So In Love--$50,000 Wedding Winner!

Fall/Winter 2013

WRITER CREDIT:

PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT:

So In Love--$50,000 Wedding Winner! | <p> A dream wedding at Magnolia Plantation proves the ultimate pick-me-up for two soldiers </p>

Charleston Wedding Charleston Place Hotel charleston wedding wedding Snyder Event Rentals calligraphy contest Engaging Events EventWorks gown fabulous frocks poppies WED

RED ROVER: Painted in vivid Chinese red, the schoolhouse pond bridge was a perfect spot for portraits.

SOMETHING BLUE: The bride slipped into a pair of something blue. Check out how stunning the turquoise looks with the red that infused the big day.

RICH HUES: Tiger Lily crafted the crimson ceremony florals for the bridesmaids, while the bridal bouquet was awash in white.

SIMPLY CHIC: Pew markers consisted of fresh white and red blooms nestled in Mason jars which Tiger Lily tied to church pews.

GLOBE TROTTERS: The couple, who are originally from Florida and Alabama, got leave from Afghanistan posts to wed alongside family who traveled from throughout the South to attend their nuptials.

CEREMONIAL SPOT: Engaging Events planned the ceremony to coincide with the setting sun.

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT: The couple exchanged vows just steps from the Ashley River along a stretch where most of Charleston's remaining plantations lie.

DIP, BABY: Moments like these might explain how the couple's exuberance won over voters in the giveaway contest.

MILITARY FORM: Winners Bobby Hill, an infantry officer, and Katie Durham, a military intelligence officer, scored the traditional sword salute.

THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES: "If I had to pick the one thing I was looking forward to most," said groom Bobby before the wedding, "it’s marrying my best friend."

PRETTY AS A POPPY: Judy Johnston, exclusive floral designer for Engaging Events, dotted the reception with vivid red poppies accented with golden ribbon.

WILD, CHILD: For an organic touch, Judy tucked branches into the arrangements, which tied in the surrounding wintry landscape.

HOLD THAT POSE: Extend the life of your bouquets by asking your photographer to capture them in a still-life. Here, the velvety red blooms are striking when placed upon a split-rail fence on the plantation grounds.

COLORFUL CANOPY: Cindy Zingerella of Engaging Events used swaths of red fabric and a crystal chandelier to give the lounge an upscale, finished look.

TELL IT LIKE IT IS: Quaint signs by Scotti Cline let guests know what was being offered, like these Ginger Apple Mojitos from IceBox bar services

FRESH IDEA: Mosaic Catering dressed trays of stuffed mushrooms with fresh camellias that were picked from the grounds.

HI, BOY: Tall "high boy" table and chairs created a cocktail club setting near the dance floor.

HOW KIND: Iced tea and citrus-infused water were on hand for guests who needed a little sip of something before the ceremony, and throughout the nice.

BRANCH OUT: Engaging Events affixed fresh camellia blooms to branches that were hung with votives for magical arrangements.

SIT TIGHT: Intimate nooks allowed guests, many who had traveled far to attend, the chance to catch up.

LIGHT SHOW: Chandeliers cast soft light upon revelers in the reception lounge.

DO ME A FAVOR: Handled Mason jars filled with local benne wafers waited for guests to take home at the end of the night.

ALL AGLOW: The rural plantation took on an otherworldly glow when the candlelight overwhelmed the night.

FAIRY WORLD: Spanish moss and sheer fabric combined to transform the rustic carriage house lighting into something fantastic.

SAFE HAVEN: The Carriage House at Magnolia Plantation beckoned as a retreat from the evening's chill.

PIECE OF CAKE: Elaine’s Events—Cakes of Distinction accented the wedding cake with handmade sugar magnolia blooms.

Photographs by:

Richard Bell Photography

Katie Hill & Bobby Durham
February 9, 2013
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens' Carriage House

Sometimes a couple makes our entire staff melt. When it came to Katie Hill and Bobby Durham, we weren’t the only smitten ones: the story of the two Afghanistan-deployed Army lieutenants vying to win a $50,000 wedding by Engaging Events at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens garnered the lion’s share of the contest’s some 7,200 votes and helped the venue net some 15,000 Facebook likes. This past February, the pair wed in a ceremony overlooking the Ashley River and celebrated with a reception rife with crimson poppies, camellias, and ranunculus. For more tremendous images (don't you just love the one above?), check out the gallery. To read more about their love story, click here.

