One of a Kind

Spring 2015

WRITER CREDIT:

PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT:

One of a Kind | When a California-born banker and a Minnesota dairy farmer turned fighter pilot trade vows, they make it one for the books

Charleston Wedding wedding wedding cake Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal wedding gown veil Cru Catering calligraphy wine food EventHaus gown JCrew RENT Shoes Stems

INSIDE OUT: “We envisioned old, reclaimed pews and a simple altar with a cross,” says Kat of the ceremony site overlooking Middleton’s Butterfly Lakes. The intent—and effect—was to create an outdoor church.

WHITE WEDDING: Dusty miller, lamb’s ears, lilac, peonies, ranunculus, spray roses, tetra anemones, and Queen Anne’s Lace dressed an altar from Snyder Events. Colors were kept simple so as not to detract from the natural beauty.

NEAT SEATS: Charleston Stems dressed up seating from P.E.W.S. with beribboned greenery garlands.

Bridal gown by Mark Zunino. Veil by Pnina Tornai. Bouquet by Charleston Stems. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Wedding design by Karson Butler Events. Florals by Charleston Stems. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Gown by Mark Zunino. Veil by Pnina Tornai. Bouquet by Charleston Stems. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Gown by Mark Zunino. Bridesmaid attire from Rent the Runway. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Bouquet by Charleston Stems. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Hair styling by Roberto Alarcon. Makeup by Studio M and JONNY Cosmetics. Jewelry by J.Crew. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Bouquet by Charleston Stems. Bridal gown by Mark Zunino. Image by KT Merry Photography.

FAIRY TALE: Kat’s ladies-in-waiting fawned over her “unicorn dress” and Pnina Tornai veil. The maids had just walked the aisle to Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” one of the groom’s favorite songs.

Bouquets by Charleston Stems. Gown by Mark Zunino. Bridesmaid attire from Rent the Runway. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Gown by Mark Zunino. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Gown by Mark Zunino. Florals by Charleston Stems. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Gown by Mark Zunino. Veil by Pnina Tornai. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

THE REST IS HISTORY: Once they discovered that Middleton Place heir Arthur Middleton had signed the Declaration of Independence, Kat and Chip were sold on the venue. “We’re both very patriotic,” says the bride.

Florals by Charleston Stems. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Reception jewelry from J.Crew. Shoes by Christian Dior. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Wedding design by Karson Butler Events. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Stationery by The Dandelion Patch. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Image by KT Merry Photography.

FLY AWAY: Karson Butler Events adorned envelopes with vintage stamps related to aviation and the couple’s home states of California and Minnesota. Calligrapher Laura Hooper added the final flourishes.

Florals by Charleston Stems. Image by KT Merry Photography.

GOOD OL’ BOY: After the couple passed beneath the official Arch of Swords, Maj. Chip’s former roommate Capt. Kyle “DWIMM” Reilly customarily slapped the bride on the backside with the unofficial comment, “Welcome to the Marine Corps, ma’am!”

OPPOSITES ATTRACT: Kat’s a Type-A businesswoman and fashionista, while Chip, in his own words, is “just happy to be here.” Says planner Emily Butler, “They’re about as different as you can imagine, but couldn’t be more perfect for one another.” The 130 guests who attended their Lowcountry soirée couldn’t agree more.

Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Ceremony programs by The Dandelion Patch. Wedding design by Karson Butler Events. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

PRESSED FOR TIME: “We wanted our first impression to be a lasting one,” says Kat, whose wedding suite, including this program, was designed by a shop in the Alexandria, Virginia, area where she and Chip live.

“X” MARKS THE SPOT: Upon arrival, guests were met with drinks sporting handmade swizzle sticks and a custom map to guide them through the gardens to the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception sites.

