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...
Usually no one gets a word out of a barkeep regarding his or her personal life, so today’s an extra special treat considering the groom du jour is Jayce, longtime bartender and bar manager at Edmund’s Oast downtown. Both he and his bride, Tiffany, are entertaining vets (she’s director of special events for the School of the Arts at the College of Charleston), so you know their big day was indeed big. Before you scroll through the hardcore cool shots (I mean, there are grooms-women in the wedding party and they held the reception at the Charleston Library Society on King), check out a little of their story, as relayed by the newly minted Mrs.
The Wedding Row: Tell us how you and Jayce’s moustache, oops!, that is, how you and Jayce met.
Tiffany: I was fresh out of graduate school at the University of Mississippi and he was running the beverage program at Snackbar there in Oxford. Naturally, I did what every person who is trying to pursue a singing career does—got a job in a restaurant! We were friends for years and it grew so naturally after that. But there was a catch: I had signed a lease to move to Chicago to sing with my cabaret partner …
TWR: So what happened?
Tiffany: I decided to follow that dream … “Chicago or bust.” Jayce drove the U-Haul to Chicago and the entire first year of our relationship was long-distance. We made plans that he would eventually join me and then he got an offer to help open and run the bar at Edmund’s Oast. I was freezing in Chicago and missed him a ton, so I booked a flight to visit. My four-day trip turned into 10 days, and as soon as I got back to Chicago, I was making plans for the big move.
TWR: What are you willing to share about the proposal?
Tiffany: He surprised me with Friday night text saying, “Want to get dinner?” (If you run a bar in downtown Charleston, you can count on zero hands how many Friday nights you’ve been able to have a dinner date.) I’m pretty sure I was elbow deep in some hummus and said, “Of course, I’m starving!” We ended up at our favorite place, FIG, and when it was time to go, he suggested that we go for a walk, but it was raining like crazy. We made it down to the gazebo in White Point Gardens, which was completely deserted due to the weather. Once under the shelter, he popped the question. (We had our first look in the same place.)
TWR: Why did you choose the Charleston Library Society for your reception?
Tiffany: We wanted a historic space with character and the freedom to bring in different vendors without a ton of restrictions—freedom with the bar and food options was a big deal to us. At first, we could not find a venue that would let us make it our own like that. The Charleston Library Society was a pleasure to work with and let us curate things the way we wanted.
TWR: Cool. What happened that we can’t tell from the photos?
Tiffany: All that mattered to us—after the whole getting married part—was that it was formal but relaxed, and we wanted people to have fun. Also, the music had to be perfect. We are both musicians and it meant a great deal to us to have our talented friends be a part of the ceremony. Our friend Price wrote a choral piece for us based on one of my favorite love letters and it was sung by some of my best friends. Friends from the College and friends from my cabaret gigs in Charleston also contributed. Some gems from the ceremony lineup: “January Wedding” by The Avett Brothers, “The Swan” by Saint-Saens, and Beyonce’s “Halo” for the recessional.
TWR: We have to ask, of course, about the drinks …
Tiffany: Edmund’s Oast brewed a groom’s beer called “Jayce’s Hammer” and bridesmaid Morgan Westbrook developed a recipe for the bride’s beer called “Clink Clink” by Westbrook Brewing Company. Our dear friend Alba Huerta made a specialty cocktail and even the groom himself whipped up some Chatham Artillery Punch! Rafa Distributing supplied all the rose cider a party could ever want and Edmund’s Oast Exchange made sure we had LOTS of bubbles, too! Home Team Catering killed it and was the perfect companion to a boozy reception.
TWR: Goodness. Any favorite moment to share? (Aside from your officiant-friend kicking things off with “Hello, sinners!”)
Tiffany: We kept hearing that the wedding would go by in a flash and that we needed to make sure we spent time together, just the two of us. So Jayce grabbed me off the dance floor and we had a quick kiss and chat in the library stacks before rejoining the party. It was so special and helped center me after all the events of the day. We were all giggly and hiding out in the library … it was so high school and I loved it.
Wedding Planner: The couple | Day-of Coordinator: Kendra Conway Events | Florals: Stock and Bloom | Photography: Elizabeth Ervin | Ceremony Venue: Unitarian Church of Charleston | Officiant: Rev. John M. Semmes | Reception Venue: Charleston Library Society | Rentals: EventHaus | Linens: Connie Duglin Specialty Linen | Catering: Home Team BBQ | Cheese Cake: Counter Cheese Caves | Donuts: Krispy Kreme | Invitations: Minted | Reception Music: Serenity Fung, Clare Elich, Paul Sanchez, Natalia Khoma, Kay Thorn, Price Walden, Betsy Bruening, Courtney Pourciaux, Alice-Anne Light, Brad Light and Andrew Ross | DJ: Rob Duren Productions | Bride’s Gown: Watters | Beauty: Ash & Co., Emily Gammell, Darren Agyei-Dua
