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

October 1 2018
Truth time: Sometimes we get these engagement sessions and straight-up envy the charmed Instagram-worthy lives the couples seem to live. And Kaitlin and Allan’s shots could do just that. But....

September 28 2018
We’re heading into this football weekend with a true fan fave. Molly, a University of South Carolina law school grad, and Logan, who works with the Gamecocks football team, were successfully nudged...

September 27 2018
Do you know about Alhambra Hall in Mount Pleasant? That two-story, meeting house on Charleston Harbor that’s tucked away in the Old Village? Let’s let these shots of Abby and Patrick’s wedding...

September 26 2018
For the love of a topknot, people! University of Pennsylvania freshman Praachi and Shiv met one night when each were out with their friends and topknot caught his eye. “I remember thinking how...

September 25 2018
Eleven months after Stephanie and Scott met, the avid travelers ventured to Iceland for a long weekend (a surprise trip planned by him) and Scott popped the question on their balcony overlooking...

September 24 2018
Amber and Phil met while working in the same nonprofit organization together in Washington, D.C. Three years later, during a hike in Great Falls, Virginia (the same place where they did their first...

September 21 2018
TWR: How and when did you meet one another? Was it love at first sight? Daisy: Brent and I met through mutual friends on Halloween night at the University of North Carolina Delta Kappa Epsilon house...

September 20 2018
The Wedding Row: Tell us how your love story all began. Kiernan: Pawel and I met each other while we worked together at an ad agency in New York City. Early on in our friendship, Pawel tried to plan...