Pastoral Perfection | A pair of Brooklyn creatives head to the bride’s family’s stomping grounds down South for a wedding day filled with love, laughter, and shenanigans
You know it’s meant to be when the whole animal kingdom approves of your wedding. At Liz Kulze and Thomas Winstanley’s celebration last May, two eagles joined the rehearsal dinner from a branch across the river, a peacock and some cows supervised wedding day set up, and an alligator swam up to hear their vows firsthand.
No, they didn’t tie the knot at a zoo; they wed at Plum Hill, a property in Yemassee, South Carolina, that has been in Liz’s family for decades (and was featured in the film Forrest Gump). “I like to think that the land itself had a hand in raising me,” says Liz. Throw in the fact that her parents wed there some 33 years prior, and it was always going to be Plum Hill. “To get married elsewhere would have felt like a betrayal,” Liz says.
As for the couple’s romance, that began five years ago in Brooklyn. One night over dinner, two of Liz’s friends spontaneously (and serendipitously) made her an online dating profile, and Thomas was the first—and only—date that stemmed from it. “After a few months, it was hard to imagine our lives without each other,” Liz says. Three years later came an engagement at Thomas’ folks’ Provincetown, Massachusetts, home. “We went for a walk on the beach, had a long, teary chat, and came back to our parents who were waiting with champagne,” she remembers.
That same down-to-earth, family-first approach characterized the couple’s Big Day. Liz tackled most of the design herself, enlisting Ooh! Events for logistics, rentals, and coordination. “I remember how truly authentic this event was to their lives,” says Lisa Thomas of Ooh! Liz’s mother, a health and wellness guru, helped devise a delicious reception menu featuring rice grown at Plum Hill by Liz’s sister. Her dad handpicked local craft beer and wine while Thomas mapped out the Bloody Mary bar, which was stocked with pickled vegetables, bacon, shrimp, and hot sauce. A final tailored touch? Following the ceremony (which was held at noon to help ward off mosquitoes), a record player belted out albums from the couple’s own collection.
Perhaps the most memorable part of the day, however, was unplanned. After dining, Liz’s sister whipped out a massive tarp, a bottle of laundry detergent, and a hose, creating an impromptu homemade water slide. Uncles stripped to their boxers, the wedding party hit the slick stretch in their Big Day best, and even Liz’s mom took a spin. “At the end of the day,” says Liz, “we celebrated not only our marriage, but also our families and Plum Hill, a place that means so much to us.”
Y’all. I almost don’t want to write a thing here because the shots from Folly Beach’s Wiki Wiki Sandbar are so freakin’ amazing they need no explanation, embellishment, or extrapolation. I mean,...
Psst! Want a sneak peek into how a photographer helps a couple warm up before the lens long before the Big Day? Here’s how it’s done, Charleston-style, by Priscilla Thomas of Priscilla Thomas...
Inali and Leon met on a college trip to Washington D.C. back in 2012. Inali’s first impression? Leon was the strangest man she had ever met. Six years later, after some solid QT together, she...
We love how bride Savannah operates. That dress she’s sporting? It was purchased at what was formerly The Gown Collective (and now is Magnolia Bride, an upscale gown consignment shop downtown on...
The stars aligned for Emily and Meryl not once, not twice, but three times to make sure they ended up a couple. The first time, Emily sidled up to a bar where Meryl was slinging drinks when sparks...
If you’re craving a love story and the tale of how this wedding at The Gadsden House came together, click here for the original story that ran in summer 2019 Charleston Weddings. If you’re wanting to...
You know all those paradise weddings you’ve seen? Those where the bride and groom are standing on a windswept beach with palms blowing in the wind and the bride’s veil flutters almost as much as her...
Sparks flew a few years back on the Fourth of July in Charleston when Michelle was introduced to Patrick. After what we are assuming was one memorable holiday, and after dating for two-ish years,...
Sara Lofton and Gregg Pavone, owners of Charleston-based Limelight Custom Sign Co., channel their talents into their Big Day at Boone Hall's Cotton Dock
Tara Guérard Soirée and LulaKate teamed up to create a custom bridesmaid ensemble that went from formal ceremony to garden party reception. Here’s what they fashioned (plus a few bonus accessories Tara recently fell for)