Bar and wine service by Middleton Place. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Catering by Cru Catering. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Florals by Charleston Stems. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Bar and wine service by Middleton Place. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Butler cards by Laura Hooper Calligraphy. Wedding design by Karson Butler Events. Florals by Charleston Stems. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Butler cards by Laura Hooper Calligraphy. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Florals by Charleston Stems. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Signage by The Dandelion Patch. Linens by La Tavola. Wedding design by Karson Butler Events. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Menu by The Dandelion Patch. Linens from La Tavola. Place cards by Laura Hooper Calligraphy. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Florals by Charleston Stems. Linens from La Tavola. Place cards by Laura Hooper Calligraphy. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Wedding design by Karson Butler Events. Florals by Charleston Stems. Linens by La Tavola. Wedding design by Karson Butler Events. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Florals by Charleston Stems. Wedding design by Karson Butler Events. Image by KT Merry Photography.

KICK BACK: Planners Amber and Emily paired extra pews with coffee tables for shaded lounge areas.

Cake by Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Florals by Charleston Stems. Linens from La Tavola. Image by KT Merry Photography.

Image by KT Merry Photography.

PRETTY IN PINK: Cocktail tables in Middleton’s Octagonal Garden shimmered in sequin-covered rose-gold La Tavola linens.

Chairs from EventHaus. Linens from La Tavola. Wedding design by Karson Butler Events. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Cake by Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal. Wedding design by Karson Butler Events. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

LAKE PLACID: Upon the couple’s first visit to Middleton Place, they saw a pair of swans gliding across its reflecting pond; their guests were greeted with similar serenity.

Wedding design by Karson Butler Events. Florals by Charleston Stems. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Rentals from Snyder Events. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Chairs from EventHaus. Linens from La Tavola. Florals by Charleston Stems. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

Wedding design by Karson Butler Events. Rentals from Snyder Events. Florals by Charleston Stems. Image by KT Merry Photography at Middleton Place.

THE DINNER CLUB: “It felt as though we had stepped into an opulent supper club with all of our favorite people at the table,” says Kat.

LOVE ETERNAL: The couple sat in EventHaus’ Infinity chairs placed at the center of a kings’ table alongside their parents, the wedding party, and more. They loved the party-watching vantage it afforded, says Kat.

Image by KT Merry Photography.

FIRE POWER: Kat lured Chip from the festivities, telling him they needed to take night photos by the altar. Seconds after the couple returned to the Butterfly Lakes, where they had exchanged vows, fireworks took over the sky, a surprise from the bride for the groom. (Kat got special clearance for the rare show by hiring a Middleton-approved pyrotechnics expert.)

Photographs by:

KT Merry Photography

Kat Sanchez & Chip “Powder” Koskiniemi
May 17, 2014
Middleton Place

What’s a “unicorn dress?” According to Kat Sanchez, it’s that elusive wedding gown that’s perfect for you alone, one that nary another soul (or at least anyone at your wedding) has ever seen. Last year, the California native was in New York while cameras for TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress recorded her quest for just such a mythical frock. When she stumbled upon her holy grail (and her on-screen crew approved) Kat knew she wanted to create a wedding to live up to the frothy Mark Zunino number—in other words, she says, she wanted a “unicorn wedding.”

If Kat sounds a little eccentric, supremely stylish, and like a woman who knows how to live large, you’ve got her pegged. And it was just those qualities that attracted Chip “Powder” Koskiniemi to her some five years ago. Back then, both were at an air show in Fort Worth, Texas, where she was visiting her sister and volunteering at a cheesesteak stand, and he, an F/A-18 Marine pilot, was grounded due to high winds. At day’s end, she went to nab a photo with men in uniform, and as fate would have it, Chip was in the group she approached. His Marine call sign patch reading “Powder” caught her eye, sparked a conversation, and led to a phone number swap. Soon she, a banker based in D.C., and he, a Minnesota boy raised on a dairy farm, had a love that endured his two deployments and three-year stint in Beaufort, South Carolina. That head-spinning romance hit a pinnacle on a trip to see Chip’s family in late 2012. The couple had stopped at his favorite Taco Bell, ordered (tacos for him, Crunchwraps for her), and as they settled back into the car, Kat says she realized he was proposing. Yes, she verily groans, fast food is fundamental to their happily-ever-after story.

