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.”
Globe-trotters in every sense of the word, Laura and Anthony traveled all over the world visiting each other during their nearly ten years of long-distance dating. Jetting to hot spots like Chicago,...
As we all know, the Holy City plays hostess to a large number of weddings every year (you just need to scroll back through all of our pages of posts to see that). And while some lovebirds choose to...
It’s time for some girl talk. We all know how nerve-wracking first dates can be, whether going in blind or not, and we’re here to impart a piece of solid advice from bride Megan. When agreeing to...
The Wedding Row: Tell us about how you two lovelies met.
Caroline: Zach and I met briefly in college. I traveled to Clemson from University of Alabama to attend a date party with a friend from high...
Morning, dears. With all the beyond beautiful sites our Holy City has to offer on the wedding venue front, finding the winner for your Big Day can feel impossible or perhaps endless. But no worries,...
No tricks, only treats for Mandy and Dan. The duo met on Halloween, of all holidays, in Greenville, South Carolina, back in 2013. They hit it off, became an “item,” and enjoyed each other’s company...
Eloping has come to mean something different these days than in years past. It can be the traditional version with a couple heading out for a getaway and a simple ceremony a deux; it can be that plus...
It was nothing but pure sparks (red, white, and blue perhaps?) when Alissa met Rick at a political fundraiser in Chicago. They were both supporting the Governor of Illinois and after hours of talking...
Want to save money but not skimp on style? Take a cue from Style Me Pretty, who introduces us to this North Carolina couple who oh-so fashionably eloped to Charleston's Legare Waring House
