Art. It’s fitting, Alex says, as he owns that...

April 3 2019
We’ve all seen photos of Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra’s Jodhpur, India, nuptials by now, thanks to how social media was lit up with the bright colors and ornate designs of their festivities. But...

April 2 2019
When the bride owns a wedding and event planning company, you know her Big Day will be something remarkable. Such was the case for Liz, owner of Elegant Aura in Boston, Massachusetts. After her...

April 1 2019
Usually no one gets a word out of a barkeep regarding his or her personal life, so today’s an extra special treat considering the groom du jour is Jayce, longtime bartender and bar manager at Edmund’...

March 29 2019
Jackie and Conor both went to College of Charleston, but they didn’t meet until the New Year’s Eve after graduation. That’s when both were secretly set up by mutual friends (and Jackie’s sister) at...

March 28 2019
Magic brought Mary Jane and Alex together. No, really, it did—they met while working at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, part of Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Five years later, while on...

March 27 2019
Here’s how the writer-bride talks about meeting her now-hubs on their wedding site: “Liz and Chris lived in the same apartment complex. The ‘boys upstairs’—as they were lovingly known by the girls in...