Promise Me ...m • a • g • a • z • i • n • e

Kindal Dankovich, Bride

Beautiful South Carolina WeddingsPremier Issue

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Fine Jewelers Since 1935

2001 Hoffmeyer Road • Florence • 843.292.0150444 North Guignard Drive • Sumter • 803.775.1209

Fine Jewelers Since 1935

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Distinctive Cakes and

Catering

kathyandcompany.com

864.246.0107

239 Sandalwood DriveEasley, SC

Promise Me ...m • a • g • a • z • i • n • e

Jamie and Richard............................................................... 11Photography by Josh Jones

Paula and Brandon............................................................. 30Photography by Dylan Wilson

Kindal and Adam............................................................... 40Photography by Kim Deloach

Brittany and Ryan.............................................................. 52Photography by Jeff Blake

Rachel and Regan............................................................... 64Photography by Rick Dean

Molly and Jonathan............................................................ 80Photography by Sposa Bella

Beautiful South Carolina WeddingsPremier Issue

Distinctive Cakes and

Catering

kathyandcompany.com

864.246.0107

239 Sandalwood DriveEasley, SC

Promise Me ...m • a • g • a • z • i • n • e

Jamie and Richard............................................................... 11Photography by Josh Jones

Paula and Brandon............................................................. 30Photography by Dylan Wilson

Kindal and Adam............................................................... 40Photography by Kim Deloach

Brittany and Ryan.............................................................. 52Photography by Jeff Blake

Rachel and Regan............................................................... 64Photography by Rick Dean

Molly and Jonathan............................................................ 80Photography by Sposa Bella

Beautiful South Carolina WeddingsPremier Issue

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Why Do Catered DinnersCost So Much?by Dana Allen

ou ever wonder why a catered dinner cost so much? When you start talking with caterers about feeding your wedding guests you could be amazed at the cost.

But there are some things a bride can do to trim those costs a little, and it doesn’t always involve the menu. By showing a little common sense and thinking ahead a little a bride can make things easier for everyone.

Recently we spent a little time with Mike Jones, a wedding caterer in Camden. Mike has been in business for years and has catered weddings all over the state. He has an excellent reputation and is known for his out-standing sauces and seasoning, and for telling it like it is.

Senate’s End. Photo by Robert Percival. The reason the tables are curved is to keep guests from forming lines to serve themselves. The idea is for guests to just walk up to the table anywhere and help themselves.

I asked him why catering was so expensive. “It’s primarily the labor cost. If a wedding has a couple hundred people, we have to have 20 to 25 people, which includes the kitchen staff, waiters and servers, bartenders, etc. For a wedding in the early evening, the staff has to arrive between three and four and will be there until clean-up is finished about midnight. All that labor for all that time is expensive.”

Mike said the time of day mattered, because guests always eat less in the afternoon. Also where you have it matters. “If it is held at my place, for in-stance, its a lot cheaper than if you have it somewhere that is not equipped for preparing and serving a big meal. If we have to take everything, it is more labor and more cost.”

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Why Do Catered DinnersCost So Much?by Dana Allen

ou ever wonder why a catered dinner cost so much? When you start talking with caterers about feeding your wedding guests you could be amazed at the cost.

But there are some things a bride can do to trim those costs a little, and it doesn’t always involve the menu. By showing a little common sense and thinking ahead a little a bride can make things easier for everyone.

Recently we spent a little time with Mike Jones, a wedding caterer in Camden. Mike has been in business for years and has catered weddings all over the state. He has an excellent reputation and is known for his out-standing sauces and seasoning, and for telling it like it is.

Senate’s End. Photo by Robert Percival. The reason the tables are curved is to keep guests from forming lines to serve themselves. The idea is for guests to just walk up to the table anywhere and help themselves.

I asked him why catering was so expensive. “It’s primarily the labor cost. If a wedding has a couple hundred people, we have to have 20 to 25 people, which includes the kitchen staff, waiters and servers, bartenders, etc. For a wedding in the early evening, the staff has to arrive between three and four and will be there until clean-up is finished about midnight. All that labor for all that time is expensive.”

