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)
Molly and Chris’s colleagues at J.P. Morgan in New York had a feeling the two were perfect for each other and tried for months to set them up. When they finally met up at an event? Cue: magic. Over...
After Long Islanders Tom and Danielle met in chorus class during their freshman year of high school, it took him a full year to build up enough courage to ask her to be his girlfriend. Her response...
On the first day of college at the University of Georgia, a complete stranger tried to convince Sarah to drop freshman English; he’d heard the professor was terrible. Turns out the professor was,...
To all the single ladies (and gents): Valentine’s Day isn’t only for those already in love. As Alex and Pete’s story proves, it may be the perfect day for a meet-cute. Pennsylvania-born Pete was in...
Four days before Allison and Brendan’s dream Charleston wedding, Hurricane Florence was making its way toward the Lowcountry and the city was under evacuation orders. The Dallas-based couple pulled...
Courtney wasn’t looking to settle down, but when friends convinced her to take Kristen on a date, something felt different. Before long, they found themselves in a long-distance relationship—Courtney...
Bumble may be responsible for introducing this couple, but it was a magical first date filled with sushi, hours of conversation, karaoke, and endless laughter that truly brought together Michelle and...
Maggie and Mike’s story puts a whole new spin on bro-mance. It all started in Chicago when her boss, who was dating a fellow named Eric, wanted to set Maggie up with her boyfriend’s younger brother....
