July 10, 2016 Middleton Place. <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
<i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
With most guests traveling from afar, custom leather luggage tag save-the-dates engraved with an oak tree silhouette—a nod to the ceremony site—set the scene for the destination wedding. <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
“We offered parasols, sweetgrass hand fans, and chilled hand towels to the guests during and after the ceremony,” says planner Christina Baxter on combating the summer heat. (They wed in July as Catherine is a teacher.) <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
Catherine’s nieces’ ruffled flower-girl frocks were pint-sized nods to her own tulle gown. <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
“We wanted the wedding to be both a classic taste of Charleston—the garden walk on arrival, sweet tea, hand fans, oak trees, shrimp ’n’ grits, fried green tomatoes, 10-piece big band—and a highly progressive affair with Jared’s one-time roommate serving as officiant,” says the bride. <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
Jared Coseglia & Catherine Siracusa. <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
Catherine and Jared arrived at their reception in true Charleston style: by horse. <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
“The most rewarding part was marrying my wife,” says Jared of the day. “Her vows were the most memorable moment for me—she has never looked so happy.” <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
Diminutive vases decorated tabletops so as not to compete with the flower feature wall and hanging arrangements. <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
A lavender sprig and heart-shaped placeholder added romance to table settings. <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
The Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal creation was a true collaboration. Catherine chose the ruffles while Christina suggested the magnolia-inspired accent floral. “It needed some kind of natural, rustic element to make it a little less formal and a lot more fun,” says Christina, “so we added the twigs and voilà!” <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
Comfy sofas from Snyder Events offered guests respite from the lively dance floor. <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
The couple’s Sunday evening reception was the grand finale of a wedding weekend full of festivities. On Friday, they hosted a party at their Folly Beach vacation home complete with food trucks, corn hole, and boat rides. Saturday featured a rehearsal dinner at the Italian eatery Trattoria Lucca. <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
Christina worked with Petaloso to recreate Middleton’s majestic gardens inside the site’s Pavilion hall. The focal point? An eight-by-10-foot floral wall of roses and peonies that marked the head table. <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
Inside the Pavilion, rows of naked Edison bulbs dangled from greenery, hanging amaranthus, and vintage roses. <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>
“We collect coasters everywhere we go,” says Catherine of the inspiration behind their favors. <i>Amelia + Dan Photography</i>