Vendor List

Bar Service: IceBox, www.icebox.com
Bridal Gown: Fabulous Frocks, www.fabulousfrocksofcharleston.com
Cake: Elaine’s Events—Cakes of Disctinction, www.elainesevents.com
Calligraphy: Calligraphy by Request, www.calligraphybyrequest.com
Catering: Mosaic Catering & Events, www.MOSAICedibles.com
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Carriage House, Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, www.magnoliaplantation.com
Florist: Tiger Lily (ceremonial) www.tigerlilyflorist.com; Judy Johnston of Engaging Events (reception), www.engagingevents.com
Hair Stylist and Makeup Artist: Vanity Salon, www.vanitysalonsc.com
Honeymoon: Charleston Place Hotel, www.charlestonplace.com
Invitations: Scotti Cline Designs, www.scotticlinedesigns.com
Limo: A Charleston Wedding, www.acharlestonwedding.com
Music: Classical Charleston (ceremony), www.classicalcharleston.com; DJ (reception), www.mycharlestondj.com
Photography: Richard Bell Photography, www.charlestonwedding.com
Rentals: EventWorks (www.eventworkrentals.com) and Snyder Event Rentals (www.snydereventrentals.com)
Tent: Atlantic Tent, www.atlantictent.com
Wedding Design & Coordination: Engaging Events, www.engagingeventscharleston.com

The Wedding Row

July 29 2019

Vendor Spotlight | Paper Meets Pearl

Happy Monday, friends. We are sitting down with our cup of coffee and with lovely Kelly, the owner of Paper Meets Pearl, a one-stop shop boutique wedding and event planning company based in the...

July 26 2019

Heather & Chuck | Magnolia Plantation & Gardens

It’s confirmed: Heather and Chuck absolutely let the dogs out. The pet lovers (and now newlyweds) met back in Gainesville, Florida, while in veterinary school. Chuck was getting his PhD in animal...

July 25 2019

Tanya & Joe | The Wickliffe House

These days, it’s pretty common to meet your S.O. on a dating app, but Tanya and Joe met in real life, sans any electronics. Can you believe it? While checking out a new store opening in Crown Town (...

July 24 2019

Abigail & Grant | The Dewberry

Back again, but this time it’s official! We fell hard for Abby and Grant’s love story back when we shared their engagement session a few months back. For a refresher, their romance began when Abby...

July 23 2019

Caroline & Robert | Private Residence

Not everyone is fortunate enough to meet their future spouse as early as middle school, but Caroline and Robert sure lucked out. Although these two grew up together, they only began dating after...

July 22 2019

Alicia & Cameron | Lowndes Grove Plantation

Alicia and Cameron, Maryland dwellers, may not live in our zip code but they certainly know how to throw a shindig, Charleston-style. We will get to that bit later but for starters, how about a...

July 18 2019

Elle & Miles | The Mills House

Now this is a wedding story full of fun, food, and … fish. (Wait for it. You’ll see.) Arkansas natives Elle and Miles met in college and dated for four years before this groom seriously reeled in a...

July 17 2019

Carolyn & Jeff | The William Aiken House

After meeting online and sensing that this could be something special, Carolyn and Jeff found themselves falling head-over-heels IRL. Four years later, the duo vacationed in Grand Cayman for the Ritz...

Feature

Vows 101

One Lowcountry bride who’s been there, penned that, and two seasoned officiants share their tips for telling it like it is

Feature

Sweet as Honey

An Atlanta duo say “I do” in a ceremony steeped with Southern charm

Feature

Dress Rehearsal

Style blogger Hilary Rose Elrod (she’s engaged!) test drives the most stunning bridal jewels in town

Feature

On Cloud Nine

What does a gurney have to do with a wedding this posh? Let’s just say that love can take the oddest twists and turns rolling toward happily ever after

Feature

Throwback Style

When a Charleston bride designs an antique-meets-modern wedding she finds her life’s (other) passion along the way

Feature

Get Gorgeous

Three top-of-the line cosmetics shops open throughout the Lowcountry, showering brides with new looks, products, & services

Feature

A Hoppin’ Good Time

A furry friend inspires a celebration of eccentricity and elegance

Feature

Bold Statement

A bold design inspired by a couture football helmet (yes, really!) colors this local pair's sentimental nuptials

Feature

A Real-Life Modern Elopement

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