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...
Food plays a part in every aspect of this Atlanta, Georgia, couple’s relationship, from the first time they met to their Big Day at The Gibbes Museum of Art. It’s fitting, Alex says, as he owns that food is the way to his heart. But before we jump into their wedding, let’s jump into how they met, an intro Lauren calls “serendipitous.” At the last minute, when another guest bowed out, Lauren’s best friend Gabbi invited her to a brunch with her family, including Cousin Matt. To Gabbi’s surprise, Lauren and Matt spent the entire morning talking only to each other, and they had their first date the very next week. Sometime later, the two were cooking their favorite family holiday recipes at Lauren’s apartment, and say they realized they were in love and were going to get married someday. When that day came, they headed to Charleston, where Alex’s family first immigrated at the turn of the 20th century, where the couple spent a week every summer together at his grandmother’s house on Kiawah, and where he proposed. Lauren works in the museum field, so The Gibbes Museum was an easy fit for every element of their Big Day, from their first look in the Rotunda Gallery to the galleries for their ketubah marriage contract signing ceremony and the back garden where they wed and feted afterward (there was even a portrait artist on site to do renderings for guests). We’re told the reception was, of course, a gourmand affair, with fare that represented both The Lowcountry and the bride’s California roots. The verdict? “Food was aplenty and guests’ hearts—and stomachs—were very full!” says Lauren.
Planning, Design, and Coordination: Ooh! Events | Florals: Out of the Garden | Photography: Haley Sheffield | Videography: Anchor Films | Venue: The Gibbes Museum | Rentals: Polished Tabletop
