Courtney and Eric had enjoyed sunshine for their rehearsal dinner at Parcel 32, but by the time their wedding day arrived, Charleston had decided to change the forecast.
Fortunately, nobody seemed particularly interested in letting the rain change the mood.
Courtney spent the morning getting ready with her bridesmaids inside Lowndes Grove‘s main house, while Eric prepared with his groomsmen at the River House. What began as a light drizzle during their first look eventually became steady rain, forcing portraits with Kailee DiMeglio under cover and moving their planned outdoor ceremony to Plan B.
Somehow, each change assisted by Parte Events & Design only gave the day more character.
A first look beneath the palms turned into rain-soaked portraits
Courtney and Eric met outside near the property’s large palms for their first look, where they also privately read their vows to one another.
As happy tears started to fall, so did the first drops of rain.
The drizzle remained light enough for the couple to continue with outdoor portraits, but before long, the rain intensified and everyone found themselves temporarily taking shelter at the River House.
Instead of abandoning portraits altogether, their photographers used the building’s open doorways to frame Courtney and Eric against the falling rain. The weather softened the landscape beyond them and brought an unexpectedly dreamy, romantic quality to the photographs.
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Plan B came with a waterfront view and sprawling oak tree
The original ceremony plan placed Courtney and Eric in front of Lowndes Grove’s main house, but as the rain continued, Parte Events began relocating everything to the side tent.
The new setup was a tighter squeeze, but it came with an unexpected payoff.
Water and a sprawling oak tree became the ceremony backdrop as rain continued to fall around the tent. Rather than trying to disguise the weather, the setting allowed it to become part of the atmosphere.
What began as a backup plan ultimately created a ceremony setting with an entirely different kind of Charleston romance.
An empty ceremony seat honored Courtney’s mom
Among the guests in the first row was one intentionally empty seat.
Courtney reserved the place for her mother, who had passed away, marking it with flowers in her honor. The quiet tribute ensured her presence was acknowledged during one of the most meaningful moments of the day.
Later, the couple found another sweet way to remember her. Late-night bags of soft candy were given to guests as a nod to Courtney’s mom and one of her favorite treats.
The two gestures allowed her memory to remain woven into the celebration in ways that felt both meaningful and deeply personal.
Vintage-hued florals and oversized lamps filled the reception
Inside the reception, long tables created the foundation for a warm, layered design.
Personalized menus waited at each place setting, while lush florals by Festoon in vintage-inspired hues brought rich color and texture across the tables. Oversized lamps added another unexpected decorative element, giving the room the intimate feeling of a beautifully styled dinner party.
Together, the florals, lighting, and personalized details created a reception that felt polished without losing the warmth that had carried through the rest of the rainy day.
A checkered dance floor shifted the mood for the party
The design became more playful around the dance floor, where a bold checkered pattern created a graphic focal point for the evening.
After dinner, Courtney changed into a fun two-piece set that was made for the party ahead. Velvet Bay Groove kept the music going, and guests responded by filling the dance floor for the rest of the night.
After a day of umbrellas, changing plans, and waiting out downpours, no one seemed particularly ready to call it an early night.
Courtney and Eric’s wedding may not have followed the original weather-dependent plan, but the rain gave them something entirely different. Their private vows unfolded beneath a drizzle, their portraits captured the romance of the storm, and their relocated ceremony gained a waterfront and oak tree backdrop they had never planned.
Most importantly, the weather never became the story of what went wrong. Between the seat reserved for Courtney’s mom, candy bags created in her memory, a room filled with vintage-hued flowers, and a packed checkered dance floor, there were far more meaningful things to remember.
Plan B simply happened to look pretty incredible, too.
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