Birds of a Feather

Birds of a Feather | Cindy Boley & John Hamblet, September 24, 2011, Bowens Island Restaurant

Charleston Wedding Charleston Home diy wedding wedding Snyder Event Rentals Big Day Biton White diy gown inspiration

MIX N’ MATCH: Cindy and her bridesmaids, who wore monochromatic blue dresses from David’s Bridal and Ann Taylor, arrived to the ceremony via boat. The captain’s boat shirt even color coordinated with the ladies’ attire.

SITTIN’ ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY: “The passing shrimp boat, the summer breeze, and the beautiful sunset were perfect Southern touches for out-of-town guests,” says Cindy of the Bowens Island location.

WHAT A SET: “When we discovered Bowens Island rented their dock for events, we knew their graffiti walls and surrounding marsh would be a perfect backdrop for our wedding and reception,” says the bride.

HANGING AROUND: Cindy made origami cranes—a symbol of longevity, loyalty, and happiness in Japanese culture—from recycled paper.

FLOCK TOGETHER: Paper cranes and flowers hung off branches rooted in stone-weighted vases.

PILLOW TALK: Cindy’s matron of honor designed and stitched the ring bearer’s pillow; in lieu of a flower basket, the flower girl carried chains of paper cranes.

FLOWER POWER: Cindy tied origami flowers and cranes from recycled paper to branches, which were featured throughout the wedding and reception.

A LOW GLOW: Cindy and John hung Japanese paper lanterns on the dock for soft lighting. “We had planned on using white as an accent color, but it became more dominant in the décor to soften the wooden shelter and dock,” Cindy says.

PENNY WISE: Fabric in the eaves, rented folding chairs, curtains of paper cranes at the altar, and Japanese lanterns outside made up the décor. The grand total for the entire wedding? $9,200.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT: “John remembers his first glance of me in my wedding dress as I turned around the corner and feeling that everything was meant to be,” says Cindy.

SMART SHOPPERS: Cindy found her gown at David’s Bridal; John paired a Biton shirt with Haggar slacks from JCPenney

FAVORITE FARE: Bowens Island Restaurant doubled as the venue and caterer, but Cindy says their “delicious Southern seafood, barbeque, and banana pudding” would have been her choice no matter the location.

AW, SHUCKS: The couple, pictured here on a hill of oyster shells, kept their attire within budget: Cindy wore a gown from David’s Bridal, while John donned a Biton shirt and brown pants found at JCPenney.

TURN BY TURN: Foam-core board signs—handwritten by John and bordered with blue and brown ribbon—hung throughout the dock directing guests.

Photographs by:

Alice Keeney

Five years after meeting fellow Chicagoan Cindy Boley, John Hamblet proposed while the couple moved into their Charleston home. “As soon as we put the boxes down, John explained that it was time for new beginnings and asked me to marry him,” says Cindy, who soon set about coordinating her almost entirely DIY wedding. With casual and rustic as lead themes, Cindy and John chose Bowens Island Restaurant’s dock house for their Big Day. “We share a love for nature, wood, handmade items, and all things Japanese,” says Cindy, who has Japanese heritage and took inspiration from nature for the blue, brown, and white color palette. When the day arrived, the couple walked down the aisle to the sound of conga drums and celebrated with a wedding that was quintessentially them.

Vendor List

Bride’s gown: David’s Bridal; www.davidsbridal.com
Bridesmaids attire: Ann Taylor www.anntaylor.com and David’s Bridal; www.davidsbridal.com
Caterer: Bowens Island Restaurant; www.bowensislandrestaurant.com
Ceremony and reception location: Bowens Island Restaurant; www.bowensislandrestaurant.com
Groom’s attire: Shirt by Biton; www.shopbiton.com, pants by Haggar from JCPenney; www.jcpenney.com
Florist: Charleston Flower Market; www.charlestonflowermarket.com
Photographer: Alice Keeney Photography; www.alicekeeneyphotography.com
Rentals, chairs, and linens: Snyder Event Rentals; www.snydereventrentals.com
Ceremony music: Laquivia Hand and Thomas Hodgin
Stationery: Designed by bride. Paper from Paper and More; www.paperandmore.com

The Wedding Row

January 17 2019

Taylor & Jonathan | Legare Waring House

We couldn’t come up with a better love story than Taylor and Jonathan’s if we tried. They met while she was in dental school and he was completing his medical residency. (She’s a dentist, he’s a...

January 16 2019

Liz & John | Lowndes Grove Plantation

Who doesn’t have a soft spot for college sweethearts? Liz and John met their sophomore year at Providence College in Rhode Island, not knowing that nine years later John would propose on the very...

January 14 2019

Ginny & Daniel | The William Aiken House

Oh my gosh is he a good guy! After meeting at work (at the Daniel Island Club), Ginny says she didn’t even know she was on her first date with Daniel when he offered to spend an afternoon helping her...

January 11 2019

Erin & Steve | The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island

OK. So these two New Yorkers are kind of a big deal (she’s a VP at a hedge fund group and former account head at the Olgivy agency with an MBA and he’s a marketing director at a Big Apple firm and...

January 10 2019

Josh & Bree | Engagement Session

We want to be invited to *that* New Year’s Eve party! We’re talking about the one where Mount Pleasant native Bree met Mobile, Alabama-born Josh, and the two hit it off enough for us to be talking...

January 9 2019

Lanier & Luke | Kiawah Island River Course

Lanier and Luke met in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, during a Friendsgiving supper one November along with some 30 pals. That run-in led to a friendship that turned into a romance and by 2017, the two were...

January 8 2019

Kristine & Ryan | Middleton Place

O.M.G. You are so going to love these two! For starters, they tricked—yes, tricked—their families into a shared Thanksgiving vacation in Charleston that turned into a surprise wedding for them and...

January 7 2019

Sarah Grace & Martin | Legare Waring House

We hate to do this to you, but we have to tell you some things about bride Sarah Grace that might very well intimidate you (like it did us). Yes, yes, yes, she and her sweetheart Martin (aka “Bug”)...