Mike said the time of day mattered, because guests always eat less in the afternoon. Also where you have it matters. “If it is held at my place, for in-stance, its a lot cheaper than if you have it somewhere that is not equipped for preparing and serving a big meal. If we have to take everything, it is more labor and more cost.”

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As to food cost, he says its just as easy to cook chicken at $2.00 a pound, or pork at $4.00 a pound, as it is beef at $15 per pound. “The difference here is food cost. I don’t mark things up any differently, one is easy as the other.”

There are several things a bride has to know:

1- How many people

2- The time of day

3- How long will the food stay out?

4- The type of meal.

A. Heavy hors d’oeuvres. Usually uses eight or nine inch plates, is more casual and is designed to be leisurely. This takes fewer servers and is usually the cheapest. Also called a cocktail buffet.

B. A true buffet. This takes more people, usually 22 servers on the floor pouring wine and water.

C. A sit down dinner, which is the most expensive of all in time and labor.

The bride has to determine how long she wants to leave the food out. If the band plays until ten, that is when the party’s over.

“It’s always good to think about the time of year,” Mike says. “For in-stance, if its outside in the summer in South Carolina you do not want to serve shrimp and grits. That is just too hot. Cool food in the sum-mer is best, but we always do what the bride wants. This is her party, and everyone else should stay out of it, including the groom.”

Photo by Josh Jones.

As to cost, Mike says he can’t determine the cost until he has every detail. There is no inexpensive way to go about it, he says. “Any time someone has a preset menu, it is weighted toward the caterer. There are always unexpected costs, and he is not going to lose money.”

Sometimes a bride can make a change to save money, but the savings are insignificant and can effect the outcome. For instance, Mike says a beer and wine bar is six dollars per person, while a full bar is only eight dollars per person. Not much difference.

“Important in the seasoning of the food and how the food is handled, but the most important thing and all caterers know this, is giving the bride what she wants the way she wants it.”

But there is just no inexpensive way to prepare and serve a meal to hundreds of guests.

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As to food cost, he says its just as easy to cook chicken at $2.00 a pound, or pork at $4.00 a pound, as it is beef at $15 per pound. “The difference here is food cost. I don’t mark things up any differently, one is easy as the other.”

There are several things a bride has to know:

1- How many people

2- The time of day

3- How long will the food stay out?

4- The type of meal.

A. Heavy hors d’oeuvres. Usually uses eight or nine inch plates, is more casual and is designed to be leisurely. This takes fewer servers and is usually the cheapest. Also called a cocktail buffet.

B. A true buffet. This takes more people, usually 22 servers on the floor pouring wine and water.

C. A sit down dinner, which is the most expensive of all in time and labor.

The bride has to determine how long she wants to leave the food out. If the band plays until ten, that is when the party’s over.

“It’s always good to think about the time of year,” Mike says. “For in-stance, if its outside in the summer in South Carolina you do not want to serve shrimp and grits. That is just too hot. Cool food in the sum-mer is best, but we always do what the bride wants. This is her party, and everyone else should stay out of it, including the groom.”

Photo by Josh Jones.

As to cost, Mike says he can’t determine the cost until he has every detail. There is no inexpensive way to go about it, he says. “Any time someone has a preset menu, it is weighted toward the caterer. There are always unexpected costs, and he is not going to lose money.”

Sometimes a bride can make a change to save money, but the savings are insignificant and can effect the outcome. For instance, Mike says a beer and wine bar is six dollars per person, while a full bar is only eight dollars per person. Not much difference.

“Important in the seasoning of the food and how the food is handled, but the most important thing and all caterers know this, is giving the bride what she wants the way she wants it.”

But there is just no inexpensive way to prepare and serve a meal to hundreds of guests.

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Jamie &

RichardPhotography by

Josh Jones

Jamie &

Richard

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Jamie &

RichardPhotography by

Josh Jones

Jamie &

Richard

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e were engaged for a year and a half, so I had plenty of time to work on this, but it is stress-ful and I was terrified. I was so busy, it’s like a wirl-wind, but my advice would be to try to relax and enjoy it, after all, it’s just like a great big party.”

