Tommy Berner & Anthony Reto

May 9, 2019
A “Words With Friends” match that ended in a (rare) win by Anthony led to Tommy owing the victor a drink. After that initial meeting, weekly dates turned into daily ones, and the two have been inseparable since. On a trip to Greece, Tommy surprised Anthony with a yacht ride, and as the sun set asked his beloved to be his, forever. Because the Philadelphia residents are fans of historical architecture, they tried Charleston for a wedding site. As they tell it, they still hadn’t found “the” spot for their nuptials when, hours before the flight home, their planner pulled into Lowndes Grove. Love at first sight struck. “But as an interracial gay couple,” says Tommy, “we had a few things to consider given the nature of the venue. We ultimately decided that this is what brings change—people like us and our guests enjoying something at a location that originally would have no seat at the table for us.” The pair, who kept the wedding address a secret until hours before the ceremony, unveiled a waterfront celebration like few of their 100 guests had ever seen. “We wanted to give them a full Southern Charm Charleston experience,” says Tommy. Mission accomplished.
 
See their full wedding and read more on our blog, The Wedding Row. 
 
Image by Twisted Oaks Studio

The Wedding Row

July 16 2019
The Wedding Row: So, tell us how it all began.  Meaghen: We met at Fisher College back in 2005. It was my second semester and Brett had just transferred in. He frequented the house parties my...

July 15 2019
Back in high school, Brian stood at the top of his football field’s bleachers and screamed into a megaphone while holding a 10- foot sign. All in the hopes that this cute cheerleader named Lindsey...

July 12 2019
A mutual friend and a 90s cover band are to thank for uniting Kristen and Shane back in 2016. The two, while listening to some live tunes, were introduced and it seems they have never looked back....

July 11 2019
A week before Mary Lake was to depart for her freshman year at Clemson University, a mutual friend introduced her to Tyler, a fellow Charleston-ian, and a fellow incoming Tiger. Having written off...

July 10 2019
These two Terps Alumni (that’s the University of Maryland, for those fans only familiar with the SEC) Natalie and Will dated for six whopping years before getting engaged. Over their stint of time as...

July 9 2019
You’re now welcome to board the love story that is Anne-Kyle & Drew. Now, this first sentence may not make sense at the moment but trust us, the meaning will hit you in just a second. These two...

July 8 2019
It’s not like we needed it (we already live on the surface of the sun), but this wedding warms our hearts up to the highest degree. Megan and Chase exchanged their vows last fall at the Gadsden House...

July 2 2019
Claire and Jay are one of those couples that we just want to be friends with. They exude cool and have that “it” factor that makes you love them instantly (even though we have never met them). But...