Athena & Jared’s Charleston Elopement at 15 Church St BnB
What is the most important thing to you for the wedding day?
Sharing this special moment with our loved ones
What was it about 15 Church St B&B that made you fall in love with it?
It is a beautiful historic home with lovely outdoor space, plus near some great spots for pictures in Charleston.
Why did you choose to get married in Charleston?
My parents (and now my brother) live there.
What are some of the unique items that you included into your day?
My engagement ring was bespoke using my mom’s engagement ring’s diamond. Jared had a custom suit made, we are going to get all of the brother’s matching ties.
Whats the best advice you have for future couples planning their big day?
I think there is a fear that a small, intimate wedding won’t feel special, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. We had the perfect wedding from the flowers to the food to the ceremony to the décor, everything was exactly the way I had planned it. It is easy to get bogged down in blog posts and Pinterest and wedding groups, but it is important to focus on what is really matters to you and your future spouse. Also delegate!
Getting Ready
How did you feel the morning of your wedding?
I was nervous! I had spent the past 4 months planning the big day (although that’s a lot less time than most people!), I wasn’t sure if it was all going to come together, especially since I was planning in from Brooklyn. Jared was nervous about having to actually execute the plan (since I had to get my hair and make up done that morning). He was afraid it was going to look like a party planning committee party from the office: It is Your Birthday banner style.
First Look & Portraits
Did anything out of the ordinary/funny/crazy happen on the wedding day?
Right around the corner from our venue was the perfect historic Charleston house for pictures, a beautiful façade. Every day before the wedding, the USPS truck would park RIGHT there on the sidewalk right at the time of our ceremony. Luckily on the day of our wedding, he had to park across the street! Our photo spot was clear.
If you did a First Look, talk about it here! What made it special, how were you both feeling before & after it, would you recommend it to a friend, etc
I would highly recommend a first look! While the actual look itself felt a bit awkward, it was really nice to have some time just the two of us before the ceremony to take pictures.
It also made doing the family formals a lot easier! Since we had a winter wedding, time was not on our side. If we had waited until after the ceremony to do all of these pictures, I think we would have felt rushed.
Jared was apprehensive about it, he was afraid it would be a manufactured moment, I feel like it should be renamed time before your ceremony alone to take awesome pictures, but that’s more of a mouthful!
What did you splurge on & what did you save on?
Having a micro-wedding, it felt like everything was a save! For example, the custom pashminas we ordered were $10 each, that would have been a huge expense for a larger wedding. Also, we didn’t have to send out invitations! I spent about $5 ordering different ones online to have for pictures. Our biggest splurge was our wedding-day looks. My dress was BHLDN, which is affordable, but the cost of alterations adds up! Jared got a made-to-order suit from Suit Supply, which he will be able to wear again.
Intimate Ceremony with 6 Guests
What do you look forward to most about FINALLY being married? (-:
For Jared is wearing a wedding band around places like a real adult (his words, lol). I’m looking forward to all of the next adventures to come.
What was your favorite detail of the day?
It’s so hard to pick! We had asked the guitarist if she could play the Jurassic Park theme song for the recessional but hadn’t confirmed if that was the song she was going to be playing. It was a really special moment to have that playing right after being pronounced married! We also had a cheese plate from Counter Cheese Caves (they have a Brooklyn connection) that was super delicious.
What made your wedding day special, unique or personalized to you as a couple?
Since we weren’t having traditional wedding parties, we wanted to find a special way to include our brothers in the ceremony. My brother performed It All Fades Away from the Bridges of Madison County musical (with his own track he had friends make for him) while Jared’s brother read the SCOTUS decision on same sex marriage. Both brought down the house!
Reception on the Piazza
What was the most special moment of the day for you?
Because our friends and extended family couldn’t attend our wedding, I secretly made Jared a video of them wishing us well and giving advice. When I said I had a special surprise for him at the reception, he thought I was going to have a brothers do a musical performance (the Skylar Sisters song, obviously), when he saw the video, he was moved to tears. Being able to surprise him with that was really special, and it was a really special moment for him, too.
What did you love about working with us?
I cannot recommend Katie and Jay enough! From the first time we spoke, I knew we were in good hands. The detailed photo timeline Katie sent, tailored specifically to our big day, helped me plan our mico-wedding to perfection. She was wonderful! The directions she gave helped everyone take great pictures.
I highly, highly recommend hiring them for your big day!
The Charleston wedding vendors who brought this magical 15 Church St Bnb elopement to life:
Venue: 15 Church St Bnb / Cake: Ashley Bakery / Caterer: Hamby / Florals: Lotus Flower
Katie + Jay of Catherine Ann Photography are Charleston SC Based Wedding & Elopement Photographers specializing in candid & fun wedding photos that feel like you!
