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

December 20 2018
Although Heather and Peter grew up in the same town in New Jersey, they didn’t officially meet until he noticed her wearing a Ridge High School lacrosse sweatshirt at a Lafayette College fraternity...

December 19 2018
High school romances can be so very, very awkward. Take Chapin, South Carolina, natives Lindsay and Tyler, for example. “He claims he charmed me when I fell up the stairs to our Spanish class and he...

December 18 2018
Charleston residents Ross and Chase met online back in 2014, got engaged in 2016, and invited one and all—Ross is one of 30 grandchildren—to their seriously wonderful wedding in 2018. Family...

December 17 2018
While the event maestro Kim Newton orchestrates plenty of weddings in her own neck of the woods (that’s Alexandria, Virginia), she also has clients who say “I do” here in Charleston. While on one...

December 14 2018
Happy Friday, brides! Do you remember these two? To trigger your memory, here’s a link to when we posted Sara and Colin ’cycle-centric engagement photos by shutterbugs Aaron and Jillian. Well, now it...

December 13 2018
You know we’d only share a gorgeous wedding with you. So we’ll pause on the descriptors of this couple’s Big Day for a moment and tell you a little about the pair themselves, because when...

December 12 2018
You know about “designated travel companions,” right? It’s when someone who works for an airline gets to pick a “buddy” who can travel at the same nominal fees (we’re talking taxes and regulatory...

December 11 2018
Today’s couple hit it off one night at a Baltimore bar. Credit for the first move goes to Olivia, who made her intentions mighty clear on her way out by hip-checking another girl out of the way so...