In the Moment



WRITER CREDIT: 
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
In the Moment | Picturesque Palmetto Bluff played host to a multiday celebration of love
Billy Hackenson & Chris Del Gandio
October 1, 2023 • Montage Palmetto Bluff
 
Billy Hackenson and Chris Del Gandio’s love story has been built on simple, earnest moments. It all began with their first date in January 2021. With the height of the pandemic putting a damper on evenings out in San Francisco, Billy met Chris at his apartment, where they shared a bottle of red wine, to-go Italian, and an instant spark. As the months went on, they continued to get creative with dates, deepening their connection along the way. When Chris knew Billy was “his person,” he planned a proposal at the same Sonoma winery that produced their first-date bottle. Among resplendent gardens and with beloved pup Rusty as their witness, Chris dropped to one knee and asked Billy to marry him. 
 
But where to make it official and celebrate with their nearest and dearest? The couple zeroed in on Palmetto Bluff, where Billy’s parents had retired and the pair could leave behind the hustle and bustle of San Francisco to soak up an intimate weekend with loved ones. They enlisted the expertise of Allison Event Design and shared their vision of a multiday celebration. With that in mind, there could be no more perfect setting than the sweeping, serene Montage Palmetto Bluff. 
 
The festivities kicked off on Friday with an alfresco “Burgers and Bourbon” event featuring the Montage’s bourbon cart. Saturday brought boat rides and an all-day pickleball tournament before everyone cleaned up for the welcome dinner at Moreland Landing on the May River. (Billy, Chris, and Rusty appropriately arrived by boat.) Wedding day Sunday began with the couple getting ready together and taking photos with their closest friends ahead of the ceremony, sharing precious time with those who had traveled for the occasion. 
 
Billy and Chris exchanged vows in a heartfelt ceremony set in the ethereal May River Chapel. Nearby, the River House hosted a reception that was the picture of masculine elegance: towering centerpieces, leather-detailed menu cards, and classic layers of white and blue hues. All told, the wedding was precisely what the grooms had hoped for: a weekend anchored in irreplaceable moments for their loved ones to connect and celebrate their love, simply enough.
 
Vendors
Venue & Catering: Montage Palmetto Bluff
Planning & Design: Allison Event Design
Photography: Justin Leon Brown
Entertainment: David Kimbell, Hilton Head Entertainment (ceremony), East Coast Entertainment (reception)
Florals: Jardiniere Events
Rentals: Alpha-Lit, Beachview Event Rentals, Nüage Designs, EventWorks, Emerson James, Amazing Event Rentals, Advanced AV
Stationery: Momental Designs
Invitation Suites: Hyegraph Invitations
Live Portrait Watercolors: Cloud Studio
Transportation: Old Savannah Tours, Outside Brands, Callan’s Classics

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...