Preppy Charleston Wedding at Fenwick Hall Plantation

Emily and Wes planned a wedding at Fenwick Hall Plantation alongside planner, Calder Clark. They chose Charleston, because it was the city where they both first met. Emily wanted to make sure the style of the wedding reflected her love of southern style, while still feeling like them. They pulled of a perfect casual elegant atmosphere that has us screaming from the rooftops! The images by Gayle Brooker are all just so gorgeous with a huge dose of preppy fun thrown in–pretty much our absolute fave!

Tell us what made your wedding so special and unique.

The wedding was so special for us because it was in Charleston- where we first met. It was so amazing seeing all of our favorite people in our favorite place. We chose Fenwick Hall because we wanted to get married under the gorgeous live oaks. We also liked the idea that it was a privately owned plantation and so it would be quiet and not as commercial. We both love history and the main building was built in 1730 and remains one of the most historic 18th century plantations. It is such a unique piece of property.

Tell us about your gown! 

I tried on several dresses, but kept going back to my debutante dress. It was a Richard Glasgow and I had worn it seven years earlier in our city’s debutant ball (the Jewel Ball). He is no longer designing dresses. I loved how the style and the fabric was so special (most dresses today aren’t made like that anymore). I knew it was the one because I didn’t want to take it off. I would have worn it home if they let me! The only problem was that it was a huge ball gown, so we had it completely remade to an a-line shape. Our seamstress said it would have been easier to start from scratch and make a completely new dress!

Tell us what personal touches and details you added to make the celebration uniquely you!

Calder Clark did such an amazing job personalizing our wedding and making sure it felt like “us”. I wanted it to be “southern” and have a relaxed feeling. That’s what we love about the south- casual elegance. I loved the emerald green color on the tablecloths, and then we added pops of navy. I love anything nautical and it got that feeling without being too “cheesy” or themed. I think it had a Tory Burch/Trina Turk element too. I also loved all of the little details- my favorite candy is dots and she used it as a party favor, our sign-in book was a huge map of South Carolina with a heart over Charleston, I have a sweet tooth and we served chocolate milkshakes and cookies late-night, etc. We tied the bottom of my bouquet with gorgeous vintage lace from my Grandmother’s wedding dress (we hated cutting it apart, but it had yellowed over time and was unusable). This way she was close to my heart and we can keep that tradition going. We wanted to keep both my grandmothers close (one passed away and one was unable to attend). I wore the other Grandmother’s earrings.

What was your favorite part of the day?

My favorite part was walking down the aisle with my dad and seeing my husband at the end of it. He was crying and I was surprisingly calm! We also loved cocktail hour. All the pressure was off and everyone was relaxed and having a good time. I loved walking towards the tent with my husband (after taking pictures) and taking it all in. Seeing all of our favorite people in one place having a good time was so over-whelming. It was so humbling that all of them traveled all that way just for us.

How did you meet and become engaged?

Wes and I both attended College of Charleston at the same time. We had the same group of friends, but didn’t meet until senior year. We should have met our junior year, but Wes studied abroad in Australia first semester and I studied in Barcelona second semester. I kept hearing about this red-headed guy named Wes…We met the first day of senior year and ended up being friends for the entire year. We would play tennis, work out and hang out together on the weekends. We even had our graduation party together along with a couple other guys! Wes and I didn’t start dating until after graduation, a few weeks before I was supposed to move to New York City. I stayed in Charleston for the summer, still planning on moving to NYC. The night before my flight, I ended up canceling and staying in Charleston to be with Wes! I desperately called my parents- I had only been dating Wes for a couple months, but I really liked him. My mom told me, “If you really like this guy, New York can wait. The worst thing that could happen is that it doesn’t work out and you can move there in a few months”. Still unsure, we went to dinner that night and driving home, the song Midnight Train to Georgia came on the radio. The lyric, “I’d rather live in his world then live without him in mine” really resonated with me. I ended up canceling my flights and staying in Charleston to be with Wes. Our first dance at the wedding was Midnight Train to Georgia.

Wes proposed over the holidays in 2011. We decided to drive 20 hours to Charleston so we could bring our dog (golden retriever named Saylor) with us. We woke up early to bring Saylor to Sullivan’s Island- his first time on the beach! We got there early morning, when the beach was empty. It was such a gorgeous day, and Wes got down on one knee and proposed. I immediately said yes! He wanted to propose in Charleston, where we met.

Vendors: Photographer: Gayle Brooker // Planner: Calder Clark // Caterer: Cru Catering // Venue: Fenwick Hall Plantation // Florist + Fabric Production Team: Blossom Events // Rentals: Snyder Event Rentals // Tenting: Skyline Tent Company/Sperry Tents Southeast // Linens: La Tavola // Lighting: TEC // Band: Eturnity Band // Ceremony Musicians: Archer Music String Trio // Calligrapher {specialty pieces}: Elizabeth Porcher Jones // Guest Transportation: Absolutely Charleston // Couple’s Transportation: YCC Charters // Bride’s Gown: Richard Glasgow // Bridesmaid’s gowns: Jenny Yoo