Summer Lovin'

Summer 2013

WRITER CREDIT:

Victoria Friedman

PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT:

Benjamin Jackson

Summer Lovin' | A roll-up-your-sleeves pair puts on a beach wedding celebrating their union—and the season

Charleston Wedding wedding Snyder Event Rentals Folly Beach Weddings dresses diy Flowers RENT

PENCIL ME IN: Salvaged windows displayed the schedule of the day in yellow and white glass paint.PENCIL ME IN: Salvaged windows displayed the schedule of the day in yellow and white glass paint.

SUMMER LOVIN'

Freedom of THE Press: Josh flexed his design skills by making the ceremony programs.

SUMMER LOVIN'

Puppy Love: The couple’s dogs donned matching bow ties for the ceremony.

EASY, BREEZY: Folly Beach was the obvious location for Sara and Josh to tie the knot since the couple live there, and Josh proposed during an evening walk by the water.

FIESTA BOWL: Sara ordered her flowers from www.FiftyFlowers.com, and selected flowers like funky Billy Balls for vivid bursts of color at the reception.

FOLLOW DIRECTIONS: Roughly 90 percent of the wedding was crafted by Sara, Josh, and their friends and family, including signs like this one.

GROUP EFFORT: Sara bought ranunculus, baby’s breath, chamomile, Billy Balls, and roses from FiftyFlowers.com, and she and her girlfriends made the arrangements and bouquets. Vintage glass bottles collected from Missouri and Charleston served as vases.

SENTIMENTAL VALUE: Right before the ceremony, Sara’s mother gave her a framed photo charm of her maternal grandparents, which she tied to her bouquet.

PINTEREST: Sara and Josh clothes-pinned family photos on netting they hung on the walls of the picnic shelter where they hosted a reception.

Colorful WOmen: Bridesmaids were assigned a color and picked their own dresses and accessories

RAINBOW BRITE: “I wanted lots of color,” said Sara of the wedding. Thus she added accents of purple, green, blue, and orange to the palette of yellow, white, and gray. The rainbow hues showed up in the bridesmaids dresses, on the groomsmen’s ties, on ribbons on chairs, and more.

SISTERLY SUPPORT: Sara’s ’maids—including her twin sister (in yellow) were a huge help with wedding preparation. Together, they created their own bouquets and did the rest of the wedding florals as well.

BLOWING IN THE WIND: Sara and Josh said “I do” with the idyllic Folly Beach for a backdrop. Sara’s grandfather, who was a minster, delivered a very special blessing to the couple during the ceremony.

DAPPER DAN: Sara and Josh’s dogs attended the ceremony in bow ties.

STEP BY STEP: The couple walk Folly Beach every night with their dogs; it’s such a fixture, Josh proposed there.

Summer Togs: The bride wore a Maggie Sottero gown from Bridals by Jodi, while Josh sported Vito slacks and a vest from ASOS.com.

SUNSET BOULEVARD: As the sun set on the reception, couples broke off from the group to join the after-party down the street.

POST-IT NOTE: The couple found a vintage postcard (“Greetings from Folly Beach, SC”) and had it made into a poster on www.AllPosters.com for guests to sign.

FAMILY STYLE: The day after the wedding, the owner of Mosaic Edibles catering group called Sara to say what a great time he had at the reception while serving the guests. Sara added that he also said that their families and friends were some of the nicest, most respectful, and positive people he had ever worked with. “It was really touching to receive that call,” she says. And how Charleston can you get?

Piece of Cake: The Cake Stand made the classic carrot and vanilla cake, which the bride dressed up with fresh flowers and a burlap-wrapped stand.

FÊte Set: Reception tables from Snyder Event Rentals were kept simple with a burlap runner and a rustic arrangement of flowers. For table numbers, the couple printed numerals on photos of their dogs and tucked them into the flower arrangements.

This Way, Please: “I painted things like the signs, the ring bearer’s lantern, picture frames, and planters,” says Sara. “We bought generic items and painted them to fit our ideas, which saved money."

SING IT LOUD: Josh surprised Sara during their reception with another one of his self-penned songs about her; the first one he wrote and sang to her kicked off their relationship.

HOLD ME CLOSE: The bluegrass band Green Levels kept the couple (and the crowd) on their feet.

READY TO ROLL: Sara and Josh rode beach cruisers equipped with drink holders as their getaway vehicles. Guests were given koozies printed with the phrase “Live well, laugh often, love much.”

TAKE A SPIN: As Josh and Sara pedaled away to their after-party in downtown Folly Beach, Sara’s dress got caught in the gears and he had to cut her free with a knife. Josh saved the scrap of gown, which now makes for a sweet keepsake.

Photographs by:

Benjamin Jackson

Sara Detweiler & Josh Funk
April 27, 2012
Folly Beach

When Josh Funk was in physical therapy school at St. Louis’ Washington University, he wrote a song about fellow student (and friend) Sara Detweiler and sang it to her. That nudged their
friendship into romance-land, and after graduating a few years later, the Missouri natives moved to Charleston’s Folly Beach together. Not long after relocating, on a routine evening walk by the water with their dogs, Josh popped the question to Sara.

Sara’s answer led to a DIY beach wedding near the very spot where Josh had proposed. Their homegrown theme was borne of necessity, Sara says. “I have a hard time paying for something I could do myself with just a little research and effort,” she explains. “Plus, doing all the planning and lots of the décor ourselves made it ‘our’ wedding and not ‘a’ wedding. That guided us the whole time.”

