Big Doings



WRITER CREDIT: 
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
Big Doings | A pair of crafty engineers plan a DIY wedding for the ages... and a bride scores a start-up business in the process

Kathryn Kerrigan & Andrew Sawyer
May 24, 2014
Legare Waring House

 

What do you get when you mix two engineers, a two-year engagement, and a Lowcountry venue that’s as gorgeous as it gets? Kathryn and Andrew’s heartfelt and handcrafted Big Day—a DIY affair that Pinterest boards are made of.

 

“I’ve always been crafty, so getting to do a bazillion crafts was the best,” says the bride, who, with the help from her groom, sawed, sanded, stained, and sewed her way to both a beautiful wedding and a brand new business.

 

“After our wedding was over, it felt like my favorite hobby had been taken from me,” says Kathryn, who since opened Paper and Pine Co. to sell her creations to other brides. And as for the wedding? Personal vows, stunning florals, and creative bars (beer bottles floated over the craft beer area while glass bubbles hung above a champagne station) made for a merry time.
 

Top Tips
Words from the wise...
• Avoid a time crunch. Crafting was tackled in the four months prior to the wedding. “Two extra months would have relieved stress and allowed us to squeeze in a few more items,” Kathryn says.
• Put 35 percent of your initial budget aside for taxes, gratuity, and miscellaneous expenses.
• Tap into your skills. Engineer Kathryn used AutoCAD—a program she uses for work—to design the marquee sign.
• Enlist your loved ones. Kathryn’s family assembled all the paper goods and helped communicate with vendors.
 

Vendor List:

Wedding design, décor, event signage, programs, menus: Paper and Pine Co. (Etsy), www.Etsy.com/Shop/PaperandPineCo

Day-of coordination, catering, bar service: Café Catering, www.CafeCateringAndEvents.com

Location: Legare Waring House, www.LegareWaringHouse.com

Florals: Branch Design Studio, www.BranchDesignStudio.com

Photography: Juliet Elizabeth, www.JulietElizabeth.com

Cinematography: Lowcountry Wedding Films, www.LowcountryWeddingFilms.com

Chairs: Snyder Events, www.SnyderEvents.com

Mirrored bar, bar shelving, linens, tables, lighting: EventHaus, www.EventHausRentals.com

Cakes: DeClare Cakes, www.DeClareCakes.com

Bride’s gown: Marisa Bridals, www.MarisaBridals.com

Hair: Paper Dolls, www.MyCharlestonWeddingHair.com

Makeup: Pamela Lesch, www.PamelaLeschMakeup.com

Bridesmaid dresses: Watters (available locally through Bella Bridesmaids), www.BellaBridesmaids.com

Menswear: Express, www.Express.com

Transportation: Lowcountry Valet & Shuttle Co., www.LowcountryValet.com

Music: Two Three Ways, www.OtherBrotherEnt.com/Two_3_Ways

The Wedding Row

April 29 2019
If you’ve ever walked down King Street on a Saturday evening, you know Charleston’s the “It City” for bachelorette parties. So when North Carolina native and bride-to-be Cristen decided to hold her...

April 26 2019
The latest Charleston Weddings magazine features the journey of Kaitlin and her hubby Allan, who defied the odds and overcame a traumatic brain injury to join his bride at the altar on their Big Day...

April 25 2019
When Morgan and her family attended Folly Gras 2015 (a Mardi Gras celebration held annually on Folly Beach), she had no inclination she’d meet her future husband. But when she caught up with her best...

April 24 2019
Few things get us through a hump day better than fantasizing about fantastic food and lip-smacking libations. So we thought it was a good time to reach out to Graham Ervin, director of sales at The...

April 23 2019
We profiled Hannah and Jonathan’s super lovely wedding in the spring issue of Charleston Weddings, but we weren’t able to include all they had to say, and we had a ton of bonus images to share with...

April 22 2019
Samantha Anderson Events teamed up with Lyndi and Jason Photography to turn a no-fun subject—your wedding budget—on its head. The trick? Samantha dressed three tables at three different price points...

April 19 2019
Blake, a wedding planner for Pure Luxe Bride, recently had the chance to plan her own Big Day. She and now-husband Charles met in an accounting class at College of Charleston, and a few years later...

April 18 2019
Here’s a rare wedding bird these days: A Charleston-raised couple prepping to say “I do” here in their own backyard. As Elizabeth and James keep on with the planning, here’s a little about the...