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...
The shorts-and-sweater look is a cool-weather staple in Charleston, and, as evidenced here, twins Olney and Marty and their cousin Tucker rocked the look with panache at their uncle Erik Johnson’s wedding to Claire Bechhold at The Governor Thomas Bennett House. The posse (whose members were nearly three when this shot was snapped) was born just after the happy couple began dating, so, says Claire, there was no question of who to pick for ring bearers. Soon after Erik had proposed, in fact, the New York City-based couple was in London with an eye out for something that could double as an ask for the boys. “I wanted something cute and British,” says Claire. Peter Rabbit came to mind, so she and Erik headed to Harrod’s for books and bunnies. Even better? There, they ran into Beka Lac, an artist doing children’s book-styled illustrations on site. After chatting, they commissioned a set of small cards picturing Peter, who asked, “Will you be our ring bearer?” As this snapshot attests, the trio agreed and enthusiastically fulfilled their duties. (Their secret to stage fright: A few rounds of “Old MacDonald” sung alongside the bride, her dad, and her bridesmaids before they were given the signal to walk. Claire told Brides.com the tune actually helped her nerves, too.) While the boys were instructed to walk from the historic house, into the garden, around the fountain, and then down the ceremony aisle, they missed the latter on the first pass and made their way around the fountain a second time for a victory lap, hand-in-hand-in-hand the whole way. And as for the utterly adorable sweaters? Those were a last-minute add from their newly official auntie. She saw these CHS toppers in the window at Skinny Dip, and knew they were just the thing to offset the chilly weekend and the boys’ gingham short sets. And how right she was.
