Hilton Head Monthly Voice Voice of the Lowcountry 
BRIDE AND GROOM LEAVE HARBOUR TOWN IN A HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE
PHOTOS BY ZIELENBACH PHOTOGRAPHY / WEDDING PLANNED BY BETH BALDWIN WEDDINGS
A Harbour Town ceremony overlooking the water followed by a horse drawn carriage: For Katie and Matt Launspach, it was their perfect Hilton Head Island fairytale wedding.
MARINE COUPLE CELEBRATES WITH SIMPLE YET ELEGANT CEREMONY
PHOTOS BY GINNY LOPEZ PHOTOGRAPHY / WEDDING PLANNED BY BETH BALDWIN WEDDINGS
When Cara Huntley and Junior Novas tied the knot Nov. 25 at the Belfair Clubhouse, they knew they wanted it to be an elegant event — and as stress-free as possible. After all, the Marine couple had enough stress in their lives: They met online in 2010 thanks to the help of mutual friends, and even though sparks flew, there were obstacles to overcome — like the literal oceans between them.
The humidity may be starting to dissipate (or will soon, we promise!), but love is always in the air on Hilton Head Island. The area’s natural beauty, endless amenities and five-star resorts and clubhouses offer brides and grooms from near and far the perfect place to get hitched.
No matter where you’ll be standing when you say “I do,” there are tons of trends to take into consideration — or just use as inspiration — that shift a bit from season to season. Here are some of the top wedding trends for fall 2017 to help create the vision for your perfect “first day married!” celebration.
Casey Witkowski and Joshua Tierney are proof that you can get married in the sweltering Hilton Head humidity of July and not regret it.
“It was a hot, sunny day, but we knew it was going to be, which is why we had everything inside that could be inside,” said Casey of her July 14 nuptials. Luckily, between gorgeous venues like Saint Andrew Chapel, where they tied the knot, and Callawassie Island Clubhouse, where they celebrated with friends and family afterward, the Lowcountry can be a beautifully cool place to wed year-round.
When you grow up surrounded by the beauty of the Lowcountry, your life’s backdrop is already the perfect wedding setting. And Halle Boni Keiffer knew it.
“I didn’t want a ton of decorations,” the Bluffton native said of her May 27 nuptials to Nicholas Keiffer. “I’m very, very simple, I just wanted lots of natural stuff. I love the oak trees, the moss, the leaves. I love the blooming magnolia trees.”
A few notes on etiquette for the out-of-town bride.
You know you live in a beautiful area when it’s on the list of top destination wedding sites in the United States. Brides from Maine to Michigan choose the Lowcountry as the locale for the most important day of their lives, and with that decision comes a significant amount of special circumstances and unique wedding planning decisions.
Generally speaking, wedding planners are a combination of personal assistant, event co-chair and fairy godmother. They suggest, assist, organize, double-check and generally get things done. But when Hurricane Matthew battered Hilton Head Island one week before Amy and Jason Loizides’ scheduled October 15, 2016 wedding, Celebrations Catering & Events coordinator Jackie Brino became more than a wedding planner: She became a miracle worker.
Maggie Lowther and Robbie Kelly were married September 3, 2016 at Honey Horn, a day after Tropical Storm Hermine blew through the Lowcountry, leaving debris and tree limbs in her wake.
Luckily, the easygoing bride took it all in stride.
Every wedding has the opportunity to become the bride and groom’s work of art. For Katherine Palmeri, that goal was taken literally.
The artist hand-painted all of her printed materials, then worked with the pros at Savannah Print Factory to digitize her artwork and design the invitations, save the date cards, table numbers, menu cards, place cards and every other bit of paper for the weekend.
There’s no doubt that tiaras are guaranteed to make you feel (and look) like a princess on your wedding day. Whether you opt for a full-on sparkly headpiece worthy of a true blooded queen, or you prefer a subtler design more akin to a bejeweled headband, rest assured there is a bridal tiara out there to suit your personal style.
Submit an engagement photo for a chance to have your wedding featured in an upcoming issue!
All of the engagement photos we receive will be posted to our Facebook page, and you can vote for your favorite couple using “likes” Monday, July 3rd through Monday, July 17th. The couple with the most “likes” will have their wedding featured in an upcoming bridal section. Submissions will be accepted through June 30th.
While it can be exciting to see all the edgy new trends that brides and grooms are incorporating to make their wedding days the best ever, we think the only thing you “must have” for a successful soiree is love. If you have that — and we’re certain you do — then everything else is just icing on the cake. (Unless you’re serving pie, in which case, mmmm, ice cream!)
When planning the ultimate dream wedding, there are many ingredients that go into creating the perfect day. A few key ingredients? A gorgeous couple, a bride who is supported by her family and enjoys the wedding planning process with her mother, a wedding planning team that is able to translate inspiration into reality, a beautiful location, and plenty of of personal and meaningful details.