Sage advice from the new bride.”I think the hard-est decision we had to make was where to have it. There was so many things that have to be consid-ered. Out-of-town guests coming and where will they stay, will the facility handle the number of people, and of course, will everything fit into our budget. We finally decided the best location for us was downtown Greenville.”

Jamie said the absolutely best thing she did was hire a wedding planner. “There are just so many little things you don”t think of. Our photographer recommended Christine Faust of Faust Events, and I couldn’ t have been happier with the way things turned out. She just took so much pres-sure off. I’m sure she saved us a lot of money by knowing what to do and how to do it. She was able to loan us little things like centerpieces that had been used before, and that saved us having to buy them.”

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e were engaged for a year and a half, so I had plenty of time to work on this, but it is stress-ful and I was terrified. I was so busy, it’s like a wirl-wind, but my advice would be to try to relax and enjoy it, after all, it’s just like a great big party.”

Sage advice from the new bride.”I think the hard-est decision we had to make was where to have it. There was so many things that have to be consid-ered. Out-of-town guests coming and where will they stay, will the facility handle the number of people, and of course, will everything fit into our budget. We finally decided the best location for us was downtown Greenville.”

Jamie said the absolutely best thing she did was hire a wedding planner. “There are just so many little things you don”t think of. Our photographer recommended Christine Faust of Faust Events, and I couldn’ t have been happier with the way things turned out. She just took so much pres-sure off. I’m sure she saved us a lot of money by knowing what to do and how to do it. She was able to loan us little things like centerpieces that had been used before, and that saved us having to buy them.”

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he bride says she got most of the good ideas off of the internet. “We selected our photographer off the internet, and that was really a good decision. Not only did he take great pictures, he was real easy to work with and he had some great advice and ideas about the whole thing. He was just great to work with.”

“One thing that took some time was finding a good place to have the rehearsal dinner. There are so many friends and family you want to invite, it was real hard for us to stay on budget. This is another area where the wedding planner was invaluable.”

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he bride says she got most of the good ideas off of the internet. “We selected our photographer off the internet, and that was really a good decision. Not only did he take great pictures, he was real easy to work with and he had some great advice and ideas about the whole thing. He was just great to work with.”

“One thing that took some time was finding a good place to have the rehearsal dinner. There are so many friends and family you want to invite, it was real hard for us to stay on budget. This is another area where the wedding planner was invaluable.”

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The bride said the easiest decision she had to make was the flowers. “I knew I wanted hydrangias. I wanted to keep it simple and elegant and not overdone. I guess you could say southern and simple.”

The couple honeymooned on St. Martin’s. A relative loaned them a condo there so that made the decision easy. Jamie said they had a beautiful beach, “and we tried all of their fancy mixed drinks.”

Their favorite picture was the one of them kissing in the mid-dle of the street. “I thought we were going to get killed, but Josh told us to trust him and we did, “ she laughed.

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The bride said the easiest decision she had to make was the flowers. “I knew I wanted hydrangias. I wanted to keep it simple and elegant and not overdone. I guess you could say southern and simple.”

The couple honeymooned on St. Martin’s. A relative loaned them a condo there so that made the decision easy. Jamie said they had a beautiful beach, “and we tried all of their fancy mixed drinks.”

Their favorite picture was the one of them kissing in the mid-dle of the street. “I thought we were going to get killed, but Josh told us to trust him and we did, “ she laughed.

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Ceremony: Wyche Pavilion, GreenvilleDate: September 18, 2012Reception: Huquenot LoftCoordination: Faust EventsFlowers: DahliaCatering: Good LifeCake: Kathy and CompanyDress: Evelyn BridalHair/Makeup: Wilson’s on WashingtonStrings: Mulfinger QuartetBand: Southern Crescent Band

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Ceremony: Wyche Pavilion, GreenvilleDate: September 18, 2012Reception: Huquenot LoftCoordination: Faust EventsFlowers: DahliaCatering: Good LifeCake: Kathy and CompanyDress: Evelyn BridalHair/Makeup: Wilson’s on WashingtonStrings: Mulfinger QuartetBand: Southern Crescent Band

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How to Find the

Perfect Wedding Vendors

by Suzie Lombardo

nce you get engaged and begin the process of nailing down your wedding vendors, you may come across your first road block. One of the things you’ll notice is that a simple Google search on any specific category, flowers, photog-raphy, catering etc. will only produce results for a few vendors in that specific category. What will come up will be the well-known businesses in your town, that rank high in the google search engine. They probably have a Google Places page which is just the arrow that comes up on Google Maps that tells you where their brick and mortar is.

