Rachel & Shaun | Harborside East



The Wedding Row: Tell us about how you met.

Rachel: It was in Nashville, and Shaun was there on weekend trip for a University of Georgia-Vandy football game. I was there on a whim, on an impromptu trip that my sister convinced me to tag along to. I had no reason to say no (and thank goodness I didn’t!). Prior to this I was signing up to do travel nursing, but I couldn’t decide where to go first. Shaun and I started up a random conversation about our college rivalries and we just clicked. We talked all night, danced all night, laughed all night. After a few months of chatting nonstop, I decided to sign a contract for my first travel nurse assignment in Atlanta, where he lived—bold, right? I had to give this a shot!

TWR: Well, hello, boss lady! How’d you all choose Charleston for your wedding?

Rachel: I’m a sixth generation Charlestonian. When Shaun and I got engaged, we knew we were going to live in Atlanta, and since we were going to live in his hometown, we knew we had to have the wedding in my hometown.

TWR: Ah! What can you share about the proposal?

Rachel: It was April Fool’s Day, and also the day before Shaun’s birthday. We were in Charleston for the Bridge Run (which we missed because we overslept), and he told me his parents, who vacation in the city frequently, were in town and that they wanted to meet up for family photos. He asked me where we should go, and I said Sunrise Park because it’s where I’d spent a lot of my childhood—it’s one of my favorite places on earth. When we got there, he got down on one knee and asked me. Best. Day. Ever.

TWR: From your pup with the ring on his head to that box of candy and its sign about marriage being an endless sleepover with your fave weirdo (true)—what’s the story behind these funnies?

Rachel: That’s Gus, our mini dachshund. He gets wildly tired out as soon as there’s more than 10 people in a room. He was so pooped with all the people around he could barely keep his eyes open. My old roommate put the ring on his head. And the box? Gosh, I can’t think of anything more true about me and Shaun! We have a very fun-loving, lighthearted relationship. At least once a week we hit up a grocery store for a “goodie-run”—we have major sweet teeth. We’re best friends and at the end of the day, that’s what marriage should be, an endless sleepover with your best friend.

Wedding Planning: Bouquets & Bowties | Florals: Pretty Petals of Charleston | Photographer: Sara Bee Photography | Videographer: Rachel Owart Media | Venue: Harborside East | Rentals: EventWorks | Catering: B. Gourmet Catering | Bar: Creek Club at I’On | Cake: Cakes by Kait | Invitations: Dodeline Design | Music: Nick Zareski at Lowcountry Entertainment | Bride’s Gown: Gown Boutique of Charleston | Hair and Makeup: Paper Dolls, Callie Vega | Transportation: Lowcountry Valet & Shuttle Co. | Officiant: Rev. Will Mercer, Charming Charleston

The Wedding Row

October 11 2018
Check out these all-time best engagement rings from our vaults Does your SO need a little hint-hint, nudge-nudge in the engagement ring department? Have no fear, because we’ve rounded up our top...

October 10 2018
During the summer of her junior year at College of Charleston, Lauren studied abroad with a pair of fellow Cougars who kept telling her she had to meet their friend Dante when they all got back home...

October 9 2018
One Monday night, at an East Carolina University bar in Greenville, North Carolina, Pirates Nina and Brett bonded over, as she sheepishly jokes, their love of a good deal on beer. But there was...

October 8 2018
The Wedding Row: Start us at the beginning. How did you two meet? Kate: Edward and I met through work in 2014. We were both living in Washington D.C. and Edward needed some software configured on his...

October 5 2018
We love a groom who goes above and beyond for his bride-to-be, and JP did just that when he scooted down to Charleston from Charlotte, North Carolina, and back again in the same day to ask his...

October 4 2018
For shutterbug Kate Timbers, the 200-year-old The Unitarian Church in Charleston is the perfect location for romantic portraits, timeless ceremonies, and more. With the church’s pastel-blue arched...

October 3 2018
We love a pair who embrace big, bold statements and big, bold flavors with all the mannerly trappings in their Big Days. Enter Amanda and Preston, who not only hosted a posh wedding at The River...

October 2 2018
Some of the best romances we know of are rom-coms, and Amanda and Will’s story is no exception. While Will tried to stage the world’s dreamiest proposal, complete with a romantic dinner,...