Sara wanted “a lot of color,” she says, so a base palette of ivory, gray, and marigold was sprinkled with purple, green, and blue. From the rainbow-hued bridesmaid dresses and groomsmen ties to the ribbons on the backs of the ceremony chairs and the hanging lanterns, splashes of cheery color added a fun, playful spirit.

Toward the end the night, Josh surprised Sara by serenading her with another original song, kicking off their married life the same way their relationship began. “I think it was the only time I cried all day,” says Sara. On par with that memory? “Seeing our guests truly enjoy themselves and knowing they were there because they love us was the best,” she says.

Vendor List

Baker: The Cake Stand; www.TheCakeStandCharleston.com
Caterer: Mosaic Café and Catering; www.MosaicEdibles.com
Flowers: Fifty Flowers; www.FiftyFlowers.com
Hair: Casey Hoffman of Clare’s of Clayton in Clayton, Missouri; www.ClaresofClayton.com
Linens and rentals: Snyder Event Rentals; www.SnyderEventRentals.com
Make Up: Stella Nova Salon; www.Stella-Nova.com
Musicians: The Green Levels; www.Facebook.com/GreenLevels.com
Photographer: Benjamin Jackson; www.BenjaminJackson.com
Planners: Sarah and Josh Funk (the bride and groom)
Stationery: Josh Funk (the groom)
Venue: Folly Beach County Park (Note: due to erosion, the Folly Beach County Park picnic shelter closed in 2012; for alternatives, rent a beach cottage on Folly or check out Tides Folly Beach Hotel; www.TidesFollyBeach.com)

The Wedding Row

March 14 2019

Jaye & John | Historic Rice Mill

Jaye and John fell for each other when both were students at the College of Charleston. Soon after they began dating, the pair headed to Savannah for a short trip and dinner at The Olde Pink House,...

March 13 2019

Emilie & Brian | Lowndes Grove Plantation

“My incredibly witty introduction goes here.” With that one liner, sent to Emilie over Match.com, Brian caught her attention, made her laugh and set off the relationship that led to this gorgeous Big...

March 12 2019

Styled Shoot | Hampton Park

Elopements keep cropping up with good reason here: not only can wedding venues be hard to come by in Charleston these days (especially during weekends and on short notice), but also can you blame a...

March 11 2019

Haylee & Charlie | Boone Hall Plantation

Houston, Texas, natives Haylee and Charlie have known each other since childhood; their families have been friends for years, and the two were even on the same swim team when they were eight years...

March 8 2019

Kristen & Morgan | Lowndes Grove Plantation

Kristen didn’t know many people in Charleston when she moved here for a three-month rotation during medical school. Neither did Morgan, who had recently moved here to begin his residency at the...

March 7 2019

January’s Top Five Instagram Posts

We welcomed in the New Year in a big way with these photos that popped up on our feeds. Two of them aren’t only among our most-liked ‘grams of the month, but are also among our most liked. Of. All....

March 6 2019

Abigail & Grant | Engagement Session

Here’s some good news for anyone struggling with that pesky mid-week slump: Your future hubby may be sitting next to you … at this very moment. At least, that was how it went for Abigail and Grant....

March 5 2019

McKenzie & Ryan | Lowndes Grove Plantation

McKenzie and Ryan met during their junior year at the University of Toledo in northwest Ohio, when she moved in across the street from him. She already knew of a few of his roommates, who invited her...

Feature

Couture Confections

Let your wedding palette, patterns, and florals inspire its sweet treats

Feature

Shades of the Seaside

Jennifer Ferland & Matt Chapman; June 13, 2009, Kiawah Island Resort

Feature

Life Imitates Art

Ashley Allen & Gavin Stark, May 12, 2012, Belin Memorial United Methodist Church and Kimbels at Wachesaw Plantation

Feature

'Tis the Season

With a ceremony in her childhood church, a reception (for 350!) at the beach club where she grew up, a groom who’s her best friend, this winter wedding was all this bride could hope for

Feature

New Beginnings

An elegant affair proves New Year’s Eve might just be the perfect time to start a new life together

Feature

Mums the Word

Skip the standard bouquet of flowers and opt for a floral confection instead, like Tara Guérard of Soirée did here. At event’s end, let one lucky guest (per table) take home the treat

Feature

In the Navy

Pink and navy meet for a cool, classic combination at Kiawah Island Goft Resort's Cassique

Feature

On the Surface

Lace, beading, embroidery, and more give texture (and depth) to monochromatic gowns

Feature

Flower Power

Abundant floral and rattan accents turned Daniel Island Club into a resplendent garden party

Feature

Get the Latest Buzz

From openings to custom accessories, check out the latest in bridal beauty and fashion

Feature

Beachy Keen

Caroline Brown & Ryan Bergh; December 5, 2009, Edisto Beach

Feature

All Tiered Up

Who says newlyweds can’t have their crêpe and eat it, too?

Feature

Get the Party Started!

Join us for a ceremony in a tucked-away garden downtown, a wedding parade down Broad Street, and one heck of a reception in a colonial historic site

Feature

Strapping Ladies

Bare your shoulders with confidence thanks to spaghetti-straps

Feature

Kaminer Haislip

Kaminer Haislip adds a little shine to local weddings with her custom creations

Feature

Top 10 Beat-the-Heat Beauty Finds

We asked the Lowcountry’s top hair and makeup professionals what products they carry in their bag of tricks that can withstand the heat and humidity. For a gorgeous glow and polished locks, check out their top picks. Bonus? The majority of the products are Charleston brands with enthusiastic national followings. Stock up with these tried-and-true besties and you've got your own glam squad