When you get to this stage in your search, I implore you not to jump the gun. You will most likely think to yourself, “There have got to be more wedding ven-dors out there!” I assure you there are. You will not find the sweet little cupcake maker that spends hours getting her buttercream swirls just so!

FLORAL

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O

How to Find the

Perfect Wedding Vendors

by Suzie Lombardo

nce you get engaged and begin the process of nailing down your wedding vendors, you may come across your first road block. One of the things you’ll notice is that a simple Google search on any specific category, flowers, photog-raphy, catering etc. will only produce results for a few vendors in that specific category. What will come up will be the well-known businesses in your town, that rank high in the google search engine. They probably have a Google Places page which is just the arrow that comes up on Google Maps that tells you where their brick and mortar is.

When you get to this stage in your search, I implore you not to jump the gun. You will most likely think to yourself, “There have got to be more wedding ven-dors out there!” I assure you there are. You will not find the sweet little cupcake maker that spends hours getting her buttercream swirls just so!

FLORAL

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Paula & Brandon

Photography by Dylan Wilson

You won’t find the bril-liant photographer who has only been at it a few years but is so head over heels in love with his art; he isn’t jaded by years of doing the same old thing over and over again. His lens is still clear and he has a better perspective to be able capture the true es-sence of your love for one another. You won’t find the woman who works from her basement or a small studio and makes the most beautiful flower ar-rangements you have ever laid your eyes on. Most of these types of “boutique” vendors have lots of expe-rience, but you should al-ways be sure to check out their references and make sure they are legit. There are so many self-employed people out there that don’t have fancy websites or brick and mortars, but they are THE BEST at what they do.

Lastly, use your intuition. If you meet with a vendor and you just don’t click then keep looking. You really need to enjoy working with your vendors and you need that assurance that they understand your vision and can achieve your style.

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Paula & Brandon

Photography by Dylan Wilson

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T his article is a little different than most bride interviews, because the bride in this case is herself a wedding planner.

“I would highly recommend to all brides that they hire a wedding planner. It makes everything so much easier,” she advised. She said while the vendors you hire will go about doing their thing, the planner is al-ways for the bride.

“A planner makes sure everyone does things the way the bride wants. They are her advocate. And most planners can work within all kinds of budgets, so you don’t need to be afraid you don’t have the money.”

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T his article is a little different than most bride interviews, because the bride in this case is herself a wedding planner.

“I would highly recommend to all brides that they hire a wedding planner. It makes everything so much easier,” she advised. She said while the vendors you hire will go about doing their thing, the planner is al-ways for the bride.

“A planner makes sure everyone does things the way the bride wants. They are her advocate. And most planners can work within all kinds of budgets, so you don’t need to be afraid you don’t have the money.”

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One thing a prospec-tive bride in South Carolina should re-member, she said, was to select a venue really early and get it booked. “The best places are booked quickly, so pick a place then go from there. Two years in ad-vance is about right.”

One suggestion Paula made was for a bride to start an inspiration board. “Put everything you like on the board. Pictures, colors, flow-ers, everything. Show it to your planner to give her something to work with.”

Another suggestion was for the band. “If you have specific things you want the band to play live, make sure you tell them in advance. They have to practice music they haven’t played before.”

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One thing a prospec-tive bride in South Carolina should re-member, she said, was to select a venue really early and get it booked. “The best places are booked quickly, so pick a place then go from there. Two years in ad-vance is about right.”

One suggestion Paula made was for a bride to start an inspiration board. “Put everything you like on the board. Pictures, colors, flow-ers, everything. Show it to your planner to give her something to work with.”

Another suggestion was for the band. “If you have specific things you want the band to play live, make sure you tell them in advance. They have to practice music they haven’t played before.”

