Hilton Head Monthly Voice Voice of the Lowcountry 
REVAMPING YOUR PLANS DURING A PANDEMIC
What do you do when you’ve paid $60,000 for a wedding that’s supposed to take place in five days and a pandemic threatens to bring everything to a halt?
Aimee Fennessey, local wedding planner and owner of Amanda Rose Weddings, says, “Modify!”
Bento Boxes. Tiny toasts. Custom sneakers.
As the saying goes: Necessity is the mother of invention.
Bridal trends for 2021 are no exception. Everything from crowd size to fashion choices reflects the aftermath of COVID-19’s appearance. Nevertheless, hope and flexibility have prevailed.
DREAM WEDDING AT HONEY HORN PLANTATION
Both competitive golfers, Colleen Cully and Justin Imel met on a golf course in Jupiter, Fla., in May 2019.
Originally from Indiana, Justin had moved to Florida to play professional golf. Colleen was working for a golf club at the time. The two hit it off immediately.
BLUFFTON COUPLE CELEBRATES A HAIG POINT WEDDING
The coronavirus pandemic brought changes to Kristen Kopanda and Morgan Crutchley’s wedding plans.
What started as an event for more than 100 guests was quickly altered as venues and providers shut down in response to COVID-19. There was a silver lining to the upheaval, however. The couple was able to marry on Daufuskie Island in an intimate ceremony, ending the night with live music by the ocean.
In the 1989 movie Steel Magnolias, the bride Shelby chose two shades of pink (Blush and Bashful) for her wedding. Today’s couples aren’t afraid to venture out on the color wheel. Exploring the top wedding colors of the year is a great way to start your wedding planning. There are some new trends and consistent favorites to help make your special day the best day ever.
DANCE INSTRUCTION HELPS COUPLES FIND THEIR RHYTHM
It’s becoming more popular to have your wedding dance professionally choregraphed. Some brides and grooms are even building their wedding themes around the dance. People are also willing to spend more time preparing for this special moment, which gives them more “together” time to get know each other in a different way.
And it’s not just the bride and groom who want to make sure they don’t hit the dance floor with two left feet: The rest of the family wants to put their best foot forward, too. A family dance is becoming a growing trend at weddings — it seems almost like a formal presentation of the family.
WEDDING INDUSTRY SPECIALISTS ENJOY THEIR DAY OF BLISS
After all those years of just missing each other — of being just a few minutes too early or too late — they finally met.
Michel Berda, an accomplished wedding photographer who has captured the joy of more than 500 weddings, and Linzie Davis, a wedding hair and makeup artist, had fleetingly crossed paths through the years at numerous events in Charleston and throughout the Lowcountry, but they’d never connected. Never had a chat.
HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS SAVOR THEIR DREAM WEDDING
In high school, Abby Hicks greeted Parris Winstead as she was walking down the hall to class. Little did she know the impression she made in that moment. Parris was instantly in love.
“I knew I was going to marry her from the moment I saw her,” he said.
A SUNSET WEDDING CELEBRATES THE BLENDING OF TWO CULTURES
Alyssa Gillis and Humberto Garcia Cruz got lucky: their wedding took place just before South Carolina’s Gov. Henry McMaster prohibited large gatherings due to the coronavirus. But the bigger stroke of luck, according to the Hilton Head couple, is that they found each other at all.
Gillis grew up on Hilton Head Island with her twin sister and parents. Garcia Cruz grew up in Morelos, Mexico, just south of Mexico City. Her determination to become fluent in Spanish brought them together as co-workers at a Mexican orphanage in 2013.
Every destination wedding requires a fabulous wedding destination, of course. But it takes a savvy couple like Lucie and Kyle Duffy to truly honor and capture the magic of both.
The Duffys, who met in Chicago and now reside in London, were married at Sea Pines Country Club on May 4, 2019. But playing the role of good Hilton Head Island hosts to their 130-plus guests began days earlier. From rounds of golf to beach outings, as well as a cocktail reception, an intimate bridal luncheon and a wedding-eve welcome dinner for 125 people at Dockside, the couple helped their loved ones take full advantage of the getaway and the island before the wedding day even dawned.
The types and combinations of popular wedding flowers come and go, but one trend with staying power is the bridal bouquet. We asked local wedding florists for the inside scoop on today’s trends, inexpensive alternatives, timeless wedding flowers and the latest ways couples are letting nature beautify their nuptials.
Many brides already have an idea of what they want their wedding dress to look like before they even begin shopping. And, maybe more importantly, they often have in mind what they don’t want their dress to look like.
But whatever your preferences, it’s easier for that perfect dress image to come into focus if you understand the styles and hues that flatter you to the fullest. We asked Christina Vicaro of Lowcountry Bride & Gown and Cassandra Gamble of Blush Bridal & Formal Wear to help us help you.
Your wedding day is just that: 24 hours that seem to be over in a flash.
Thankfully, a skilled photographer can capture the best moments from that whirlwind day, providing a lasting way to relive the magic for years to come.
DANCE INSTRUCTION HELPS COUPLES FIND THEIR RHYTHM
It’s becoming more popular to have your wedding dance professionally choregraphed. Some brides and grooms are even building their wedding themes around the dance. People are also willing to spend more time preparing for this special moment, which gives them more “together” time to get know each other in a different way.
