Boston natives Ashley and Stephen moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, and fell in love with the Lowcountry. So, when they got engaged, they knew they wanted their wedding to combine a nod to their New England heritage and a celebration of their home. The answer was a wedding by the sea with a classic lighthouse and oysters in South Carolina. Shares Ashley, “We took our time with wedding planning (about 2 years) as we knew we wanted to get married by the lighthouse in Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island. When our fabulous wedding planner, Amanda, asked us how we wanted the day to feel we said “casual elegance.” In my mind, I wanted to blend New England with the Lowcountry and one common denominator is, of course, oysters. We incorporated oysters into our escort table and served them at cocktail hour.”
Ashley’s wedding dress search eventually led her to Columbia, South Carolina. There, she discovered loads of casually elegant gowns from which to choose, but it was Wren that was a perfect fit. “I tried on upwards of 30 to 40 gowns and had the most wonderful experience at Elizabeth Cole in Columbia, South Carolina. The selection was full of “casually elegant” options and I felt extremely comfortable when I tried on the Wren. I didn’t want something that I would fuss with all day and needed it to be lightweight given the Lowcountry heat, even in May. I tried on a few gowns after at another boutique but kept coming back to this one.”
Scroll down for more of Ashley and Stephen’s day—our thoughtful bride’s planning advice is on point!
wedding dress: Lea-Ann Belter Wren via Elizabeth Cole Bridal | photographer: Anne Tenkhoff Photography | scroll down for full vendor list
How did the two of you meet?
“Stephen and I have technically known each other since middle school but didn’t really cross paths until we graduated college in 2014. We went on a few dates over the summer, and while Stephen didn’t know it, I had a work holiday visa lined up and was about to move to Australia with one of my best friends for a year. I knew he was the one when he showed up that Christmas in Sydney with his entire family for a 2-week trip.”
How did you two get engaged?
“We got engaged 8 years later after a few moves around our home city, Boston, and eventually made our way down to Charlotte, North Carolina. By that point, both sets of our parents had fallen in love with the Lowcountry and made the move South as well. We got engaged on the Bluffton docks, one of my favorite places to watch the sunset, after a boat ride on the May River. Our immediate families were there, and it was a lovely intimate celebration that we got to share with my family dog, and our dog, Fenway.”
Tell us about your outfits! How did you choose your gown?
“I tried on upwards of 30 to 40 gowns and had the most wonderful experience at Elizabeth Cole in Columbia, South Carolina. The selection was full of “casually elegant” options and I felt extremely comfortable when I tried on the Wren. I didn’t want something that I would fuss with all day and needed it to be lightweight given the Lowcountry heat, even in May. I tried on a few gowns after at another boutique but kept coming back to this one.”
Tell us about your day!
“Our wedding day was everything we could have imagined and more. We had a lot of fun and it was surprisingly stress-free (thanks to our planner and vendor team, of course). My favorite part was spending time with my bridesmaids in the morning as they live all over the world and I don’t get to spend as much time with them in person as I would like.
Of course, officially being married was another highlight, and we closed out the night with one of our favorite songs, Zombie, which our band, Oxford Soul, did an amazing job with. I didn’t want to spend hours taking photographs so I made sure to hire a documentary-style photographer and I couldn’t be more happy with the photos (and the fact that I didn’t feel pressure to be taking photos on the day).”
Any tips for couples getting married?
“We tried to be intentional with every decision and kept the guest experience at the forefront of our minds, while still making sure we were being true to what we wanted the day to feel like for us as a couple. My best advice is to trust the process, while many people say details don’t matter, I will say that a lot of people do notice and appreciate them when they’re well-thought-out. If you can hire a planner, do it, and make sure it’s someone familiar with your venue. There are 1,000 little things that you won’t think of until you’re in the process and having someone who knows your venue inside and out is invaluable.”
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
“A few weeks after the wedding we spent a harmonious 2 weeks in the Puglia region of Italy and never wanted to come home.”
Ashley + Stephen’s Hilton Head Wedding Vendors
wedding dress: Lea-Ann Belter Wren via Elizabeth Cole Bridal | photographer: Anne Tenkhoff Photography | planner: Spencer Special Events | venue: Sea Pines Resort | florals: em. creative Floral, LLC | makeup: Makeup Madame | invitations: Smitten Boutique | oyster sign: Swanky Social | Oysters: XO Oysters