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Date: May 19, 2012Where: Windows on the Waterway, Hilton HeadHair: Celeste IannazzoMakeup: Joy RossSuits & Flower Girl Dress:J. CrewBowties: Southern ProperEscort Cards, Napkins & Invitations:Live, Love, PaperFlorist: The GreenhouseDress: Custom Design

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Date: May 19, 2012Where: Windows on the Waterway, Hilton HeadHair: Celeste IannazzoMakeup: Joy RossSuits & Flower Girl Dress:J. CrewBowties: Southern ProperEscort Cards, Napkins & Invitations:Live, Love, PaperFlorist: The GreenhouseDress: Custom Design

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Kindal &

AdamPhotography byKim Deloach

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Kindal &

AdamPhotography byKim Deloach

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“ know its hard to believe, but I wasn’t nervous the whole time during the planning of my wedding, but when the doors opened and it was time for me to walk down the aisle, that’s when I got nervous!”

Kindal said they had everything scheduled six months ahead, and it was a good thing they did. “I knew I wanted something outdoor, and when my mom and I visited Chattooga Belle Farm we knew immediately that was the place. Another week or so

I

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“ know its hard to believe, but I wasn’t nervous the whole time during the planning of my wedding, but when the doors opened and it was time for me to walk down the aisle, that’s when I got nervous!”

Kindal said they had everything scheduled six months ahead, and it was a good thing they did. “I knew I wanted something outdoor, and when my mom and I visited Chattooga Belle Farm we knew immediately that was the place. Another week or so

I

and it would have been booked up.”

She had a wedding planner for the day of the wedding and she said she really took a lot of stress off. “We were worried about rain, even though we would have had a cover, but it rained seventeen days in a row before the wedding, but just a little bit that day that morning. It was beautiful!”44

and it would have been booked up.”

She had a wedding planner for the day of the wedding and she said she really took a lot of stress off. “We were worried about rain, even though we would have had a cover, but it rained seventeen days in a row before the wedding, but just a little bit that day that morning. It was beautiful!” 45

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Kindal says they stayed on budget. “All of our vendors were really helpful finding what we wanted within our budget. Also, the computer was very helpful to us finding things.” The bride says she had known her pho-tographer for a long time. “She shot a friends wedding I was in, and

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Kindal says they stayed on budget. “All of our vendors were really helpful finding what we wanted within our budget. Also, the computer was very helpful to us finding things.” The bride says she had known her pho-tographer for a long time. “She shot a friends wedding I was in, and

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she had also taken some pictures of my husband’s family. She was so easy to work with, she would always be my first choice.”

Kindal said her husband’s favorite color is blue, so they had the bridemaids dresses in blue.

They honeymooned in Jamaica and had a great time. “We even hiked up a waterfall,” she said.

Date: July 13, 2013Where: Chattooga Belle FarmReception: SamePlanner: Kim WehuntFlowers: Statice Floral CoutureCatering: Kathy & CompanyCake: SameDress: Poinsett BrideHair-Makeup: Millie LewisMusic: Party MachineGrooms Dress: Thomas & SonsLimo: Eastside LimosineDJ: Party Machine:

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she had also taken some pictures of my husband’s family. She was so easy to work with, she would always be my first choice.”

Kindal said her husband’s favorite color is blue, so they had the bridemaids dresses in blue.

They honeymooned in Jamaica and had a great time. “We even hiked up a waterfall,” she said.

Date: July 13, 2013Where: Chattooga Belle FarmReception: SamePlanner: Kim WehuntFlowers: Statice Floral CoutureCatering: Kathy & CompanyCake: SameDress: Poinsett BrideHair-Makeup: Millie LewisMusic: Party MachineGrooms Dress: Thomas & SonsLimo: Eastside LimosineDJ: Party Machine:

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Brittany & Ryan

Photography byJeff Blake

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Brittany & Ryan

Photography byJeff Blake

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rittany says her whole life she had wanted to have a big wedding wearing a big white dress, and it would all be out-side. “At one point I really began to stress out, but I had a talk with myself and I kept telling myself ‘everything will be fine.’ And it was.“Of course,” she said, “the

B

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rittany says her whole life she had wanted to have a big wedding wearing a big white dress, and it would all be out-side. “At one point I really began to stress out, but I had a talk with myself and I kept telling myself ‘everything will be fine.’ And it was.“Of course,” she said, “the

