SECRET HIDEAWAY: “We find it to be the most beautiful, relaxing, and special place,” says bride Diana of The Sanctuary Hotel on Kiawah Island, which features turrets reminiscent of a medieval castle and rolling sand dunes.
CLASSIC ROCK: Ezra proposed with an antique ring that Diana’s mother had worn for years.
IN THE CARDS: “I think we knew all along we would get married,” says bride Diana, “based on common values, the ability to balance each other out, and the fact that we can always make each other laugh.”
WHAT’S IN STORE: Letterpress stationery from the Lettered Olive bore sage green designs that previewed the understated day-of palette.
GRAB BAG: Welcome totes included alfajores (cookies that paid homage to Ezra’s Argentinean heritage), Charleston Tea Plantation tea, cheese biscuits, and more.
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
SOFT TOUCH: Tara Guérard pinned understated boutonnieres wrapped in white ribbon on the lapels of groomsmen’s light grey suits.
QUITE A HANDFUL: Diana carried a lush bouquet of hydrangea and roses, rounded out with dusty miller and Queen Anne’s lace.
ALL SMILES: Bridesmaids chose a cut best suited for their shape. The look was unified by the dusty shale hue of the silk chiffon frocks.
GRANDMOTHER, MAY I: Aileen Kassen, Diana’s paternal grandmother, dazzled in a lavender skirt suit, pearls, and an oversized dahlia corsage.
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
I’M A FAN: Printing programs on fan-shaped cards allowed guests to cool off on the warm day and shield their eyes from the setting sun.
BRAINS & BEAUTY: Marrying form to function, bunches of dusty miller, hydrangea, rose, and seeded eucalyptus tied back the gauzy chuppah curtains.
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
SOFT SPOT: Kim Morgan made this satin ring bearer pillow, while planner Tara Guérard crafted a silver brunia boutonniere tied off with grey grosgrain.
LITTLE PRINCESS: Flower girl Lucy donned a tiara crafted by wedding designer Tara Guérard.
WILD IDEAS: The Sanctuary Hotel’s immaculate lawn made the pearl-white aisle runner a pristine possibility. Bear grass bedded in sand-filled glass cylinders lined the aisle. The rustling blades danced in the wind and harkened the nearby dune vegetation.
IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH: Diana is a Strategic Sourcing Manager at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, while Ezra is a senior associate at a healthcare-focused private equity firm.
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
LIVE FROM NEW YORK: Diana, of Connecticut, wore Monique Lhuillier, available locally through Maddison Row. Ezra, a Massachusetts native, sported a dapper grey suit.
ON THE DOTTED LINE: In keeping with Jewish tradition, Ezra signed a ketubah (or marriage contract) prior to the ceremony, signifying his promise to provide for his bride-to-be.
PARTY PEOPLE: Groomsmen wore matching Vineyard Vines ties (available in Charleston through M. Dumas & Sons) in the same hue as bridesmaids’ J.Crew frocks.
PEACHY KEEN: To incorporate local elements and bring nuance to the color scheme, Tara and her team pinned escort cards to fresh South Carolina peaches.
FLOWER TOWER: Welcoming guests to the reception was a monogrammed runner and a larger-than-life arrangement of hydrangeas, dusty miller, and bear grass
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
CENTER OF ATTENTION: Made by overlapping dozens of metallic, round discs, Tara Guérard’s "D&E" seat backs drew the eye toward the couple of the hour.
ALL THAT GLITTERS: Tablescapes shimmered with the mix of mercury glass candlesticks, gold-rimmed votives, and high-polished silver.
DAINTY DETAILS: Paper place cards cut into leaves and penned by calligrapher Elizabeth Porcher Jones were slipped onto sprigs of seeded eucalyptus. To complement the luxurious setting, the team from Tara Guérard Soirée dotted the room with ethereal arrangements of delicate dahlias, roses, and Queen Anne’s lace.
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
DRESS THE DESSERT: Soirée surrounded the five-tier cake from Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal with candles and draped the table with seeded eucalyptus swags.
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
FINDING BALANCE: “Knowing that The Sanctuary Hotel is already a fairly elaborate and detailed venue, we wanted to play this down with our choices in décor,” says Diana. Accordingly, Tara opted for pale blooms and luminescent tapered candles.
TOES IN THE SAND: For ventures closer to the surf, guests plucked flip-flops from weathered wooden barrels, keeping their party shoes dry
SINK IN: Outdoor lounge chairs sported plush seat cushions and oversized lilac throw pillows, perfect for relaxing during the post-ceremony cocktail hour.
EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS: Predicting that guests who spied bowls of peaches dotting the room would develop a hankering for the fruit, Tara arranged for a fresh peach sangria to be included among the cocktail offerings.
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
PALETTE PERFECT: The Sanctuary’s in-house catering crew passed artfully plated fresh fruit crostini hors d’oeuvres as the reception began.
BIG IMPACT: Tara gifted the couple with a surprise: a dance floor covered with the patterns from the wedding stationery and the colors of the weekend. “It drew in all of our guests,” says Diana, “I’ve never been to another wedding where people stayed on the dance floor all night long!” The look was achieved with a large-scale, custom-made decal.
SKY LIGHTS: Adding a bit more magic to the starry night sky, guests lit sparklers to send off the newlyweds.
FINAL WORDS: “At the end of the day, get past all of the little details,” Diana advises. “Above all else, it’s about you marrying the love of your life!”
Photograph by Corbin Gurkin
