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...
“Nothing about my personality is understated,” laughs Amber Crowe as she explains the approach behind her nuptials to Kevin Kelley, where bold color and unchecked whimsy reigned supreme. “I knew I didn’t want anything traditional except the white dress,” says the New Bern, North Carolina, resident. To help materialize the one-of-a-kind event, Amber sought out the talents of Gathering Floral + Event Design’s Heather Barrie-Ahern. With the bride’s direction to steer clear of subtle and her chosen color scheme of bright orange, lime green, and hot pink, Heather transformed The William Aiken House into a spectacle of audacious swaths of fabric, splashy centerpieces and florals, and coordinating design elements. Every detail of the evening—from the table linens to the cake—conspired to render exactly the vivid, dynamic atmosphere Amber had hoped for. “The ambience was fantastic. Heather knew I wanted fun, colorful, and unique, but since I live in North Carolina, I really had to give her the reins. She took my guidelines and ran with them perfectly,” she says. But the best part for Amber? Winning over her skeptical groom. “At first Kevin wasn’t on board at all with the bright colors and whimsical motifs, so him being so impressed and happy with the end results was such a reward.”