Flash forward nine months, and everything—the Lowcountry, a few good men, family, Taco Bell, and fireworks—converged into a singular wedding. Kat enlisted the D.C.-based twin sister team of Karson Butler Events and the result: an open-air ceremony on a colonial-era estate; a black-tie reception; and an after-party powered by Crunchwraps. Toss in a pyrotechnic display, and Kat says “operation unicorn wedding” was a home run.

Vendor List:

Baker: Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal, www.WeddingCakesByJimSmeal.com

Bar & Wine Service: Middleton Place, www.MiddletonPlace.org

Bridal Accessories: (veil) Pnina Tornai, www.PninaTornai.com; (shoes) Christian Dior, www.Dior.com; (reception jewelry) J.Crew, www.JCrew.com; (ceremony jewelry) family heirloom

Bridal Gown: Mark Zunino, www.MarkZunino.com

Bridesmaid Attire: Rent the Runway, www.RentTheRunway.com

Calligrapher: Laura Hooper Calligraphy, www.LHCalligraphy.com

Caterer: Cru Catering, www.CruCatering.com

Ceremony & Reception Location: Middleton Place, www.MiddletonPlace.org

Cinematography: Josh Gooden Cinematography, www.JoshGoodenCinematography.com

Fireworks: Pyrotecnico, www.Pyrotecnico.com

Florist: Charleston Stems, www.CharlestonStems.com

Hair Stylist: Roberto Alarcon, www.BangSalon.com

Getaway vehicle: Charleston Limos, http://www.charlestonlimo360.com/

Linens: La Tavola, www.LaTavolaLinen.com

Makeup Artist: Studio M and JONNY Cosmetics, www.StudioMCharleston.com

Musicians: (ceremony) bride’s family; (reception) D & M Productions, www.ALowcountryEvent.com

Photographer: KT Merry Photography, www.KTMerry.com

Rentals: (tent, lighting, reception) Snyder, www.SnyderEvents.com; (pews) P.E.W.S., www.RentPews.com; (chairs) EventHaus, www.EventHausRentals.com; (restrooms) Nature’s Calling, www.NaturesCallingInc.com

Stationery & Signage: The Dandelion Patch, www.TheDandelionPatch.com

Wedding Design & Coordination: Karson Butler Events, www.KarsonButlerEvents.com

The Wedding Row

February 24 2020

Molly & Chris | The Governor Thomas Bennett House

Molly and Chris’s colleagues at J.P. Morgan in New York had a feeling the two were perfect for each other and tried for months to set them up. When they finally met up at an event? Cue: magic. Over...

February 24 2020

Danielle & Tom | Middleton Place

After Long Islanders Tom and Danielle met in chorus class during their freshman year of high school, it took him a full year to build up enough courage to ask her to be his girlfriend. Her response...

February 24 2020

Sarah & Wilson | The Gadsden House

On the first day of college at the University of Georgia, a complete stranger tried to convince Sarah to drop freshman English; he’d heard the professor was terrible. Turns out the professor was,...

February 14 2020

Pete & Alex | The Cedar Room

To all the single ladies (and gents): Valentine’s Day isn’t only for those already in love. As Alex and Pete’s story proves, it may be the perfect day for a meet-cute. Pennsylvania-born Pete was in...

February 12 2020

Allison & Brendan | Lowndes Grove

Four days before Allison and Brendan’s dream Charleston wedding, Hurricane Florence was making its way toward the Lowcountry and the city was under evacuation orders. The Dallas-based couple pulled...

February 11 2020

Courtney & Kristen | The Wickliffe House

Courtney wasn’t looking to settle down, but when friends convinced her to take Kristen on a date, something felt different. Before long, they found themselves in a long-distance relationship—Courtney...

February 7 2020

Michelle & Kenneth | Engagement Session

Bumble may be responsible for introducing this couple, but it was a magical first date filled with sushi, hours of conversation, karaoke, and endless laughter that truly brought together Michelle and...

February 6 2020

Maggie & Mike | The Cedar Room

Maggie and Mike’s story puts a whole new spin on bro-mance. It all started in Chicago when her boss, who was dating a fellow named Eric, wanted to set Maggie up with her boyfriend’s younger brother....