McLeod Plantation Wedding
We’re thrilled to share this McLeod Plantation wedding in Charleston, South Carolina, with you today! Not only was this a gorgeous Charleston wedding, but it was overflowing with personal and sentimental moments and details throughout the day.
Ellen and Dylan got married on Memorial Day weekend on Sunday, May 29, 2016. They live in New York City, so it was a southern destination wedding. This was the weekend of tropical storm Bonnie, and everyone was prepared for a “moist” wedding day to say the least! However, mother nature blessed this sweet couple, and it was nothing but sunshine all afternoon!
Ellen and Dylan included so many beautiful and personal details in their wedding, we could go on and on and on!
Before their ceremony, they had a special toast with their wedding party. For the toast, Ellen’s parents wrote an adaptation/take-off of the Avett Brothers lyrics, “The Battle of Love and Hate.” They chose the Avett Brothers because Dylan andEllen started dating after an Avett Brothers concert! The wine they used for the toast was a special gift from her parents. They got the bottle on a very memorable trip, and they had been saving it specifically for Ellen’s wedding day.
The flowers and greenery used throughout the wedding all had special meaning. Ellen said, “I wanted to represent places that were special to us, so we ordered eucalyptus for Australia (where half of Dylan’s family lives and we traveled), olive for Greece (where I lived for a year), and then all backyard greenery for our homes growing up. My mother grew the ferns and potted plants for the ceremony backdrop.”
Ellen wore her mother’s veil and carried her same “something old,” a handkerchief given to her by beloved neighbors growing up.
As part of the wedding ceremony, they had multiple friends and family members speak and sing, and Ellen and Dylan wrote their own vows. This was one of the most personalized wedding ceremonies we have experienced. Everyone laughed and cried and enjoyed so many sweet and memorable moments together! Dylan’s family friend, Gary Stanley, officiated. And their readers and singers surprised them with blessings on themes that they picked: Ellen’s Mom on love and commitment, his grandmother Betsy on love and family, their friend Mackie on love and friendship/community, and their friend Alex on love and giving back. Ellen said, “We didn’t know what they’d picked until we were up there!”
After the ceremony during cocktail hour on the back porch of McLeod Plantation, there was a table where guests could make their own floral crowns. All of the ladies loved this fun DIY project by Confetti of Charleston, and some of the men even made them too!
One of the most important aspects of their wedding that Dylan and Ellen wanted was to spend quality time with their friends and families creating memories of the most important day of their life. So, in the spirit of togetherness, all of their guests sat at banquet style tables and Mosaic Catering & Events served the food family style.
Each table at the reception had a glass oil lamp. Some of Ellen’s fondest memories were with her family sitting by an oil lamp, so she incorporated that into their reception decor. After the reception, the oil lamps were gifts for each of her bridesmaids!
All of their guests received an oyster shell ornament with a note that said “Growing up, both of our families shared a tradition of bringing home a Christmas ornament from every vacation we took. We hope that this ornament, handcrafted from oyster shells local to Ellen’s hometown, will be a sweet reminder of your time celebrating with us. Thank you for coming!” The ornament handcrafting was done by Ellen’s mom and her sisters! She also homemade all the slate table numbers and stands, menus and programs, and ribbon wands used during their exit at the end of the night.
Wedding Coordinator & Floral Design – Confetti of Charleston
Catering – Mosaic Catering & Events
DJ – Wedding Music Charleston
Lighting – Lowcountry Entertainment
Enjoy this McLeod Plantation wedding in Charleston!