Written By Melissa Reardon
Photographs By Lucy Cuneo
A transplant from Virginia, Weston “Wes” McAfee vividly remembers the first time he saw his future bride-to-be. Charleston native Dana Elaine...
When Kendall Robertson left downtown Charleston (where she was born and raised) for Duke University, she had no idea she’d meet her future husband, Carlton Fleming, there. Friends throughout college, the two started dating after graduation despite Carlton taking a job in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Kendall moving to San Francisco. “We spent most of our relationship several time zones apart,” laughs Carlton.
That chapter came to an end two Christmases ago, when Carlton surprised Kendall with a trip to Oregon’s Wine Country, proposed with a handmade book, and welcomed an enthusiastic, “Yes!”
While the wedding location was a cinch—“Charleston is the only place I could imagine getting married,” Kendall says—the details were harder to come by; that is, until the bride-to-be found the dress worn by her great-great-great grandmother, Frances Hinkle, at her own 1902 nuptials. “It had been stuffed in my mom’s closet,” she says. “I only tried it on for a joke.” But the delicate lace (and perfect fit) won her over, and suddenly Kendall had a starting point: “romantic, Victorian, and girlie—but not too girlie,” she says.
Calling upon her former babysitter (and local designer) Tara Guérard was Kendall’s next step. Equally inspired by Kendall’s favorite Chanel lipstick, the team at Tara Guérard Soirée used lush arrangements and lace linens to transform The Governor Thomas Bennett House into a sophisticated setting. “It was soft and feminine, without veering into country,” says Kendall, who now lives in Charlotte with Carlton. For the bride who decreed from the start that she “didn’t want a cookie-cutter wedding,” it was a tailor-made success.
Bridal Attire: Reception frock by Romona Keveza from Maddison Row and shoes by Badgley Mischka
Bridesmaid Attire: Amsale from Bella Bridesmaid
Cake: Peninsula Grill
Calligrapher: Gayle Hilton
Caterer: Good Food Catering
Ceremony Location: St. Michael’s Church
Florals, Linens, Wedding Design & Coordination: Soirée by Tara Guérard
Groom Attire: Hickey Freeman tuxedo from Paul Simon Co.
Groomsmen Attire: Berlins Clothing Store
Photographers: Gayle Brooker Photography and Celeste Joye Photography
Reception Location: The Governor Thomas Bennett House
Rentals: Snyder Event Rentals
Seamstress: Fran Aebersold
Stationery: RSVP Shoppe, (843) 577-9740
