Courtney Lawson & Jared Rush
October 11, 2014
Boone Hall Plantation and Cotton Dock
“We wanted guests to feel like the venue alone was worth the trip,” says Chicago resident Courtney Lawson of her destination wedding to Jared Rush. Since every last attendee would be traveling for their Big Day, that was a tall order. But when the couple saw Boone Hall Plantation’s avenue of oaks and sun-bleached Cotton Dock, they knew they had hit gold. Working with Megan Chandler of Ooh! Events, Courtney put in a request for X-back chairs, mirrors, and strands of market bulbs, then let the planners take over. The crew draped fabric over the rafters, hung lanterns, and set the space abloom. “We were blown away when we walked into the reception,” says the bride. By night’s end, as the revelers were launching fire lanterns, Courtney remarked to Megan, “It really is over in a minute, isn’t it?”
Top Tips Take It from the Rushes ...
• Make a rough guest list before you look at venues so you know what capacity you require.
• Give a roundup of must-have shots to your photographer and appoint someone to help them discern who’s who.
• If planning agitates you, step away till you calm down. Friends and family are there to help, not to bear your angst.
• Choose your wedding party based on who will be in your life for decades.
• Share the love! Surprise your parents with hand-written thank-you notes on the Big Day.
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
From new dress shops to chic stuff for your mom (and mom-in-law), and lipstick that’s so pretty you’ll pucker right up, here’s the latest in wedding style headlines