Written By Melissa Reardon
Photographs By Lucy Cuneo
A transplant from Virginia, Weston “Wes” McAfee vividly remembers the first time he saw his future bride-to-be. Charleston native Dana Elaine...
When Devin Medd traveled to Savannah to celebrate his sister’s birthday in 2017, he had no idea his future wife would be among her friends. But Devin and Dantzler Lambert felt an instant spark, “like we were the only ones in the room,” she says. At the weekend’s close, each went their separate way—he home to Delaware and she to Charlotte—but the pair continued to talk across four states.
Despite the distance, they visited regularly for months until she took a leap of faith and relocated to Delaware. Seven years later, he proposed during a game of backyard fetch with their golden retrievers before surprising his new fiancée with an engagement party attended by friends and family from near and far.
Having grown up in Darlington, South Carolina, Dantzler had always envisioned a grand Lowcountry wedding. So when her aunt and uncle suggested their historic John’s Island estate as a venue, the idea felt like a dream come true. With most guests traveling, the couple planned a celebration showcasing the best of the Lowcountry, from a marsh-front ceremony to boiled peanuts at cocktail hour and a shrimp and grits dinner. The bride and groom were also touched to have a large wedding party beside them (the ladies in an array of dresses), including a dear friend who stood as best man in honor of her late brother.
But for Dantzler and Devin, the most endearing part may be the ability to return with family to the site of their nuptials year after year—a luxury they consider priceless. As Dantzler says, “How lucky are we to come back to this place and reminisce over such a beautiful memory while creating more for years to come?”
