Amanda Jordan & John Giannuzzi
October 14, 2023 / Lowndes Grove
October is an important month for San Franciscans Amanda Jordan and John Giannuzzi. They met in 2016 on Halloween—he was dressed as a caddie and she as a party animal. John had recently earned his pilot license and went above and beyond for their first date, with a romantic Cessna flight over San Francisco Bay.
One of their favorite adventures was the two months they spent living and working remotely in Charleston in the spring of 2021; they fell in love with the city. He proposed a month later during a trip to Big Sur, where he popped the question on a cliff overlooking the Pacific. For their wedding, they were excited to share Charleston with friends and family and enlisted Haley Kelly Events to help create a celebration that blended Lowcountry charm with styles of the East Coast (where John is from) and West Coast (where Amanda is from). Guests received a great welcome to the Holy City during a party at the Gibbes Museum of Art, a wedding on the water at Lowndes Grove, and a Sunday brunch at The Dewberry.
The wedding itself featured a colorful palette of yellow, pink, orange, and chartreuse. Personal touches were woven throughout, like a Cessna design that showed up on the invitations and koozie favors; the flower hair statue at the bar (a nod to their love of museums); and the Southern signature cocktails, including the Pink Cactus margarita that was an homage to their stay on Spring Street. The night ended with a bang, with confetti streamers showering the dance floor and an escorted exit by the band.
Top Tips
• Mind the wind. For the couple’s seating cards, planner Haley Kelly had them incorporated into the menus themselves, which is especially useful at venues where it might be extra windy, she says.
• Go out with a bang. Instead of sparklers, the couple used confetti streamers, which were employed on the dance floor in a huge moment of excitement at the end of the night. Kelly recommends getting the no-mess streamers, which are attached at the end, making for easy cleanup.
• Wrap it up neatly. The close of the reception was seamless, as the band led the guests out of the venue and into buses, which swept them away to an after party at Parcel 3
Vendors
Planning & Design: Haley Kelly Events
Venue: Lowndes Grove
Catering & Bar: Patrick Properties Hospitality Group
Photography: Marcus Jolly
Florals: The Bearded Florist
Stationery & Signage: Kate Eliza Creative
Cake: Flowerchild
Rentals: Snyder Events, Curated Events Charleston, CHEERS
Linens: Stradley Davidson, Nüage Designs, The Social Spool
Entertainment: Millennium
Transportation: Coastal Limo, WhipDash
Bride’s Attire: Made with Love, Lovely Bride CHS
Beauty: Brianna Adams (hair), Cheryl Quinn (makeup)
