Written By Melissa Reardon
Photographs By Lucy Cuneo
A transplant from Virginia, Weston “Wes” McAfee vividly remembers the first time he saw his future bride-to-be. Charleston native Dana Elaine...
Yes, Paula and Tyler’s Boone Hall Plantation wedding is a dream to look at. But we have to say the backstory to their day is just as inspiring. There’s just something about a couple who knows themselves and their priorities that delights, and when anyone (let alone Pure Luxe) crafts a marriage ceremony around that kind of authenticity, the joy is infectious. Their starry-eyed beginnings came in Barbourville, Kentucky, when she was in junior high and he was in high school. They dated on and off through the years, and in 2014 made things official when they adopted a Maltese-Shitzu-poodle mix and named him Willie, after University of Kentucky basketball player Willie Cauley-Stein. (They are rabid UK and March Madness fans, if that’s not apparent.) When Tyler tagged along for an annual cheer squad competition to Disney (Paula’s a coach) he proposed in front of a gaggle of wide-eyed cheerleaders whose parents were pretending to video their kids, but were, in fact, taping and FaceTiming the proposal to her parents. Nice, huh? When planning kicked in, things started snowballing, the guest list swelled to around 400, and the couple started feeling funny about it all. Then, when Paula’s little cousin Samuel, initially the ring bearer, was diagnosed with leukemia, they put on the brakes. “It didn’t feel right to have such a big ostentatious ‘show’,” says Paula. “It was really important to both Tyler and me that our wedding felt authentic to who we are as people and that it was a celebration of love.” The two canceled their initial plans, and, having always been interested in Charleston (it made for an uplifting family trip, considering, and is a place they can visit again for anniversaries), they picked a quiet corner of Boone Hall Plantation for an intimate micro wedding and invited a handful of friends and family to witness a day both styled to the hilt and full of heartfelt sincerity. Their pup stood in as “Best Dog,” and while Samuel was sorely missed, we’re thrilled to share he celebrated his 9th birthday this month—at a trampoline park no less. (See #SamuelStrong.) Best of love and luck to this wonderful couple and their extended family!
Venue: Boone Hall Plantation | Hair: Paper Dolls | Cake: Sablée | Florals: We are Petaloso | Event Planner: Pure Luxe Bride | Images: Catherine Anne Photography
