Hilton Head Monthly Connecting the Lowcountry 
Sunday, February 16, 2020 1:00PM – 4:00PM, Sonesta Resort Hilton Head
FRIENDSHIP FOLLOWED BY MARRIAGE IS A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
There is something to be said for marrying your best friend. Combining romance with companionship brings out the best qualities in both types of relationships. It seems couples that have this connection have it figured out — couples like Jennifer and Vinny Matalavage.
Jennifer and Vinny met in college at Penn State Hazleton, sitting next to each other in class and working together on group projects. They really connected as friends and when Vinny began looking for a roommate in 2014, he was excited to learn that Jenny had a job in the same area: “We cleared it with our parents first and then became roommates.”
OUT OF TRAGEDY COMES A SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE
The Lowcountry is a small community where lives intersect in wonderful and terrible ways. For example, take Bluffton resident Daniel Harms, who was battling cancer in the summer of 2017 when he and his wife, Holly, heard about a three-car accident on Buck Island Road that took the lives of local teacher Jesse Floyd and her unborn son, Eli.
Daniel was overcome with emotion after hearing of the tragedy. He didn’t know Floyd’s husband, Ryan, but he told Holly that he could feel his pain.
BRIDE AND GROOM PLANNED A WEEKEND OF CELEBRATION
When a wedding invitation includes an entire weekend full of events including a beach day, you know it’s going to be a good time. And that was the goal for Bluffton residents Ashley Smith and Douglas Lindblad when they were planning their wedding after getting engaged in 2018.
Like many modern-day couples, the pair first met through a dating app. But Hurricane Matthew delayed their first date when Ashley and her children evacuated to North Carolina, and Doug, who was doing tree work at the time, stayed on Hilton Head Island to help in the aftermath of the storm. Doug was also a member of the National Guard and was waiting to hear if he was going to get called up.
Some brides and grooms are currently planning their perfect 2020 weddings, while others are making last-minute adjustments to plans for a wedding that’s just a few months away. Whether your nuptials are next year, in a few weeks or not till 2021, it’s fun to keep an eye on the trends highlighted on wedding websites across the country that are having a moment — or are about to.
When native New Yorkers Valerie and Patric Ruppel got engaged in 2017 and began planning their nuptials, they knew they wanted a destination wedding in a warm climate — but not the same setting as the beach, barn and big city weddings they’d attended. After a quick brainstorming session, they both settled on the perfect vision, and it was a place they’d been to before: the Avenue of the Oaks in Belfair, where Patric’s grandparents live.
Kevin and Victoria Basirico’s love story didn’t bloom until they were young professionals living in two different states, but the seed was planted much, much earlier: They met at Sea Pines Montessori School when they were just 6 years old.
The couple, who are both 30 and now live in Hilton Head Plantation, were married March 30 at a private estate in Bluffton that Victoria said “showcased the beauty of the Lowcountry in a laid-back yet sophisticated way.”
The Hilton Head Bridal Show is the premier event of the year for brides, grooms, families, and wedding parties to see all the best that Hilton Head has to offer in terms of the perfect vendors for their wedding.
CASH IN ON YOUR WEDDING DREAMS
The bridal registry is a long-standing wedding tradition, an easy way for couples to indicate to their loved ones some of the gifts that would help them start their marriage in style. The first bridal registry dates back to 1924, when couples were mainly registering for things like china, silver and crystal patterns. Over the years, brides and grooms began registering for other kinds of items for their homes, from bath linens to garden tools. But today’s couples are marrying later and often living together first, which means their homes are pretty well equipped long before they walk down the aisle.
Once your engagement is announced, the planning process begins. This timeline will help keep you on track when it comes to planning a stress-free wedding. (Yes, it’s possible, right?)
FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES PITCH IN TO GIVE COUPLE THE PERFECT WEDDING
Rachel Eudy had always wanted a fall wedding. She loves the outdoors, so when she and her now-husband, David, decided to get married, they knew they wanted nature to play a big part in their September nuptials.
Friend Tim Wright offered to let the couple use the Lowcountry-style clubhouse at The Paddocks, a neighborhood nestled alongside a stretch of Hilton Head Island wetlands.
BRIDES-TO-BE HAVE MORE OPTIONS THAN EVER WHEN IT COMES TO THE RING
It’s more than a ring. It’s the promise of a future filled with love and happiness, tears and joy, all with the most wonderful man in the world. So why shouldn’t your ring be the most wonderful ring in the world, too? And with today’s styles and multitude of choices, there is sure to be a perfect ring out there just for you.
SUN CITY MOM WINS MAKEOVER, GETS STYLE UPDATE
Georgia Lash of Sun City Hilton Head first learned of Monthly’s makeover contest on Facebook.
She scrolled past it, but decided she should look more closely at the opportunity when she realized she qualified for the contest.
“I mean, how many times am I going to be the mother of a groom? Hopefully only once,” Lash said, referring to her only child, Alex, who lives in Charlotte and will marry fiancé Kaitlyn on May 18 at the South Carolina Yacht Club in Windmill Harbour.
FLOWERS EXPRESS YOUR WEDDING’S PERSONALITY
Flowers are an integral part of every wedding’s aesthetic, but they can also be a great way for brides to express their personality and creativity. In 2018, greenery — like palm leaves, ferns and moss — was the standout trend, adding a charmingly natural touch while also being cheaper than flowers. But 2018 is long gone, and in 2019, flowers are making a comeback.
