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

Fall/Winter 2013

WRITER CREDIT:

PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT:

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

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

December 11 2019

Natalie & Matthew | The Gadsden House

Pittsburgh residents Natalie and Matthew met the old-school way—sans dating apps. They instead met in person, a rarity these days. While playing darts at a local watering hole, Matt’s friend was...

December 10 2019

Melissa & Elliott | The Cedar Room

Although Elliott and Melissa met each other in an MBA fellowship program, their relationship wouldn’t take off until a few years later. Being in the same program, they had naturally amassed a lot of...

December 9 2019

Brittany & Kyle | Boone Hall Plantation

Dating etiquette has told us that guys should make the first move, right? Well, in the case of Brittany and Kyle, she was the one that made the first official move and we couldn’t be any prouder. The...

December 6 2019

Ashley & Christopher | Boone Hall Plantation

Friday at last, my friends. And with that, we thought we’d share a super sweet wedding with you featuring a bride (duh!), a groom (of course), and their wee little boy named Bear. You may have seen a...

December 5 2019

Meg & Richard | Bowens Island Restaurant

Charleston’s hotshot lawyers Meg and Richard chose Bowens Island Restaurant to exchange vows and party the night away this past April. “There is something so beautifully simple and genuine about...

December 4 2019

Lacey & Jason | Lowndes Grove

If you’re as excited for the holidays as us, then you’ll love this winter-wonderland inspired wedding where pine boughs, branches with red berries, and tree ornament butler cards brought seasonal...

December 3 2019

Elise & Mike | The Dewberry

Sighhhh … was that loud enough for you? We are trying to convey to you in any and every which way possible how truly marvelous Elise and Mike’s rooftop Dewberry wedding was. As soon as...

December 2 2019

Anthony & Cayleigh | Engagement Session

It’s always a special, special day when we get to feature one of our own, or in today’s bride Cayleigh’s case, one of our formers. Cayleigh, the lead planner and owner of Charleston...

Feature

Tiers of Joy

Wedding cakes may be a centuries-old tradition, but that hasn’t stopped them from evolving right alongside wedding design. Here, we share a few swoon-worthy styles by local pastry chefs.