Spring Wedding on a Family Farm in South Carolina

Beck and I met Miranda and Blair at a coffee shop about 8 months prior to their wedding day. They went over the plans they had already made for their wedding day.   After talking with them for awhile, we knew that we could definitely assist them with their April wedding. Beck and I went over the services we could offer. After some more discussion we all decided we would be a good fit for their wedding planning needs...and that is when our planning and friendship began.

After several months of emails, texts, phone calls and meetings, we were able to pull everything together to make their wedding day the special day that they had envisioned. Everything turned out beautiful for this special couple and we thoroughly enjoyed working with them.
~ Jane White, It's Your Party! Events & Weddings



Please enjoy Red Apple Tree Photography's wonderful images of Miranda and Blair's wedding day along with all the details that Miranda shared about their special day.

Blair and I enjoy spending time at my grandparents' farm in Abbeville, SC.  It's a place that is special to my family as we have many family gatherings and spend Thanksgiving there every year.  We also enjoy hosting our friends at the farm.  We knew the beautiful farmhouse, with its green grass and huge, old pecan trees, would make the perfect backdrop for a spring Southern wedding reception.  I grew up in a Methodist church, so once we visited Main Street UMC in downtown Abbeville, we knew we had found the location for our special weekend!

We added many special touches to our wedding day. The location in itself is such a special place for us! My bouquet was wrapped with a handkerchief that my great grandmother gave me, which my mother monogrammed with my new initials.  

I wore my new mother-in-law's earrings.  My grandfather gave me an old foreign coin which I taped to the bottom of my shoe for good luck! 

One of the diamonds on my engagement ring belonged to Blair's great-grandmother.  I had Blair's band made out of a gold ring that my grandmother had given to my mother years ago, and my mother gave it to me.  



 Blair is very artistic and taught himself how to play the guitar.  We thought it would be nice to incorporate that into the day.  One of my uncles and one of my cousins were so kind to serenade our guests with their guitars as they arrived at the church!



 Blair also loves bagpipe music so we had a bagpiper accompany the organist for the bridal processional.  He lead my father and I down the aisle and also played outside as guests exited the church after the ceremony.

We used a traditional Methodist wedding ceremony and added a reading from the book of Ruth.  The Reverend also added a reading at the end by Dietrich Bonhoeffer that was really special.  



We used light pink, navy, and gold.  I wanted the reception to have an old Southern feel and less of a rustic/farm theme.  Our reception decor included huge crystal chandeliers in high peak tents, and silver and gold bowls, vases, and trays for the table arrangements.  My grandparents opened up the farmhouse for guests to mingle in and out.  There were also plenty of rocking chairs for guests to hang out on the wrap-around porch.  

 The part of our wedding we decided to splurge on was...THE BAND!!!  Our wedding was 4 months ago and people are still talking about the band.  They definitely brought the house down!  

The favorite part of our day was....EVERYTHING!!!! If we had to narrow it down to just one thing though, it was having all of our best friends and family in one place celebrating a very happy occasion with us.   

We wanted to keep everything for the whole weekend right there in Abbeville.  We had our rehearsal dinner and party at the Livery Stable.  Blair's parents surprised us with the decor, so we had no idea what to expect.  Of course, it turned out beautifully!  Our entire wedding party rented out The Belmont Inn on the square in downtown Abbeville.  It was really special having everyone stay there together all weekend.  

Of  course you can't have a wedding without a love story...and here is Miranda and Blair's!

Blair and I met at Lake Hartwell back in 2003 when he was living at his family's lake house and working at a lakeside restaurant.  We became friends and starting dating in 2006.  He proposed on June 8, 2014, at his family's lakehouse... where it all began!  He surprised me with a nice dinner, and when we got to the restaurant our families were there waiting to celebrate with us!

Vendors:

Caterer -   Sullivan's Metropolitan Grill

Photographer -  Red Apple Tree Photography

Florist  -  Aimee Cromer

Cake  -   Sweet Expressions - Kathy Scott

Band  -   Mo'Sol

Rentals  -  Event Rentals

Wedding Coordinators  -  It's Your Party! Events & Weddings

Transportation  -  EastsideTransportation



An Outdoor Ceremony in Spring

Sarah and Erich are two very special people who found each other and fell in love. They are both very expressive and they often are talking at the same time! But that is what makes them so adorable together. They both love their families deeply and love spending time with them whenever possible. And the most important person in their life is their little Chloe who is the center of their world.

