Seaside Cents | 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
“While our exhausted classmates slowly trickled home every night, Joe and I were always the last on the dance floor,” says Déla Breyne of meeting Irishman Joe O’Callaghan during a college trip to Belgium. Three years later, Joe proposed on Garnish Island in Ireland, but with the rigmarole of visas, the groom made it stateside a mere two months before the Big Day. Flying solo for most of the planning (and wanting to stick strictly to their $10,000 budget), Déla struck gold when she found a private home on a local beach that could host their 20ish guests for the laid-back day on the coast she had dreamed of. “I knew I wanted something low-key and low-stress,” she says, “with a vibe that was romantic and ethereal but not over the top—like a really great dinner party at a friend’s house.” And she got it. “I loved having all our friends here for the weekend,” she says, “it was like a big sleepover.”
Sea What Works
Choose wisely. Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Folly Beach, Kiawah, and Seabrook have varying rules about hosting ceremonies (or receptions) on the beach and throwing parties in rental homes. Visit (and bookmark) CharlestonWeddingsMag.com/BeachRules for details.
Play it close. Sidestep many regulations—plus gusting wind, blowing sand, and onlookers—by holding the ceremony in your rental’s waterfront yard and the reception on its decks.
Aim for double duty. Besides having it host the Big Day, use your rental for accommodations.
Pick a pretty one. Opt for a property (Déla found this one on VBRO.com) with an aesthetic that requires minimal additional décor.
Get crafty. The bride (a graphic designer) made the invitations and heart garlands, while the same pals who bussed tables and kept drinks full folded napkins with a flourish.
Vendor List
Wedding design, planning: Dela O’Callaghan (the bride)
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...
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
