Happy Anniversary...to me!

We were married at Jacksons Grove United Methodist Church in Landrum, South Carolina on April 1st, 2017.  The reception followed at Cole's family farm, Freehold Farm, in Campobello, South Carolina. The ceremony was a small family and "friends like family" affair at the country church down the road from our farm in late afternoon.  Following the service, the assembled group of forty guests enjoyed champagne and toasted us from the church steps, before heading to the reception.  It was one of our favorite parts of the day. 

Oliver Hooper Events helped us capture our personalities and flair for color and fun at the tented reception behind Cole's childhood home.  The design was centered around a custom heraldry logo created by Happy Menocal, that captured elements of both of our family's history and reflected our sense of whimsy, as it was topped with a jester hat, befitting the April Fools timing.  We wanted the reception experience to start fairly traditionally, with an English garden aesthetic, and progressively get more wild as guests approached the dance floor in the tent.

We had many personal details as well, most special to us being the bespoke four tier wedding cake, created by Caroline's Cakes.  The top tier we cut into was their famous caramel cake.  The cake was topped with fresh flowers and my maternal grandparent's cake topper.  At the end of the night, guests departed with miniature caramel cakes as their takeaway gift.  

Jack Brantley of Aberdeen Catering in Camden, SC catered the event and guests enjoyed several stations with traditional Southern fare, including quail, shrimp and grits, beef tenderloin, local seafood and more.  The cocktail music was provided by Holly Bowling who contributed classical piano arrangements of Phish and Grateful Dead tunes.  The wedding band was Sol Fusion, from Charlotte, NC and the dance floor was packed from start to finish. 

Cole and I are so lucky to relive this night over and over again in our heads. We celebrated our love for one another surrounded by friends and family and danced until the music stopped and then some! Each year, the bakery team celebrates April Fools Day by making a miniature version of our wedding cake. This is a fun and silly tradition that I hope never ends.