Lovely Farm Wedding

Q: Tell us about your wedding!

“Originally I did not want a wedding. My original plan was to sign papers and then throw a party later on down the road to celebrate. Our families are located all over the east coast and I did not see how it would be feasible to have a wedding where everyone would be able to attend. My family mainly lives in the northeast and Casey’s family is located mostly in South Carolina  with the exception of his parents. We knew right away we did not want a Charleston wedding (where we live), but wanted to have a low key fun wedding where everyone could relax hence Meredith Valley Farm. We were able to get the best of both worlds, we threw a great party and our families were able to attend because it was centrally located.

Q: Let’s talk wedding decor

“The entire wedding was essentially mix and match. Vera, of Meredith Valley Farm helped utilize the decor she had on the farm and put it all together to create a beautiful space. The farm was naturally beautiful and did not need much at all to transform it into a wedding venue.”

Q: What were the florals like in your wedding?

“We decided to use wild flowers for the wedding bouquets and the arbor, and babies breath for the center pieces. The groom and groomsmen had greenery for their boutonnieres. Casey was very anti-boutonniers so we settled on something more subtle.

“The one element that we decided the wedding did not need much of was flowers. The venue was naturally beautiful and has many different flowers around the farm. I wanted to highlight its natural beauty rather than bring in more flowers than needed. The flowers that were displayed around the cake, dance floor, and farm house were all handpicked from the farm.”

Q: Did you personalize the day in any way?

“We really wanted a DJ that would help keep the party going and get the guest to interact. Boy did we get that! One of my favorite parts of the day was watching our families get to know each other while dancing their butts off on the dance floor.”

Q: Let’s talk fashion

“I had not a clue what I wanted for a wedding dress. I walked into a bridal salon, tried on a dress and that was it. First dress- first shop. The dress I tried on had all the elements I wanted- straps, light weight, and was super comfortable. Casey wanted to wear a suite for his attire. Being at a farm I was expecting him to want something more comfortable and casual, but he surprised me with picking out a vest and a jacket.”

Q: How did you meet?

“Casey and I met through mutual friends. They set us up on a blind date. Casey invited me out to a very nice restaurant  where we ordered appetizers and had a drink each and sat and talked for 5 hours- time flew by. Through out the evening Casey kept encouraging me to get an entree, I wasn’t hungry at all and frankly was having a great time and didn’t want to eat more. Turns out he was still starving and wanted to eat himself. After we left at 11 p.m the poor guy had to go to taco bell and get himself dinner… He still invited me out for a second date after that! Knowing how close I am to my grandparents Casey waited until they came to Charleston to visit to propose. He asked for my sister’s help to get me to the beach. They lied and told me we would be doing family photos. When I got to the beach they were supposed to be meeting us there, but were “running late.” He proposed to me on the beach and then had both of our families waiting for us at our favorite restaurant. It was the picture perfect proposal.

Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?

“The moment I was waiting for most was being able to see Casey for the first time that day. It was so hard to stay away and not talk to him. Seeing him as turned the corner to walk down the aisle took all my nerves and pre-wedding jitters away. Hearing us be pronounced husband and wife was an indescribable feeling. When I asked Casey what his most anticipated moment of the wedding day was he said, ‘seeing you walk down the aisle, cliché answer I know, but it is true.’”

Q: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?

“Yes! Right after you are married take a minute alone. Your wedding day will fly by and you will be spending time with everyone the entire evening take a minute or two to yourself before you join the party.

“Casey and I snuck into the farm house right after we said “I do,” and took a moment to let it sink in that we were truly married. Being able to have that minute of privacy to reflect was priceless. Casey’s advice is to take a minute during the festivities to step back and take it all in.

“Everyone that comes to the wedding is there for you. They love you and are so happy for you- and are having fun because of you. Enjoy it!

“While planning the wedding don’t get hung up on the small things. They don’t matter I promise. When the big day comes you won’t even realize that the cupcakes aren’t set up where you wanted them, the wrong song played at the entrance, or the bows on the chairs aren’t tied just right. What will matter at the end of the day is you and your other half.

“The night will fly by and it will leave you wanting more time together. Appreciate the big things, don’t get hung up on the small things.”