Beck and I met Sarah and Erich several months before their wedding. We immediately clicked and we were so honored that chose us to assist them with planning their wedding. There were emails, phone calls, texts and meetings over the next several months making sure that all the details...big and small...of their wedding day were coming together. Sarah, Erich, Chloe and Maureen (the bride's mother) now hold a very special place in our hearts.



We want to share their very special wedding and the beautiful pictures that Trinity Photography captured from the day. Enjoy the pictures and how it all came together for Sarah and Erich.

Sarah says, "We wanted to have a destination beach wedding but more than anything, we wanted my 95 year old grandma to be able to watch her granddaughter get married. Both of us really enjoy golfing. So the look of The Links at Stoney Point was a perfect substitute for the beach theme we were going for with a classy golf green twist!

The weather was a very important element because our wedding ceremony was being held outside. Many days were spent worrying about the 50% chance of rain and storms in the South Carolina afternoons in spring. The overall atmosphere was also a big element because we wanted it to be perfect and enjoyable not only for us but for our families and friends as well.

Erich and I were able to personalize our wedding with several different touches. We had some lovely paper fans for all the guests to stay cool with during the ceremony. They were personalized with our names and wedding date. The fans also acted as our wedding favors. We made our guestbook together with a collage of pictures from our engagement shoot. Everyone was able to see and enjoy the pictures while signing the book.

The flowers (The Floral Case) were well worth the money that we splurged and they made the wedding absolutely perfect. They were all shades of purple and white...from calla lillies to hibiscus to some gorgeous greens.

We are also glad we splurged and got It's Your Party to help in coordinating everything and making the day perfect and go so smoothly. (Ah...so sweet!)  It helped me to keep a clear mind and know that someone else was in charge.

For the ceremony, we chose the traditional Episcopalian vows which are gorgeous in their own way. We had the wedding party walk down the aisle to "Marry Me"  by Jason Durelo. I was escorted down down the aisle by my mother to the classic " Cannon D". Even today, Erich tears up when he hears Cannon D start playing.

The entire wedding day was perfect but my favorite part was seeing my amazing groom tearing up as I walked down the aisle to him. Being able to finally see him was a big relief to me and warmed my spirits. Watching my little girl walk down the aisle as my amazing little beautiful flower girl also made Erich and me so happy. It meant that we have finally become one.

Erich's favorite part of the day was watching his bride and her mother walking arm in arm down the aisle to say I do. It meant he would be able to hold on to me the rest of the night and celebrate with our wonderful family and friends. Having his brothers, father and closest friend by his side through it all meant so much to him as well.

My amazing bridesmaids and maid of honor surprised me with a gorgeous picture of my father in a turtle locket to walk down the aisle attached to my bouquet. This made me so happy and really brought a very emotional aspect. It meant the world to me that my mother gave me away. It also meant so much to me to have my grandmother there as well as all my family that traveled from all parts of the world including England. It was so heart warming to see all the support from all of my family members.

When it was time to go, we had sparklers for everyone to light up the stairway as we left to go home to finish packing and head to Jamaica for our honeymoon and begin our life as husband and wife.

You can't have a real wedding without a real love story!  Sarah and Erich's love story adds a very personal touch to their beautiful wedding.

It all started when I walked into Skin's Hotdogs and applied for a job.  I finally got the job by calling and checking on my application over and over. By about the third call, Erich said to me "I lost your application. I will call you when I find it."  I never got a call so I called yet again and finally he said for me to come in for the job.  That's when it all began.  Three months later we hung out together for the first time. It was magical and for the next week we spent time together every night getting to know each other better. I soon discovered that I had met "the one".  We quickly found out how much each of us enjoyed traveling together.  We traveled to Georgia for me to meet his mother and also made several trips to the coast. Seven months later we took our first plane trip together to San Juan, Puerto Rico to visit Erich's family for the first time. Instantly I fell in love with the amazing town, the beaches and the history of Puerto Rico. A few short months later we traveled to Puerto Rico again. This time we took our sweet Chloe with us. We then made it a regular thing to travel down. On March 17, 2014, we took a trip as a family down including my mom. Little did I know Erich had asked my mom for my hand in marriage and she had carried my ring on the plane to Puerto Rico, the Island of Love.  On March 19th, Erich and I went for a lovely walk on the beach at sunset. Erich was behind me and he asked "What would make this even better?". I turned around and he was on one knee and said, "if you marry me". On May 17, 2015 at sunset, I said "I do". Who would have thought all this would have come from me begging for a job with a 6 month old adorable little girl. I could not be a happier mom and wife. We have come a long way in our relationship from the first meeting to overcoming many arguments. We have grown from the mistakes and arguments into having a lovely marriage and this is just the beginning! ~ by Sarah


