Dockside DIY Wedding



PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
Dockside DIY Wedding |
Meg Sawyer & Richard Doelling
 
April 27, 2019 / Bowens Island
 
Charleston lawyers Meg and Richard, who met during their first week of law school at Washington & Lee University, initially planned for a Virginia wedding but shifted gears when her father was diagnosed with cancer. With that news, they did a major redirect to the iconic eatery Bowens Island, just down the road from her parents’ place. “It captures our favorite parts of Charleston—the beautiful waterways, the wildlife, the oysters, the Spanish moss,” says Meg. Aiming for casual Southern sophistication (“Richard and I aren’t super fancy people,” says Meg), the DIY affair drew its palette from the waters and whitecaps of Folly River with décor in shades of blue and cream. Though Meg’s father tragically passed away before he could walk his girl down the aisle, the couple moved forward with their plans as a way to celebrate his life and their new lives together, too. With restaurant patrons cheering them on, Meg’s mom escorting her to the ceremony, and a reception party that was by all accounts full-tilt fabulous, the day was a roller coaster laced with romance.
 
Top Tips
 
• Prep the powder rooms. The couple added mats to the site’s bathrooms the morning of the wedding to minimize slipping.
• Generate a breeze. Rented industrial fans regulated the temperature inside the dock house.
• Work around beach traffic. Meg and Richard advised guests to head to the venue early to beat the Folly Road rush.
• Take a water taxi. The couple used the locally created HOBA app (Hop on a Boat, Anywhere) to exit the reception and head to their Folly Beach hotel.
 
Vendors
 
Coordination: Christy Loftin, www.ChristyLoftin.com
Images: Kimberly Florence Photography, www.KimberlyFlorence.com
Venue, bar service: Bowen’s Island Restaurant, www.BowensIsland.com
Catering: Crazy Dutchman Catering, www.CrazyDutchmanCatering.com
Florals: Lux & Union, www.LuxandUnion.com
Rentals, lighting: EventWorks, www.EventWorksRentals.com
Music: Emerald Empire Band (reception), www.EmeraldEmpireBand.com
Signage: Gillian Sawyer, www.Etsy.com/shop/YesSheCanvas
Getaway Boat: HOBA, www.HOBARides.com/
Bride’s attire: Pronovias from Gown Boutique of Charleston (gown), www.GownBoutiqueofCharleston.com; Alena Fede (veil and alterations), www.AlenaFedeFashion.com; Anthropologie (earrings), www.Anthropologie.com; Sam Edelman (shoes), www.SamEdelman.com
Beauty: Lashes & Lace, www.LashesandLaceCharleston.com
Bridesmaids’ attire: Jenny Yoo; Show Me Your Mumu, www.ShowMeYourMumu.com
Men’s attire: The Black Tux (suit, shoes, tie), www.TheBlackTux.com

 

The Wedding Row

July 1 2019
Globe-trotters in every sense of the word, Laura and Anthony traveled all over the world visiting each other during their nearly ten years of long-distance dating. Jetting to hot spots like Chicago,...

June 28 2019
As we all know, the Holy City plays hostess to a large number of weddings every year (you just need to scroll back through all of our pages of posts to see that). And while some lovebirds choose to...

June 26 2019
It’s time for some girl talk. We all know how nerve-wracking first dates can be, whether going in blind or not, and we’re here to impart a piece of solid advice from bride Megan. When agreeing to...

June 25 2019
The Wedding Row: Tell us about how you two lovelies met. Caroline: Zach and I met briefly in college. I traveled to Clemson from University of Alabama to attend a date party with a friend from high...

June 24 2019
Morning, dears. With all the beyond beautiful sites our Holy City has to offer on the wedding venue front, finding the winner for your Big Day can feel impossible or perhaps endless. But no worries,...

June 21 2019
No tricks, only treats for Mandy and Dan. The duo met on Halloween, of all holidays, in Greenville, South Carolina, back in 2013. They hit it off, became an “item,” and enjoyed each other’s company...

June 20 2019
Eloping has come to mean something different these days than in years past. It can be the traditional version with a couple heading out for a getaway and a simple ceremony a deux; it can be that plus...

June 18 2019
It was nothing but pure sparks (red, white, and blue perhaps?) when Alissa met Rick at a political fundraiser in Chicago. They were both supporting the Governor of Illinois and after hours of talking...