Hearts Aflutter



PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 

The Schraibman and Fawcett families have long been friends, so Caroline and Donald knew one another as kids. But that childhood bonhomie developed into something deeper when the pair began dating while at the same Columbia high school. Their romance took a short hiatus during college years and a move to New York City but reignited during a pandemic-era return home. Then, on a fateful December afternoon in 2024, Caroline discovered a special ornament hanging on their Christmas tree—a ring from Donald. 

Having visited the Carolina coast regularly in their younger years (she to DeBordieu and he to Pawley’s Island), the couple considered just one place for their wedding: Caroline’s dream venue of the DeBordieu Club. “The Lowcountry is where we feel most relaxed and always have a good time with friends and family,” she says. With help from her mother and planner Haley Kelly of Haley Kelly Events, they set out to create a day at once classically elegant and uniquely colorful, anchored by a palette of chartreuse, pink, and deep teal. 

With its trailing florals, delicate branches, and pair of blue herons, the liner art from Caroline and Donald’s save-the-date stationery quickly became a prominent motif. “The herons represent Donald and I as two lovebirds,” says Caroline, who hung a framed print of the artwork in their home. The botanical pattern, which also gives a nod to the DeBordieu logo, appeared throughout the reception, including around the four-tier cake from Flowerchild, across the vinyl-wrapped dance floor, and on water bottles and golf tees inside guest welcome bags. 

From a floral perspective, bright collections of roses accented the day, including a romantic archway for the couple’s vows, a showering of petals as the newlyweds journeyed down the aisle, and a towering tree display boasting climbing blooms at the center of the tent. The reception proved just as colorful, with guests grabbing feather boas, party glasses, and hand-painted tambourines before taking to the dance floor. When the festivities drew to a close and the getaway car was nowhere to be found, the quick-thinking planner spun the couple ’round the block on a golf cart and then directed them onto a trolley with their bridesmaids and groomsmen, where the fun trailed the wedding party into the night.

Vendors

  • Planning & Design: Haley Kelly Events
  • Venue, Catering, & Bar Service:    DeBordieu Club
  • Photography: Virgil Bunao
  • Florals: Floressence Flowers
  • Cake: Flowerchild
  • Stationery: Kate Eliza Creative (save the date), Hatch Cove Designs (calligraphy & liner art), Arzberger Stationers (invitations & day-of signage) 
  • Draping: Underneath the Veil
  • Lighting: Technical Event Company, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Charleston (tree lighting)
  • Rentals: Snyder, The Luxe and Co., CLUXE
  • Linens: BBJ La Tavola
  • Dance Floor Wrap: CLUXE
  • Entertainment: Charleston Entertainment (ceremony), Perfect 10 Band from EastCoast Entertainment (reception)
  • Videography: Two Fly Guys
  • Bridal Attire: Monique Lhuillier NYC (gown & veil)
  • Beauty: Wild Ivory Beauty (makeup), process (hair)
  • Bridesmaid’s Attire: Amsale (dresses) from Bella Bridesmaids, Amazon (wraps)
  • Bridal Assistant: Cacky’s Bride Aid

The Wedding Row

December 20 2018
Although Heather and Peter grew up in the same town in New Jersey, they didn’t officially meet until he noticed her wearing a Ridge High School lacrosse sweatshirt at a Lafayette College fraternity...

December 19 2018
High school romances can be so very, very awkward. Take Chapin, South Carolina, natives Lindsay and Tyler, for example. “He claims he charmed me when I fell up the stairs to our Spanish class and he...

December 18 2018
Charleston residents Ross and Chase met online back in 2014, got engaged in 2016, and invited one and all—Ross is one of 30 grandchildren—to their seriously wonderful wedding in 2018. Family...

December 17 2018
While the event maestro Kim Newton orchestrates plenty of weddings in her own neck of the woods (that’s Alexandria, Virginia), she also has clients who say “I do” here in Charleston. While on one...

December 14 2018
Happy Friday, brides! Do you remember these two? To trigger your memory, here’s a link to when we posted Sara and Colin ’cycle-centric engagement photos by shutterbugs Aaron and Jillian. Well, now it...

December 13 2018
You know we’d only share a gorgeous wedding with you. So we’ll pause on the descriptors of this couple’s Big Day for a moment and tell you a little about the pair themselves, because when...

December 12 2018
You know about “designated travel companions,” right? It’s when someone who works for an airline gets to pick a “buddy” who can travel at the same nominal fees (we’re talking taxes and regulatory...

December 11 2018
Today’s couple hit it off one night at a Baltimore bar. Credit for the first move goes to Olivia, who made her intentions mighty clear on her way out by hip-checking another girl out of the way so...