Vendors:
Venue and Caterer - The Links at Stoney Point
Photographer         - Trinity Photography
Florist                    - The Floral Case
Coordinators         - It's Your Party! Events & Weddings
Rentals                  - The Rental Center

Wedding Planning Questionnaire for Engaged Couples

Wedding at The Farm - A Gathering Place by Jen Yuson Photography

When starting the wedding planning process, it's important to know that you as a couple are on the same page. This will allow you to make decisions independently, when necessary, knowing that it fits the look and feel of the wedding for both of you. It will also help you avoid arguments with each other during the planning process.

This short questionnaire can be filled out together as a couple, or print out two copies and fill out separately. You should discuss the reasons for your choices because it will help you when making decisions together.

If there is another person who will be an important decision-maker in the wedding, such as a parent, you may wish to get them to fill this out too. But I would recommend that you as the couple fill out the questionnaire first.

Wedding Planning Questionnaire

1.     Rate the following in order of importance (put a 1 next to the thing that is most important to you, through a 10 next to the thing that is least important to you):

___Food
___Liquor
___Apparel
___Aesthetics/Appearance (flowers, decorations, centerpieces, ambiance)
___Music
___Convenience
___Spirituality
___Photography
___Family and Friends

2.     When I look back on our wedding, I want to most remember: (choose 1)

___How exciting and fun everything was
___How romantic it was
___How beautiful it was
___How proper and tasteful everything was
___How smoothly and easily everything went
___How happy my parents and family were
___How relaxed I was

3.    Circle two to three words that you think will describe your wedding: 

Fun -- Romantic -- Classic -- Unique -- Loving -- Classy -- Tasteful -- Glamorous -- Elegant -- Funky -- Casual -- Relaxed -- Formal -- Themed -- Well-appointed -- Luxurious -- Decadent -- Old-fashioned -- Kitschy -- Preppy -- Sporty -- Morning -- Afternoon -- Evening -- Coordinated -- Cute -- Solemn -- Religious -- Secular -- Traditional -- Other ____________

4.    Even though you may not yet have put together a budget, or know who is contributing to your wedding, select how much you think your wedding should cost: (choose 1)

___Less than $5000
___$5000-$10000
___$10,000-$25,000
___$25,000-$45,000
___$45,000-$70,000
___$70,000-$100,000
___more than $100,000

5.    I want to get married: (choose 1)

___in the spring
___in the summer
___in the fall
___in the winter
___on our anniversary
___on an easy to remember date like 1/3/2013
___on a holiday (Valentine's Day, New Years, Etc.)
___on my parents' wedding anniversary
___on another special date _______________

6.    Colors that might make good wedding colors: (choose 3 or 4)

Red -- Green -- Yellow -- Blue -- Purple -- Lilac -- Amethyst -- Eggplant -- Lavender -- Wine -- Bordeaux -- Burgundy -- Sky blue -- Teal -- Royal Blue -- Navy -- Midnight Blue -- Raspberry -- Light Pink -- Hot Pink -- Fuschia -- Coral -- Magenta -- Peach -- Tangerine -- Apricot -- Pumpkin -- Orange -- Curry -- Mustard -- Brown -- Chocolate Brown -- Camel -- Tan -- Beige -- Apple Green -- Grass Green -- Kelly Green -- Mint Green -- Lime Green -- Moss -- Sapphire -- Deep Aqua -- Gold -- Silver -- White -- Black -- Bronze -- Copper -- Cream -- Champagne -- Vanilla -- Marigold -- Electric Blue -- Neon Yellow -- Blue Grey -- Grey -- Other _____________

(weddings.about.com)

Once you have both completed the questionnaire, use your answers to start planning your wedding. You might use the budget number as a target to discuss with anyone who might be helping pay for the wedding. If you both agree that flowers are more important to you than music, for example, you might choose to allocate a greater percentage of your budget to flowers, and save money on music. 

Here’s to a great experience with planning the wedding of your dreams.