Indulging in Romance



WRITER CREDIT: 
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
Indulging in Romance | Crystal Hardwick & Matthew Herring, June 16, 2012, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort

When Crystal Hardwick’s best friend was nervous for her first face-to-face with an online suitor, Crystal faithfully tagged along as her wingman. Turns out great minds think alike: the guy brought along a friend, too—Matt Herring—and the second stringers hit it off. “We each knew we had met someone special,” says Crystal, “and we’ve been together ever since. In a few short months, I realized Matt was my soul mate.”

One May afternoon, the couple, who lives on Daniel Island, was taking a stroll downtown with their shih tzu, Lily Ann, when Matt suggested they stop to sit on a park bench near Colonial Lake.
The pleasant break turned into a heartfelt proposal with a ring, but the surprise wasn’t over. “Matt had made reservations at Halls Chophouse, where we’d celebrated our one-year anniversary,”
explains Crystal. “Everyone at the restaurant met us at the door with champagne and congratulations. It was perfect!”

When it came to wedding planning and décor, Crystal wanted romance, lace, and pearls. She decided on a venue—the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island—and a palette of blush, champagne, and peach. Then she entrusted Tara Guérard Soirée to take care of the big picture while she got crafty with the personal details, like vintage music sheets (for the ceremony programs), old frames (for family photos), and lace doilies (for table runners).  As guests arrived at Kiawah on the Big Day, they were greeted with champagne and chocolate chip cookies, and after the “I dos,” everyone took their seats for a dinner at sunset. Says Crystal, “The entire day was a dream come true.”
 

Vendor List

Baker: Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal; www.weddingcakesbyjimsmeal.com
Bridal attire: Amsale, White on Daniel Island; www.whiteondi.com
Bridesmaid attire: Bari Jay; www.barijay.com
Caterer: The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort;
www.kiawahresort.com/golf/the-ocean-course/
Florist, linens, planner, and rentals: Tara Guérard Soirée;www.taraguerardsoiree.com
Groom and groomsmen’s attire: Express; www.express.com
Musicians: Who’s Bad; www.whosbadmusic.com
Photographer: Virgil Bunao Photography; www.virgilbunao.com
Stationery: Lettered Olive; www.theletteredolive.com

The Wedding Row

May 21 2019
Happy Tuesday, to all you folks out there as wedding-obsessed as we are here at TWR office. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the coffee is flowing, and we have a delightful post for you...

May 20 2019
We share engagement sessions every so often and while they are always beautiful, none have stuck out in our mind as much as this one below. Lauren and Ben met their photographer, Charlie Martin, at a...

May 17 2019
Thank goodness it’s Friday! And because of that, because we made it through another long week, we are going to treat you all to a wedding that is fantastically fun. Trip and Lucy’s Big...

May 16 2019
Is there anyone else out there counting down the days until summer officially begins? Well, we still have more than a month to go so before we all get ahead of ourselves, let instead start with...

May 15 2019
While most gals respond to a proposal with a happy dance and an excited “Yes!”, Jenny said something else when her beau of three years, Michael, knelt down on Valentine’s Day. But before we get to...

May 14 2019
Stephanie and Michael’s relationship was a love match from the very start. How now, you ask? The duo, who hail from the suburbs of Atlanta, met during one of Stephanie’s tennis practices while she...

May 13 2019
When Elizabeth’s brother brought his best friend and college roommate, Will, to their family beach house over spring break one year, he couldn’t have known that he was about to make a big, HUGE...

May 10 2019
Before we heard Ryan and Devan’s story, we’d have told you there’s nothing especially romantic about March Madness … but now we may have changed our minds. These two met at The Alley, a bar-slash-...