A Black Tie Boho Affair

Feb 3

Oh my gosh. We did it! We finally tied the knot. After a year filled with many ups and downs, November 28th was truly a bright spot in a year that we will never forget.

It is with much excitement that I share these wedding photos, stories, and tidbits about our Big Day. It was truly magical and we are so thankful for everyone who helped make it possible.

Covid bride

After postponing our wedding once, we were anxious in the weeks leading up to our November nuptials. When we landed on our new date back in March 2020, we thought things would look very different eight months later. “There’s no way Covid is going to be around then!” Well, that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

In the months leading up to our new wedding date, I spent hours upon hours obsessing over health precautions, new floorplans and guest logistics. I grappled with the anxiety of being a “Covid Bride” and the constant flux of national and local restrictions that seemed to change daily, all while planning this celebration from 2,700 miles away.

Unfortunately, some things simply could not stay the same. In short, we would only be able to host half of our invited guest list, and masks were required to be worn inside. While these restrictions were not ideal, they were necessary in order to create a safe environment for our big day. We decided to make the most of it with a virtual live stream of our ceremony for guests who were not able to attend in person, and with clear light-up face shields for those who wanted to dance the night away with our amazing band.

Luckily, I had the most amazing support system (thanks, John & Mama P for constantly talking me off a ledge). We also had a wonderful team of vendors that made our wedding weekend nothing short of perfect.

Lowcountry love

Before moving to San Francisco, John and I would make weekend trips to Charleston several times a year, escaping Atlanta to take things slow in the lowcountry. In fact, our first trip together was to Charleston! It was so easy to fall in love with this charming southern city, from the cobblestone streets to abundance of spots to slurp down oysters with a glass of bubbles.

Funny enough, we knew we would be married at the Dewberry Hotel, even before we were engaged. It’s a midcentury modern masterpiece entwined with excellent service and touches of southern charm. It’s elegant without being stuffy. And that rooftop! There was no question that the Dewberry would be our wedding venue from the first time we stayed there in 2016.

Black tie, but make it boho

I’m not too keen on themes, but when our wedding planner asked us to describe our wedding vision, I immediately said “black tie, but make it boho.”

John and I wanted our wedding to resemble a typical date night we would go on together. We’d start the night off with rooftop cocktails, followed by dinner at a trendy new spot and cap off the night with a live show. Oh, and we’d get married somewhere in between.

It was important for us to feature touches of our southern roots with the laid-back vibe of the West Coast throughout our big day. We served oysters on the half shell as a nod to Charleston, flew in our favorite wine from Sonoma for guests to sip on (hello, Scribe) and hung a funky neon sign to cap off our boho party vibe. All of our guests looked like they were ready for the Oscars in their sparkly gowns and sharp tuxedos, and I made a couple of outfit changes throughout the evening to match the mood.

It’s all in the details

Since many of our older relatives could not be there to celebrate with us, we wanted to make sure they were included, especially those who were truly there in spirit. I wore my late grandmother Vera’s vintage brooch as a hair piece, and also carried a prayer book and wore a gold monogram ring that belonged to my grandma Elizabeth.

John’s feather bowtie was another nod to the south. Brackish Bowties is a Charleston-based company, and this particular bowtie was a gift I gave him for our first Christmas. Our wedding was the first time he wore it after receiving it five years ago.

The seated 4-course dinner was served al fresco at the Dewberry. Twinkly lights, fire pits, and gorgeous tall candles helped keep guests cozy all night long. Tabletop arrangements in various heights were made of pampas grass, palms, and bunny tail mixed with dusty pink roses and anemone.

One of John’s favorite contributions was designing the dinner menu. He took inspiration from some of our favorite Atlanta restaurants like 8arm and Holeman and Finch for the perfect look. The mismatched rose and amber glassware from Ooh! Events was another little boho detail that really tied everything together.

One of my absolute favorite details from our reception was our neon sign. It’s kind of an inside joke, really. Early on in our relationship, John and I would say “I reallyyyyy like you” before we were both brave enough to drop the L word. We plan on hanging this neon in our first house together.

The Silver Bullets absolutely brought the party with their performance during our reception. They played everything from Billie Eilish to the Eagles during their set. They even came back on for a late-night encore after our guests began shouting “one more song!” We ended the night with an ATL favorite- “Yeah” by Usher.

The party’s over, but the fun has just begun for us. Here’s to forever!