Olivia & Sam | Magnolia Plantation & Gardens



After dating for three-and-a-half years, Olivia and Sam were visiting her family in Columbia, South Carolina, for the Fourth of July when the whole crew decided a day trip to Charleston was in order. “We ended up at the Charleston Marina,” says Olivia, “because my dad told us he had to meet a work client there to drop off some paperwork.” (Don’t you just love it when your sweetheart is in cahoots with your padre?) The couple wandered out onto the docks and suddenly there was a photographer, there were both sets of their parents, and there was Sam on bended knee, asking Olivia to marry him. For the next three hours, the newly affianced duo cruised the local waters on a sailboat, relishing the moment. Says Olivia: “Best day ever.” Indeed. The two, who met in college in Ohio and now live in Dallas, invited everyone to Charleston once again, this time for a wedding that was planned by Charleston Weddings with Allison at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens. With invites and signage designed by the bride’s college pal, guests from 10 states, a ceremony officiated by and peppered with cousins, and a cake baked by a one-time neighbor, it was a community effort with a stylish bent. (As for the latter, check out that scrumptious palette of blush, raspberry, and green, and Olivia’s Hayley Paige gown … nice!) “I’m not a sappy, emotional person,” says Olivia, “but I couldn’t stop crying when I saw Sam for the first time. I happy-cried at least five to 10 times, which I still cannot believe.” Sounds like a day glorious enough to maybe rival their engagement, even?

Wedding Photography: Dana Cubbage Weddings | Venue: Magnolia Plantation & Gardens | Planning + Coordination: Charleston Weddings by Allison | Floral Design: Duvall Events | Cake: family friend | Wedding Dress: Hayley Paige from Kleinfeld Bridal | Hair + Makeup: Paper Dolls Wedding Hair + Makeup | Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bride’s Jewelry: Kendra Scott | Bridesmaids Dresses: Watters | DJ: Melodic Entertainment | Men’s Attire: The Black Tux | Catering: Duvall Events  | Rentals: Duvall Events | Lounge: 428 Main | Stationery: BKay Kreative

The Wedding Row

January 4 2019
Now, we’ve run our fair share of gorgeous weddings at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, but we swear we think this wins the award for most gorgeous to date. It makes sense, though, considering...

January 2 2019
On the heels of New Year’s we needed a classic wedding with black-tie panache to carry us through the rest of this holiday-wind-down week. Enter Vera and Brien’s dreamy day, lovingly designed by A...

December 31 2018
We searched high and low for a wedding to close out the New Year, and what better pick than Annie and Matt, whose ceremony ended with the officiant (the bride’s brother-in-law, or in this case, we’re...

December 28 2018
Here’s a little discussed fact: A great DJ can make (or break) a wedding. And the difference between a first dance that has everyone sighing and posting (instead of cringing) and a party that...

December 27 2018
Here’s the thing: Charleston’s in the tropics, more or less. And here in the jungle, it rains from time to time, which can put a damper on a portrait sesh out and about if you don’t plan well. The...

December 26 2018
Ok, people. Yes, you’re gonna love Jesse and Will’s wedding photos (al fresco reception in the Old Village? Yes, please!). But their proposal story? It might even beat the pretty out for best in show...

December 21 2018
Lindsey and José didn’t start off on the right foot (he didn’t do a double-take when he first met her at Boston College, so she gave him the same indifferent treatment, and sparks didn’t fly for...