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biggest worry with an outside wedding is it will rain. A big cloud came up, but it missed us until several hours after the ceremony. Good thing, because we re-ally didn’t have a backup plan.” Brittany says the hardest single thing she had to do was getting the grooms-men all fitted out for their tux. “That was the hardest single thing,” she said, “but the best advice I can give a prospective bride is be sure the recep-tion is organized. Have a time to cut the cake and toss the bouquet and the special dances. If you don’t do this it

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biggest worry with an outside wedding is it will rain. A big cloud came up, but it missed us until several hours after the ceremony. Good thing, because we re-ally didn’t have a backup plan.” Brittany says the hardest single thing she had to do was getting the grooms-men all fitted out for their tux. “That was the hardest single thing,” she said, “but the best advice I can give a prospective bride is be sure the recep-tion is organized. Have a time to cut the cake and toss the bouquet and the special dances. If you don’t do this it

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it can be a nightmare.” The wedding took place at Brit-tany’s inlaws house, and getting enough of the right flowers was a real job. “My aunt handled the flowers and did a great job, but it took a lot. By using family mem-bers to help out we were able to save a lot of money that we could

for other things. She said they had a budget, and for the most part was able to stick to it. “We did go over on the flowers, but everything else came in about right.

Jeff Blake took the pictures, and Brittany says he was “nice to work with.”

“He was always there when we needed him, I highly recommend him.” Brittany said the only thing her husband want-ed was to serve filet mignon at the reception.

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it can be a nightmare.” The wedding took place at Brit-tany’s inlaws house, and getting enough of the right flowers was a real job. “My aunt handled the flowers and did a great job, but it took a lot. By using family mem-bers to help out we were able to save a lot of money that we could

for other things. She said they had a budget, and for the most part was able to stick to it. “We did go over on the flowers, but everything else came in about right.

Jeff Blake took the pictures, and Brittany says he was “nice to work with.”

“He was always there when we needed him, I highly recommend him.” Brittany said the only thing her husband want-ed was to serve filet mignon at the reception.

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“That cost more, but since that was the only thing he asked for we had to do it.” She said she bought the seventh dress she tried on. “I had an idea what I wanted, but when I tried them on, I didn’t like them so much. Then I tried this one, and loved it.” The newlyweds honeymooned in Hawaii. “It is beautiful, everyone should go there,” she said.

Date: May 5, 2012Where: In-laws HouseReception: SameCatering: Camden FireplaceCake: Sweet CakesDress: Evelyn’s BridalHair/Make-up: RumorsGrooms Dress: Evelyn’s Bridal

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Clay Austin Photography

Juliet Elizabeth Photography

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Rachel &

ReganPhotography by

Rick Dean

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Rachel &

ReganPhotography by

Rick Dean

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“ e were together for seven years before we got married, and even then it was more my husband wanting to do it than me. I liked the idea of having a big wedding, but I didn’t grow up dreaming about it.”

Rachel said several family members helped with the wedding, and they were a godsend.

“My husband went to the Citadel, and we always knew we would get married there. It worked out great, “ she said.

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“ e were together for seven years before we got married, and even then it was more my husband wanting to do it than me. I liked the idea of having a big wedding, but I didn’t grow up dreaming about it.”

Rachel said several family members helped with the wedding, and they were a godsend.

“My husband went to the Citadel, and we always knew we would get married there. It worked out great, “ she said.

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“We even had the reception at the top floor of the foot-ball stadium. The view from there is great, and is really pretty at night. My caterer decorated the tables, all I did was pick out the tablecloths. My cousin did the flowers for the tables, I don’t know what I would have done without her.”

Rachel said they managed to stay on budget for the whole thing. “My parents paid for all this, and I have a younger sister that will be getting married soon, so I didn’t want to break the bank. We tried to show some sense about things.”

The big parts of a wedding are what most people stress over, Rachel said, but for her the big things were the easi-est, “For instance, I am really picky, and I thought the dress was going to be a chore. But I selected the second dress I tried on.”

Rachel said her photographer was wonderful. He did such a great job. “I am not a photographic person, but he made me feel so comfortable it was fun.”

