Courtney & Kristen | The Wickliffe House



Courtney wasn’t looking to settle down, but when friends convinced her to take Kristen on a date, something felt different. Before long, they found themselves in a long-distance relationship—Courtney on the North Carolina coast and Kristen in the mountains of the Tar Heel State. Eventually, the two reunited by relocating together to Charleston and what followed was not one, but two epic proposals. Courtney asked Kristen to marry her in Puerto Rico, and Kristen asked Courtney a year later at sunset by the Pineapple Fountain here in their new hometown. 

Their special day showed off the grandness of Charleston and some great local vendors. We’ll let Courtney tell you all about it.

The Wedding Row: The Wickliffe House is a little off the beaten path and is definitely an insider’s choice. What drew you to it?

Courtney: I had dreamed of getting married in a Greek Revival house in the South. When we walked into the Wickliffe House, we immediately fell in love with the historic intricate details found throughout the property. 

TWR: What did you envision for the wedding? You chose a wonderful local wedding blogger-turned-event planner to orchestrate the day and a gifted local live painter to capture it.

Courtney: Our wedding was very intimate with about 65 of our closest family and friends. It meant a lot to us to have our guests feel our love for them throughout our Big Day. We had so many people support our love over the years; we felt very lucky to be able to share our moment with them. Navy and gold with a touch of jewel tones was the color palette; our theme was “Southern Royalty” and Cayleigh Hopkins of The Petal Report brought that vision to life. When we walked into the Wickliffe House before the ceremony we were both blown away by the beauty of it all. 

Having Blakely Made live-paint at our wedding was a major highlight. We both knew we wanted something most of our guests hadn’t experienced, as well as something that we could pass down for generations to come. The painting hangs above our breakfast nook. We love it because every day we are reminded of the vows we took in our moment that felt like time stood still. 

TWR: We love your custom look from local designer Emily Kotarski. Tell us more.

Courtney: When we first moved to Charleston, I came across Emily Kotarski Bridal on Instagram and immediately fell in love. Her capes were stunning, and I knew I had to wear one on my Big Day. She created a stunning navy cape that served as my “something blue.” And she used lace from my mom’s wedding gown in the bodice of mine, which served as my “something old.” Kristen’s pants were designed by Billy Reid [the Alabama designers with a shop on King Street]. We wanted to look and feel our best, so what better way than to have clothing created especially for us?  

TWR: Let’s finish on your exit. 

Courtney: We provided our guests with small rainbow pride flags that also served as their gift. We will never forget walking out of The Wickliffe House into a sea of flying flags being held by those who have supported our love story since it began.

Coordination: The Petal Report | Venue, Catering, Bar: The Wickliffe House | Florals: Fresh Weddings & Events | Photography: Elizabeth Ervin | Rentals: Ooh! Events + Connie Duglin Linen + BBJ Linen | Music: Bespoke Strings + Bunn DJ Company | Stationery: Dodeline Design | Beauty: Wild Ivory Beauty | Live Painting: Blakely Made

The post Courtney & Kristen | The Wickliffe House appeared first on The Wedding Row.

The Wedding Row

February 24 2020
Molly and Chris’s colleagues at J.P. Morgan in New York had a feeling the two were perfect for each other and tried for months to set them up. When they finally met up at an event? Cue: magic. Over...

February 24 2020
After Long Islanders Tom and Danielle met in chorus class during their freshman year of high school, it took him a full year to build up enough courage to ask her to be his girlfriend. Her response...

February 24 2020
On the first day of college at the University of Georgia, a complete stranger tried to convince Sarah to drop freshman English; he’d heard the professor was terrible. Turns out the professor was,...

February 14 2020
To all the single ladies (and gents): Valentine’s Day isn’t only for those already in love. As Alex and Pete’s story proves, it may be the perfect day for a meet-cute. Pennsylvania-born Pete was in...

February 12 2020
Four days before Allison and Brendan’s dream Charleston wedding, Hurricane Florence was making its way toward the Lowcountry and the city was under evacuation orders. The Dallas-based couple pulled...

February 11 2020
Courtney wasn’t looking to settle down, but when friends convinced her to take Kristen on a date, something felt different. Before long, they found themselves in a long-distance relationship—Courtney...

February 7 2020
Bumble may be responsible for introducing this couple, but it was a magical first date filled with sushi, hours of conversation, karaoke, and endless laughter that truly brought together Michelle and...

February 6 2020
Maggie and Mike’s story puts a whole new spin on bro-mance. It all started in Chicago when her boss, who was dating a fellow named Eric, wanted to set Maggie up with her boyfriend’s younger brother....