Love & Charleston



WRITER CREDIT: 
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
Love & Charleston | A historic Broad Street home was transformed into a floral-filled oasis for this couple’s springtime soirée
Anne Flanigan & George Matelich
May 6, 2023 • South Carolina Society Hall & private residence
 
Anne Flanigan and George Matelich met while living in San Francisco, and both felt an instant and undeniable spark on their first date. For Anne, a Missouri native, and George, who grew up in New York, finding each other in the City by the Bay via a dating app might have seemed like sheer luck. But they’d soon find out that they weren’t the first in their families to cross paths: their fathers had worked together long before the two were born!
 
Over the next two years, the couple’s love bloomed, and George set about planning the perfect proposal. He popped the question along the oceanfront at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, where their families had gathered to meet “for the first time” and celebrate Anne’s birthday. She said yes—and the joy-filled group toasted to their love with a bottle of bubbles.
 
Anne and George decided their dream wedding could only be set in one city: Charleston. Anne’s parents had recently bought a house on Broad Street, and the couple was eager to introduce their out-of-state guests to the Lowcountry’s charms. They swiftly enlisted the expertise of Christina Baxter to deliver their vision of an elegant ceremony followed by a reception at the historic home. 
 
On May 6, 2023, the two exchanged handwritten vows surrounded by loved ones and the storied, portrait-clad walls of South Carolina Society Hall. A jazz band beckoned guests back outside, where they boarded buses bound for the house. After entering through the wrought-iron gate and double-oak doors festooned in white flowers and greenery, all enjoyed a cocktail hour that spilled across the yard, along the piazza, and into the circa-1873 home. 
 
And that was just the beginning of a reception to remember. Dinner was hosted in a dramatic fabric-draped tent bedecked in abundant blooms, creating the illusion of a luscious garden growing throughout the space. Along the tables, each place setting included a custom illustrated menu booklet by Hatch Cove Designs previewing a Lowcountry-inspired meal by Cru Catering of warm biscuits, pan-seared fresh catch, and other delights. After dinner, Anne and George’s guests brought the party as they danced the night away.  
 
Vendors
Planning & Design: Christina Baxter Weddings & Events
Photography: Nirav Patel Photography
Venues: South Carolina Society Hall (ceremony), private home (reception)
Florals: August Floral Design
Caterer & Bar: Cru Catering
Cake: Peninsula Grill
Rentals: Snyder Events
Linens: Stradley Davidson
Drapery: Veil
Entertainment: Charleston Virtuosi (ceremony), New South Jazzmen (reception)
Stationery: Studio R and Hatch Cove Designs
Bridal Attire: Oscar de La Renta (dress), Manolo Blahnik (shoes)
Bridesmaid Attire: Maria Lucia Hohan
Beauty: Bellelina Charleston (makeup), Patrick Navarro (hair)

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