She said she found little ways to save money,“My mom and I made the wedding favors, and I thought they were really neat. And the cake, we got the cake at Publix. They can do anything you want, it was good and it was beautiful. Also, I think it was about half of what it would have cost if we had an individual to do it.”

Rachel said the advice she would give a prospective bride was “don’t stress about everything being perfect. Once you get into it it just all works out and you don’t care anyway, because you are so excited about what is happening.”

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“We even had the reception at the top floor of the foot-ball stadium. The view from there is great, and is really pretty at night. My caterer decorated the tables, all I did was pick out the tablecloths. My cousin did the flowers for the tables, I don’t know what I would have done without her.”

Rachel said they managed to stay on budget for the whole thing. “My parents paid for all this, and I have a younger sister that will be getting married soon, so I didn’t want to break the bank. We tried to show some sense about things.”

The big parts of a wedding are what most people stress over, Rachel said, but for her the big things were the easi-est, “For instance, I am really picky, and I thought the dress was going to be a chore. But I selected the second dress I tried on.”

Rachel said her photographer was wonderful. He did such a great job. “I am not a photographic person, but he made me feel so comfortable it was fun.”

She said she found little ways to save money,“My mom and I made the wedding favors, and I thought they were really neat. And the cake, we got the cake at Publix. They can do anything you want, it was good and it was beautiful. Also, I think it was about half of what it would have cost if we had an individual to do it.”

Rachel said the advice she would give a prospective bride was “don’t stress about everything being perfect. Once you get into it it just all works out and you don’t care anyway, because you are so excited about what is happening.”

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The newlyweds honeymooned at Riviera Maya, near Cancun. They stayed a week, and said it was a really good choice. “It was all inclusive, we didn’t have to worry about a thing. The beach was beautiful, the water was beautiful - - in fact, it was better than we imagined!”

Date: July 27, 2013Where: Summerall Chapel at CitadelReception: Johnson Hagood StadiumCatering: AramarkCake: PublixDress: David’s BridalHair/Make-up: Fix SalonGroom’s Dress: Men’s WarehouseDJ: Aaron Trahan

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The newlyweds honeymooned at Riviera Maya, near Cancun. They stayed a week, and said it was a really good choice. “It was all inclusive, we didn’t have to worry about a thing. The beach was beautiful, the water was beautiful - - in fact, it was better than we imagined!”

Date: July 27, 2013Where: Summerall Chapel at CitadelReception: Johnson Hagood StadiumCatering: AramarkCake: PublixDress: David’s BridalHair/Make-up: Fix SalonGroom’s Dress: Men’s WarehouseDJ: Aaron Trahan

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Molly &

Jonathan

Photography bySposa Bella

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Molly &

Jonathan

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f all the things Molly did heading up to her wedding, she said picking out her dress was her favorite thing. “Once I got that dress, then I was the cinder-ella girl,” she said.The wedding was held on Fur-man University campus, at the Furman Chapel. That only seemed natural, since they met at the school when they were both freshmen. While she said she didn’t have a lot of strong opinions

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about what she wanted at her wedding, she did have a vision of the flowers. “I thought I knew what I wanted, but I really lucked out with my florist. He had so many creative ideas. I wanted a garden type look, kinda undone, and he knew what to do. He even decorated the tables at the reception and every table was different.”

Molly did not use a wedding planner, because her mom filled in and did so much. Mom was just tremendous, she said. She wanted the pictures to be natural, and she was well pleased with her photographer. “Nothing was posed. It was all natural. They just

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what to do and it all came together. I couldn’t be happier with it.”Molly and Jonathan had a year-long engage-ment, which gave them a year to plan the big day. She said they had all the “big stuff” booked ten to eleven months ahead of time and the small things as they went along. She says the most exciting part was seeing it all come together and her family and friends all there.

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Date: September 7, 2013Where: Furman ChapelReception: Poinsett ClubFlowers: Greg FosterCatering: Poinsett ClubCake: Kathy & Company

Dress: Bridal and FormalHair-Makeup: Wilsons/Katie Cotton RougeMusic: Mr. Potato HeadGrooms Dress: Thomas & SonsLimo: Eastside Transportation