Pearls of Wisdom | We’re over-the-moon for this wedding that’s run through with oysters. Learn how to flavor your wedding with just such a theme without going overboard
Charleston native Courtney Long Milster can relate to the pitfalls of planning a wedding in the age of social media. “I am extremely detail-oriented so I over-thought everything,” she says. “With Pinterest and Instagram it’s easy to compare your wedding with everyone else’s and go a little nuts, which I was definitely guilty of. I lost so many hours of sleep obsessing over florals, color schemes, and fonts.” Organizing everything from afar (she and her sweetheart, Erik Milster, lived in Boston during their engagement and now reside in Brooklyn) also had its challenges. But with a Lowcountry-based team including her mom, sister, and planner Ellen Robinson of WED, Courtney’s oyster-infused Big Day was the stuff other brides are sure to “like”—and then some.
Charleston Weddings: Why did you pick Kiawah for your wedding?
Courtney Milster: I grew up around Southern salt marshes and always knew I wanted to get married on the river. Fortunately, I fell in love with a Boston-bred man who shared my affinity for saltwater (and who also happens to be a golfer), so the River Course at Kiawah Island was the dream venue for us.
CW: How did you come up with an oyster theme?
CM: I’ve always associated oysters with the Lowcountry (and my favorite gemstone). Also, my oh-so-brilliant husband pointed out the similarities between finding a pearl in an oyster and finding true love: both are rare and precious.
CW: How did the design come together?
CM: I reached out to Kearsley Lloyd, a watercolorist I found on Instagram whose work I greatly admire, to paint custom oyster shells for us to use on our printed materials and décor.
CW: How did you refrain from going overboard?
CM: Erik had to pull me back a little bit, because I found myself wanting to put those shells on everything! I’m thankful for his editing eye, because our wedding didn’t feel overly themed or kitschy.
PLAY THE SHELL GAME
Branch out. Choose accents that make sense with your central theme. Silver-gray pieces of driftwood, like those on this arbor, are a natural complement to oysters.
Be naut-y.Incorporate nautical maps into seaside weddings. In this wedding, the maps form paper cones for a lavendar “confetti” exit toss.
Dress the part. Ties—whether for the groom, his men, or servers—are a great place to work in thematic designs and colors. This groom and his cohorts donned silks dotted with tiny oysters.
Engage in pillow talk. Upload a graphic from your wedding to Zazzle.com to create patterned fabrics. The watercolored oysters from the invitation ended up as pillows the couple now own.
Dish it. Oysters are having a heyday as ring dishes; gift them to yourself, your guests, and gals.
Read the fine print. Repeat invitation motifs on signage (as on this appetizer tray) to ensure colors and icons are infused throughout the festivities.
Been wondering why go the extra mile for a bridal portrait shoot? While the tradition began in Southern Europe, at a time when affluent families would hire an artist to paint the picture, we’ve come...
Like any solid relationship, Ali DuRant and Quinn Foster’s foundation began in friendship. They met at a July Fourth party on Sullivan’s Island in 2013. But it was a fated bus ride to a USC vs. UGA...
You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Or can you? The old adage implying you can’t have it both ways didn’t ring true with Lauren Margaret Snyder and Robert “Bo” William Bledsoe’s May 1st...
Need ideas for your wedding color palette? If you missed this bold and beautiful mock wedding (inspired by a to-die-for metallic rose gold Shelby Cobra convertible) in the latest installment of...
Love’s Timeline
New Yorkers Philip (Phil) and Brittany (Britt) Mcphail’s first brief meeting was at a concert. Five years later, at Britt’s cousin’s house, the two happened to...
A Charleston Rehearsal Dinner | Introductions
Laura-Brooke and Ryan both grew up in Florence, South Carolina, but they didn’t meet until a college spring break trip to Myrtle Beach in 2015. The S.C....
But What If It Rains?
Anybody who has ever planned a wedding has asked themselves this question. When you’re spending big money and planning for months, nobody wants the forecast to quite...
“Falling” In Love
Picture this. You’re in college, on your way to class. Your crush steps out of the building door two feet in front of you … and you immediately trip over your shoes. You...
From a welcome party aboard The Carolina Girl to the send-off with Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits, the mother of the bride planned a flawless wedding weekend
Trading vows on a sea island isn’t as simple (or inexpensive) as it once was, but take a cue from this couple who made it work in delightful DIY fashion for $10K
When a belle of an old-guard Charleston family opts for a pre-ceremony “first look” with her groom, it means times are changing. See why a sneak peek worked for Kathleen Hay and Andrew Hagood, and why you might follow suit
