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...
The love between Katie Jacobs and Josh Thompson first took root in 2019 at vet school in the West Indies. Though clinicals carried them to different locales, their relationship still blossomed into an engagement by Christmas 2022. Katie had always dreamed of marrying in her father’s native Charleston, where her parents wed, and Josh had fallen for the Holy City while vacationing with her family, so the couple set to planning a lush Lowcountry affair.
Charmed by the beauty and history of Lowndes Grove, Katie took cues for their October wedding from the venue’s organic feel, entrusting her garden-party vision to planner Francesca DiSalvo-Follmer of Pure Luxe Bride and floral designer Whitney Randall of Festoon. “We wanted to let nature be the centerpiece,” she says. “I chose a dress that reminded me of Lowndes Grove: a Southern gown with subtle, beaded flowers that caught the sunlight.” Floral prints also cropped up in the paper suite, table settings, and dance floor wrap.
On the big day, dahlias, ranunculi, tulips, roses, and more cascaded across the ceremony and reception, creating an ethereal backdrop. Flowers even sprouted in unexpected places, such as on the champagne ice display, around a custom bar arch, atop beaded chandeliers, and on the collars of the couple’s furry attendants. Here, Randall weighs in on the process behind creating this garden wonderland.
Charleston Weddings (CW): How do you keep blooms looking fresh, especially in tricky spots like ice sculptures and dog collars?
Whitney Randall (WR): We had a huge team on-site by 7 a.m. to prep. Everybody was working on something! On the collars, we used hardy flowers like ranunculi, spray roses, and cymbidium orchids. For ice sculptures, flowers must be nontoxic per DHEC, so I worked with Ice Age to pick the right blooms: small garden roses, lisianthuses, Astrantia, and cosmos.
CW: What’s your advice for achieving an elevated floral look?
WR: Focus on the places that will make the biggest impact. You want flowers to be part of the photos, so put them where they’ll be seen by the camera and your guests for the longest period of time.
CW: What seasonal picks did you use for Katie and Josh’s wedding?
WR: Many varieties of dahlias, which I bought from a farmer in Greenville (Daniel Schavey at PetalPickers) who delivers once a week. And I sourced the greenery from Palmetto Flowers in Conway.
CW: What other flowers and foliage do you like for autumn weddings?
WR: Limelight hydrangeas are stunning this time of year. Besides dahlias, they’re my favorite to incorporate. For greenery, berry branches, like fruiting blackberry and persimmon, are really pretty. Copper beech leaves can also be tinted and preserved so you have autumn shades.
CW: What’s your top tip for brides when it comes to choosing flowers?
WR: I like when brides share their colors and inspiration photos then give us the creative freedom to pick the flowers and textures that will best pull those into the design. When we create proposals for clients, we include a design board with photos of all the flowers, so they can see the colors and textures together. There’s so much flower variety out there—it’s fun when clients trust us to bring their visions to life! —Denise K. James
Planning & Design: Pure Luxe Bride
Venue: Lowndes Grove
Photography: Kailee DiMeglio Photography
Florals: Festoon
Rentals: Snyder, Curated Events, The French Eclectic
Linens: Nuage Designs
Draping & Lighting: Lowcountry Entertainment
Dance Floor: Charleston Wraps
Ice Sculpture: Ice Age Ice Sculptures
Stationery: Studio R (invitation suite), J. Lily (menu)
Bridal Attire: Anne Barge (custom gown)
Beauty: Charleston Bridal Collab
Groom’s Attire: Jos A. Bank (custom tux), Brackish (accessories)
