Southern Charm



WRITER CREDIT: 
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
Southern Charm | Enjoy this simple, sweet wedding by the water in Rockville, where the oaks tower, roads are unpaved, and romance is always in the air

Allison Sill & Robert Bowden

September 28, 2013, Grace Chapel & Sea Island Yacht Club

 

Poseidon has taken a special liking to Allison Sill and Robert Bowden—how else to explain the couple’s fateful meeting at an oyster roast at the Beaufort Yacht Club, their first kiss aboard Robert’s boat, the Sea Wolf, and, eventually, a wedding reception on Wadmalaw’s Bohicket Creek? “It’s definitely a thread that weaved throughout our courtship,” laughs Allison. Their nautical history, plus Robert’s wish for a getaway on the Sea Wolf, meant that a waterside venue was a must for their reception, and Rockville’s Sea Island Yacht Club fit the bill. “We fell in love with the sleepy oaks and marsh view,” says Allison. “The sea breeze and rustic facilities make you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time.” Over a whirlwind four-month planning period, Robert locked down a host of local vendors and the venues, including the white-washed 1840s Grace Chapel, while Allison worked out the décor—succulents handpicked from local nurseries, string lights twisted into Mason jars, and burlap pillows she sewed herself. Of the special day, Allison says, “We felt like we had a little corner of the world all to ourselves.”


Island: Wadmalaw Island
Distance from Charleston: 23 miles south
Personality: Founded in 1784, the tiny village, with its dirt roads, picket fences, and live oaks, is old-school Southern charm personified.
Best Bet to Wed There: Membership (or local connections) at the yacht club and churches
Info:  www.TownofRockville.com
Like Rockville? You’ll Also Dig: Charleston Tea Plantation, (843/559-0383;  www.CharlestonTeaPlantation.com); McClellanville (843/887-3712;  www.TownofMcClellanville.com)



Vendor List:
Baker: Cupcake DownSouth, www.freshcupcakes.com
Bar Service: Mix Charleston, www.mixcharleston.com
Bride’s Gown: Fabulous Frocks, www.fabulousfrocksbridal.com/charleston
Bride’s Shoes: Phillips Shoes, www.phillipsshoes.com
Bride’s Earrings: Janine Gibbons Designs, www.etsy.com/shop/JanineGibbonsDesigns
Bride’s Hair Accessory: LulaKate, www.lulakate.com
Bridesmaid Attire: Jean’s Bridal, www.jeansbridalcharleston.com
Bridesmaid Jewelry: Nana Zola, www.etsy.com/shop/nanazola
Catering: Butcher and Bee, www.butcherandbee.com
Ceremony Venue: Grace Chapel, www.stjohnsparishchurch.com/grace-chapel
Florist: Forget Me Nots by Horst Flowers, www.forgetmenotscharleston.com
Flower Girl Attire: Magnolias Bridal Collections, www.magnoliasbridal.net
Groom and Groomsmen’s Suits: Brooks Brothers, www.brooksbrothers.com
Groom and Groomsmen’s Ties: High Cotton, www.highcottonties.com
Groom’s Shoes: Allen Edmonds, www.allenedmonds.com
Linens: Snyder Events, www.snyderevents.com
Hair and Make-Up Artist: Bellezza Salon, www.bellezzasalonspa.com
Musicians: The Bushels, www.thebushels.com
Photography: Anne Liles Photography, www.annephoto.com
Reception Venue: Sea Island Yacht Club, www.seaislandyachtclub.net
Rehearsal Dinner Invitation and Thank-You Notes: Open House, www.openhousecharleston.net
Wedding Invitations: Oak and Orchid, www.etsy.com/shop/oakandorchid

The Wedding Row

October 4 2019
Y’all. I almost don’t want to write a thing here because the shots from Folly Beach’s Wiki Wiki Sandbar are so freakin’ amazing they need no explanation, embellishment, or extrapolation. I mean,...

October 3 2019
Psst! Want a sneak peek into how a photographer helps a couple warm up before the lens long before the Big Day? Here’s how it’s done, Charleston-style, by Priscilla Thomas of Priscilla Thomas...

October 2 2019
Inali and Leon met on a college trip to Washington D.C. back in 2012. Inali’s first impression? Leon was the strangest man she had ever met. Six years later, after some solid QT together, she...

October 1 2019
We love how bride Savannah operates. That dress she’s sporting? It was purchased at what was formerly The Gown Collective (and now is Magnolia Bride, an upscale gown consignment shop downtown on...

September 30 2019
The stars aligned for Emily and Meryl not once, not twice, but three times to make sure they ended up a couple. The first time, Emily sidled up to a bar where Meryl was slinging drinks when sparks...

September 27 2019
If you’re craving a love story and the tale of how this wedding at The Gadsden House came together, click here for the original story that ran in summer 2019 Charleston Weddings. If you’re wanting to...

September 26 2019
You know all those paradise weddings you’ve seen? Those where the bride and groom are standing on a windswept beach with palms blowing in the wind and the bride’s veil flutters almost as much as her...

September 20 2019
Sparks flew a few years back on the Fourth of July in Charleston when Michelle was introduced to Patrick. After what we are assuming was one memorable holiday, and after dating for two-ish years,...