Erica and Jimmy tied the knot in the bride’s home state of South Carolina at Pawleys Island’s Litchfield Plantation. Erica’s family has been vacationing in Pawleys Island going back 100 years and the the couple felt the beach location was the perfect celebration of their love for each other and Southern Lowcountry. With the help of Meagan Warren Weddings they packed the weekend with events that showcased the best of the destination beach town and a wedding day filled to the brim with Southern elegance. Florals are by Fern Studio with stationery by Albertine Press and Brandon Lata Photography was on hand to capture all the lovely moments in these beautiful images.
What made the wedding special and unique?
We chose to get married in my home state of South Carolina, at a very special place to both of us, Pawleys Island. It holds a special place in my heart, as it is my “happy place” and where I have vacationed every summer with my family since I was a kid. In fact, my mother’s side of the family has been going there for almost 100 years! Time here always means relaxing on the beach, spending time with family, soaking up the sunshine, eating delicious food, drinking wine on the deck, catching crabs in the creek, and watching the sunset over the marsh. It wasn’t hard for Jimmy to also fall in love with this special place after his first visit! We decided there was no better location to tie the knot. Since our guests would be traveling from near and far to be with us on our wedding day, we wanted to make sure the entire weekend was filled with fun and that everyone got to see the special place that Pawleys is. We kicked off the celebrations with family during a Lowcountry Boil, continued with a bridal luncheon at the charming Sea View Inn on the ocean, and welcomed all of our guests with a party at Wachesaw Plantation Club, where they got their first taste of the understated elegance of the South Carolina Lowcountry. During our wedding, we served a menu of traditional Southern Lowcountry cuisine at the historic Litchfield Plantation, surrounded by moss-covered oaks and a rice plantation, and finished the night with an after party at the locally infamous Pawleys Island Tavern. We concluded the weekend with a brunch overlooking the beach on a beautiful day, and we are so grateful that we were able to share so many new memories in our favorite place with all of our loved ones.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
I hadn’t done any wedding dress shopping yet, but I had my eye on the style of Pronovias dresses. I ended up having to take a business trip to Milan, Italy just over a year out from our wedding, and was exploring the city when I realized that Pronovias had a flagship store there. I walked in, figuring it was a long shot for me to get an appointment, but as it turned out, they were having a special preview event for their new collection two days later and had just one available appointment left! I returned for the appointment by myself, not sure what to expect, and fell in love with the fifth dress I tried on- it was exactly what I had imagined! I FaceTimed my mom (it was 5:00am on the East Coast- she’s a trooper!), and was able to share the moment with her virtually. We even toasted to it – me with champagne and her with coffee!
What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?
It was very important to us to make our wedding personal to our relationship and our families, so we infused many details to make it our own. On my side of the family, we always think it’s best to decide on a dessert (or three) first, and then plan the meal around that. So it was only fitting to have the best bakers I know (my mother, grandmothers, and aunt) whip up our favorite family recipes to serve! To go along with the cake, our guests were able to enjoy some very special sweet treats at our family dessert table, all served on my grandmother’s and mother’s silver. We are also very partial to our preferred beverages, and wanted to make sure we shared all of our favorite craft beers from our favorite places with everyone- some that we even had to bring down in our suitcases with us from Nantucket! We rounded out the bar with our favorite wines and three signature cocktails, while also inviting guests to a specialty station to enjoy my personal favorite, oysters and rosé. Aside from the edible details, we had a custom watercolor crest designed with our new monogram, accompanied by watercolor artwork of the iconic “Pawleys Island shell” that we used on everything from our stationery, signage, and welcome bags to custom pillows, koozies, and cocktail napkins. Finally, we chose to honor my late grandfather and his art through a special guest book. Poppop spent over 70 years of his life documenting scenes from all over the beautiful state of South Carolina and turning them into postcards, with his favorite of those places being Pawleys Island. We chose a selection of his postcards and asked our guests to pick their favorites to sign in lieu of a traditional guest book, which has resulted in such a special keepsake that we will forever treasure. I also attached his Navy anchor pin with lace from my mother’s wedding dress to my bouquet, adding a special touch to carry with me down the aisle.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
There are so many fun memories that stick out from this perfect day, thanks to all of our loved ones who were there to celebrate with us! If we have to pick, there are two that stick out most. One of these is the first look that we shared with each other. On a day that’s filled with so many emotions, anxiety, and people, we both agree that the moment we first saw each other when I walked out from behind the moss-covered oak trees was so incredibly special and calming and will stick in our minds forever. The moments that followed during which we were able to be alone and share our excitement for the day were our favorites, and they truly helped us relax and enjoy the festivities. Our other favorite memory comes later in the night, when my talented sister and maid of honor surprised everyone onstage with Mark Bryan from Hootie and the Blowfish to perform “Hold My Hand,” one of our favorite songs! This was such a shock, and we could not have had more fun singing and dancing along with our friends during such a special performance.
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
I moved to Boston for my first job after finishing graduate school at Clemson in South Carolina, not knowing anyone. In order to meet people, I joined the New England Clemson Alumni Club, and met Jimmy at one of the first football game watch parties of the season, just two months after moving! Although from Boston, he went to Clemson for school so we immediately had a common bond and it was somewhat a taste of home. He was there to help me through my first Boston winter and learn the ropes in Boston, and we quickly fostered a special relationship. Two years later, Jimmy planned a trip for the two of us to get out of the city and spend Labor Day Weekend enjoying Nantucket, one of our favorite places to go together. Before dinner on the first night, we decided to go grab a bottle of champagne and watch the sun go down at Steps Beach. Once there, Jimmy suggested that we set up a phone to take a time lapse of the sunset, as we had done on previous trips together. He then proceeded to lead me out towards the water so that this time we would appear in the time lapse video, champagne in hand. Next thing I knew, Jimmy had dropped down to one knee, and all I remember is saying “Yes!” before spending the rest of the night and weekend together in a whirlwind of excitement!
Planning and Design: Meagan Warren Weddings // Photography: Brandon Lata Photography // Florals: Fern Studio // Stationery: Albertine Press // Venue: Litchfield Plantation // Video: Reel Weddings // Gown: Pronovias // Wedding Crest & Custom Illustrations: Kearsley Lloyd // Calligraphy: Delighted Calligraphy // Bridesmaids: Hayley Paige Occasions // Groomsmen: Calvin Klein // Cake: Incredible Edibles Bakery // Hair & Makeup: Ash & Co. // Rentals: Ooh Events // Linens: Party Reflections / La Tavola // Lighting: MCSound & Light // Entertainment: Strand Strings / The Midnight City Band // Trolleys: Lowcountry Loop