Meg Sawyer & Richard Doelling
April 27, 2019 / Bowens Island
Charleston lawyers Meg and Richard, who met during their first week of law school at Washington & Lee University, initially planned for a Virginia wedding but shifted gears when her father was diagnosed with cancer. With that news, they did a major redirect to the iconic eatery Bowens Island, just down the road from her parents’ place. “It captures our favorite parts of Charleston—the beautiful waterways, the wildlife, the oysters, the Spanish moss,” says Meg. Aiming for casual Southern sophistication (“Richard and I aren’t super fancy people,” says Meg), the DIY affair drew its palette from the waters and whitecaps of Folly River with décor in shades of blue and cream. Though Meg’s father tragically passed away before he could walk his girl down the aisle, the couple moved forward with their plans as a way to celebrate his life and their new lives together, too. With restaurant patrons cheering them on, Meg’s mom escorting her to the ceremony, and a reception party that was by all accounts full-tilt fabulous, the day was a roller coaster laced with romance.
Top Tips
• Prep the powder rooms. The couple added mats to the site’s bathrooms the morning of the wedding to minimize slipping.
• Generate a breeze. Rented industrial fans regulated the temperature inside the dock house.
• Work around beach traffic. Meg and Richard advised guests to head to the venue early to beat the Folly Road rush.
• Take a water taxi. The couple used the locally created HOBA app (Hop on a Boat, Anywhere) to exit the reception and head to their Folly Beach hotel.
