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...
Oh my gosh is he a good guy! After meeting at work (at the Daniel Island Club), Ginny says she didn’t even know she was on her first date with Daniel when he offered to spend an afternoon helping her steam clean her carpets. Afterward they headed to the Sullivan’s Island with their dogs for a beach walk and a bite at Poe’s; a few months (and a lot of margaritas) later, he worked up the nerve to ask her to be his girlfriend. About a year and a half later, the Berkeley County deputy sheriff invited his sweetheart back to Sullivan’s with another ask—the will-you-marry-me kind. This past October they tied the knot in a wedding we had to highlight for how it played up Lowcountry icons. If you’re looking to pepper your own Big Day with elements that are super local, consider what they did: incorporate a watercolor of your venue (The William Aiken House for them) into your invitations; ask your pastry chef (Jessica Grossman of Patrick Properties Hospitality Group in this case) to accent your cake with sweetgrass basket accents; use gilded oyster shells for favors; and talk to your florist (Roadside Blooms here) about working magnolia blooms and leaves into all your florals, from the bouquets and boutonnieres to floral chandeliers. (For the uninitiated, sweetgrass baskets were a staple of rice plantation life here during colonial times; African-born enslaved people used local grass to weave baskets together for chafing the grains. Since then, the patterns have been passed down from generation to generation.) Enjoy the look, and congrats to the happy couple! (P.S. Ginny manages the cottages and transportation for the Daniel Island Club, another great local wedding venue!)
Images by Jennings King Photography | Ceremony and Reception Venue: William Aiken House | Wedding Coordinator: Sweetgrass Social | Florals: Roadside Blooms | Catering and Cake: Patrick Properties Hospitality Group | Hair and Makeup: Lashes and Lace | Invitations and Calligraphy: Do.De.Line | Bridal Gown: Hayley Paige | Bridesmaids Dresses: Amsale | Band: Steel Toe Stiletto | Rentals: EventWorks and IES | Draping: The Social Spool | Music: Classical Charleston
