A Vibrant Beginning



WRITER CREDIT: 
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 

March 20, 2025 / The Palmetto Cafe

Sparks flew when Sabrina Galiney and Mike Armstrong first crossed paths at a party in Boston. But just two months into dating, the pandemic’s arrival threatened to upend their budding romance. ​​Mike’s job as a project manager required him to continue working in-person, and the couple spent nearly 60 days apart. Then, shortly after reuniting, a new project assignment three hours away quickly separated them again. But the distance brought their intentions sharply into focus. “Even when life kept pulling us in different directions, being together was always our priority,” Sabrina says. Four years later, Mike proposed in the observation deck atop Boston’s Prudential Center. High above the heart of the city, his big question was swiftly met with an overjoyed “Yes!” from Sabrina. 

Seeking to hold a majestic, multiday Indian wedding the following spring, the couple began exploring East Coast destinations with reliably pleasant weather and easy access for both of their families. Charleston quickly rose to the top of the list, especially when they learned that each of the venues they scouted for their four-day extravaganza was available on the same weekend.

Festivities kicked off at The Palmetto Cafe with a welcome party and mehendi, a traditional Indian celebration during which a bride receives her wedding henna. “We also gave our guests bangles and bindis to wear, which added a playful touch and introduced everyone to some Indian customs,” says Sabrina. Pure Luxe Bride painted the party in vibrant hues, with dramatic draping, clusters of upside-down umbrellas, and bright blooms transforming the restaurant into an atmosphere both cozy and lively—a vibe further encouraged by abundant lounge areas ripe for mingling. The joyful evening set a heartfelt tone for the celebratory weekend ahead.

Top Tips:

  • Personalize a playlist. The couple skipped a music vendor in favor of a playlist that they curated alongside Sabrina’s brother and a close friend. “It made the atmosphere feel personal rather than produced,” Sabrina says.
  • Strike a balance. In advance of an action-packed weekend of large events (typical of Indian weddings), night one was kept intentionally intimate. The couple was able to greet every guest, setting a warm tone and savoring real conversations before the busy days to come. 
  • Involve your guests. The evening’s Churra ceremony was deeply meaningful. The tradition invites guests to tie threads onto the bride’s wrists while offering blessings, wishes, and marriage advice. “Having the people closest to us take part in that moment made the evening feel emotional—in the best way,” she says.

Vendors:

  • Planning & Design: Pure Luxe Bride
  • Venue: The Palmetto Cafe
  • Catering & Bar Service: Charleston Place 
  • Photography: Caroline Ro
  • Florals: Flora
  • Signage: J. Lily Design
  • Linens: BBJ La Tavola
  • Lighting & Draping: Lowcountry Entertainment 
  • Bridal Attire: Seema Gujral
  • Beauty: Charleston Bridal Collab
  • Groom’s Attire: Bloomingdale’s
  • Videography: Dock House Digital

The Wedding Row

January 17 2019
We couldn’t come up with a better love story than Taylor and Jonathan’s if we tried. They met while she was in dental school and he was completing his medical residency. (She’s a dentist, he’s a...

January 16 2019
Who doesn’t have a soft spot for college sweethearts? Liz and John met their sophomore year at Providence College in Rhode Island, not knowing that nine years later John would propose on the very...

January 14 2019
Oh my gosh is he a good guy! After meeting at work (at the Daniel Island Club), Ginny says she didn’t even know she was on her first date with Daniel when he offered to spend an afternoon helping her...

January 11 2019
OK. So these two New Yorkers are kind of a big deal (she’s a VP at a hedge fund group and former account head at the Olgivy agency with an MBA and he’s a marketing director at a Big Apple firm and...

January 10 2019
We want to be invited to *that* New Year’s Eve party! We’re talking about the one where Mount Pleasant native Bree met Mobile, Alabama-born Josh, and the two hit it off enough for us to be talking...

January 9 2019
Lanier and Luke met in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, during a Friendsgiving supper one November along with some 30 pals. That run-in led to a friendship that turned into a romance and by 2017, the two were...

January 8 2019
O.M.G. You are so going to love these two! For starters, they tricked—yes, tricked—their families into a shared Thanksgiving vacation in Charleston that turned into a surprise wedding for them and...

January 7 2019
We hate to do this to you, but we have to tell you some things about bride Sarah Grace that might very well intimidate you (like it did us). Yes, yes, yes, she and her sweetheart Martin (aka “Bug”)...