Destiny Calls



WRITER CREDIT: 
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 

May 10, 2025 | Lowndes Grove

A kismet meeting leads to an unforgettable big day marked by a lush design and plush details

You could say that the stars aligned when MacKenna O’Hara met Kollin Moore. MacKenna, then an interior design student at Ohio State University, had been perusing social media in search of an off-campus gym when she stumbled upon a strength-training facility for wrestlers. “Niche,” she thought. But it was the handsome head coach and former USA National Team wrestler who really caught her attention. So she followed him. A day later, he asked her out. And the rest is history. 

After a two-year courtship and surprise proposal at Asheville’s Biltmore Estate, the Ohio-based couple settled on a destination wedding in Charleston, a place they had come to love when her parents retired to Daniel Island. MacKenna and Kollin enlisted Fox Events to help execute a May soirée infused with their vision of “classic Charleston” charm. 

Despite the rainy day, the team transformed Lowndes Grove into a pastel oasis beneath clear tents. A custom aisle and circular altar, color-matched umbrellas, and bountiful blooms graced the ceremony space. Cocktail hour featured a custom martini bar serving her signature sipper and a mobile bourbon bar pouring his favorite spirit. The drinks were even delivered with personalized cocktail napkins bearing the profile of their Weimaraner, Chief. Sheer pink draping and raffia chandeliers hung throughout the reception tent, with lush tropical foliage and plush lounge areas setting the scene for celebration. 

At their planner’s recommendation, the couple opted for food stations and skipped assigned seating, which allowed guests to leisurely eat, drink, dance, and socialize. The showpiece of the party was a toss-up between the central banquet area with its towering jungle-esque foliage and the 32-foot custom bar, which held four prodigious floral arrangements featuring birds of paradise, foxgloves, peonies, ranunculi, king proteas, monsteras, and palms. MacKenna chose a statement floral print by Thibaut to be woven throughout the space—from wallpaper inlays on the bars and stage backdrop to custom pillows. 

As a nod to their home state, Ohio State University flags hung at the venue entrance, and guests enjoyed chocolate-peanut butter Buckeyes for dessert along with the pair’s favorite carrot cake. A beautiful monogram by Meg Morrow was also “scattered like a treasure hunt,” says the bride. The design, with its intertwined initials and blue herons, appeared on appetizer trays, orange peels, matchbooks, and the dance floor. The couple also set out playing cards for attendees to inscribe in lieu of a guest book and shared keepsake trucker hats emblazoned with “The Moores.” 

Though the day had begun with downpours, conditions cleared just before the ceremony commenced, leading into a momentous night of celebration—yet another serendipitous beginning for MacKenna and Kollin. 

Vendors:

Planning & Design: Fox Events

Venue: Lowndes Grove 

Photography: Clay Austin Photography

Florals: Blossom Bay 

Catering & Bar Service: Patrick Properties Hospitality Group

Mobile Bar: Direct My Bar

Cake: Laney Cowan

Stationery & Signage: Meg Morrow 

Linens: Stradley Davidson, BBJ La Tavola, Nuage Designs, Reverie Social

Rentals: Snyder, Curated Events, CRUSH by EventWorks

Draping: The Social Spool Co.

Custom Builds: LIT Charleston

Entertainment: Christie Bates & string quartet from Other Brother Entertainment (ceremony), Darius Starks (cocktail hour), Atlanta Showstoppers from EastCoast Entertainment (reception)

Dance Floor: Charleston Wraps

Bridal Attire: Nicole + Felicia (designer), Paris by Debra Moreland (headpiece)

Beauty: Meg McMillion Beauty

Bridesmaids’ Attire: Lula Kate

Day-of Coordinator: Cacky’s Bride Aid

Groom’s Attire: Generation Tux

The Wedding Row

February 20 2019
The Wedding Row: Tell us about how you met. Rachel: It was in Nashville, and Shaun was there on weekend trip for a University of Georgia-Vandy football game. I was there on a whim, on an impromptu...

February 19 2019
Ryan and Paxton chose Charleston for their engagement photos because the city holds a special place in the heart—if he hadn’t been a Citadel cadet, the two may never have met. Here’s how they came to...

February 18 2019
Allison and Josh met at a two-stepping bar, so we would expect nothing less than a seriously Southern wedding from the two, and as you can tell from the photos, they did not disappoint. After Josh...

February 15 2019
North Carolina natives Taylor and Bennett met when the two were sophomores at N.C. State. Five years after they had become an item, they were in Manhattan where, says Bennett, “The ring was burning a...

February 14 2019
After going to the same high school in Spring Lake, New Jersey, Carly and Chris’s paths finally intersected long after graduation at a mutual friend’s house. “Late nights drinking and playing games...

February 13 2019
Trust us when we say that you won’t find a more low-key pair than these two. Nashville, Tennessee couple Emily and Daniel wanted an intimate, family-only wedding for their Big Day, and they chose to...

February 12 2019
OK, prepare yourselves—this is a sweet one. It began when Stephanie was working at the front desk of a chiropractor’s office in the Philadelphia area, one that Bryan’s father frequented. Bryan’s dad...

February 11 2019
You really can’t beat Charleston’s sunset views over the water, and Katie and Zane’s nuptials at Harborside East took full advantage of just that with the gorgeous harbor as their backdrop. The...