A Governor Thomas Bennett House Wedding

Melissa & Sam

Melissa and Sam are such a beautiful couple!  These two met through a mutual friend during happy hour at The Royal American, and little did they know that the popular downtown dive would someday be the site of their engagement photos!  They initially bonded over their love of Downton Abbey that first night, and met up again at the annual Charleston City Paper’s “Best of Charleston” party.  From there they kicked off a relationship – and eventually, a wedding!

Their Big Day at The Governor Thomas Bennett House was beautiful from start to finish.  From the sweetest first look that brought tears and laughter, to a cookie bar (yep!) from Brown’s Court Bakery, it was a beautiful celebration of the happy couple.   There was even a “celebrity” guest appearance from the College of Charleston mascot, Clyde the Cougar! (Sam is a COC alum)

When I asked Melissa later about their wedding day, she had the sweetest words to say about their first look!

“Our first look was my favorite part of our wedding day and I still get goosebumps thinking about it. If I could describe it in one word, I’d call it ‘magical.’ Initially, I didn’t want to do a first look–I am traditional in that sense and wanted Sam’s first time to see me to be when I was walking down the aisle. But the more I talked to other brides and thought about it, the more I realized that I wanted that alone time with Sam on our wedding day!

“I remember how nervous but excited I was right before we saw each other. I had been looking forward to it for so long and counting down the minutes. My matron of honor helped me walk from the bridal suite at the Thomas Bennett house down to this hidden area underneath the house where Sam was waiting with his back turned to me. Although Taylor and the second photographer were there, I don’t remember even seeing or hearing them. It was like time stood still for just that moment and I could only hear my breath and my heart beating as I walked up to Sam, and tapped him on the shoulder to turn around.

“In that moment it was just us. There were no guests–no one to look on as we shared that first time seeing each other together. As he turned around and saw me, I just remember him smiling and breaking down and then of course me doing the same. Between tears and embracing we were each able to tell the other how beautiful they looked and just how happy we were. That’s a moment I’ll always remember and never forget.”

Melissa and Sam, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your big day!  So much love for you both!

Vendors:

Ceremony Venue: St. Lukes Chapel

Reception Venue: Thomas Bennett House

Coordinator: Rebecca Woodland Weddings

Rentals: Ooh! Events

Florals: Roadside Blooms

Invitation Suite: Scotti Cline Designs

Tent: Sperry Tents SE

Catering: Salthouse Catering

Bar: Squeeze Onsite

Ceremony Musicians: Holy City Strings

Reception Music: Darby Events

Cake: Wildflour

Cookie Bar: Browns Court Bakery

Hair/Makeup: Lashes and Lace

Transportation: ACW Limo

Getaway Vehicle: Charleston Rickshaw