Babs and Brian’s wedding by RIM Photography

What can I say? I love my lowcountry weddings and the marriage of Babs and Brian, gave me entrée to a new area venue, the bucolic Seven Oaks in historic Bluffton.  This formerly rundown antebellum house at the end of Calhoun Street has recently been transformed to its once-stately status  by developer Thomas Viljac who bought the property about two years ago.

Seven Oaks, built in 1850, was originally a family residence and later, a boarding house for tired travelers looking for a meal and a night’s rest. It was one of the few structures not burned by Union troops in 1863 in a fire that destroyed two-thirds of Bluffton during the Civil War.

The beautiful 2-story house,  named for the seven giant oak trees that stand sentinel on the now lush and immaculate  grounds provides a magnificent view of the May River from the back of the house.

The fabulous food was catered by Downtown Catering in Bluffton. Leah McCarthy and her team do an incredible job and have the most mouth-watering Southern delicacies this side of the Mississippi. They cater in many venues around the Hilton Head area and Leah is a whiz in wedding planning as well. Definitely give her a call for planning weddings in the Bluffton/Hilton Head area.

Babs and Brian opted to wed on the front porch of this grand estate with guests seated in in folding white chairs on either side of the walk leading to the porch. For the reception, guests dined and danced under  an expansive white tent on the back lawn, perfectly situated amidst the towering oaks. Giant fans kept the guests comfortable until the temperature cooled and they could stroll around the ample grounds and walk overlooking the gently flowing May River.

As for Babs and Brian, they make a darling couple, and their friends were so much fun! They were all very kind, making sure I had water throughout the evening and even keeping me cool with a portable battery-powered fan. One of their more extraverted friends took center-stage and sang a couple of ballads for the happy couple, much to the delight of their hooting and hollering friends.

Erynn and Matt’s Wedding by RIM Photography

Erynn has to be one of the most laid-back brides I’ve yet to encounter. She was so serene on her wedding day, surrounded by old high school and college friends who were working diligently putting the final touches on flower arrangements. The bridesmaids, sprawled on the floor of a Sunday School room at Providence Baptist Church on Daniel Island, SC, chatted quietly amongst themselves as they pinned ribbon, snacked on Greek carry-out food and fixed each other’s hair.

It was only with the donning of the dress that the true emotions of the day began to surface when her sister Jodye had to run from the room to make sure her tears didn’t get Erynn started. Erynn held it together until she approached the altar with her father and tears began to fall. Her father held her close and tenderly wiped her tears until she recovered. It was one of the sweetest moments I’ve witnessed.

From that point, everything was smooth sailing. The reception, at Alhambra Hall in Mt. Pleasant, brought a surprise for her father and guests who assumed they were arriving for dinner but had no idea Erynn and Matt had secretly hired a DJ for the event. Her dad was astounded as she had adamantly refused to have a dance floor as neither she nor Matt were into dancing. As they approached the reception, the DJ met them half way and the astonished father of the bride began to smile gleefully as he realized what was happening.

The reaction of the bridesmaids topped even that as they screamed and collapsed into a group hug to thank Erynn for an evening of dancing. And while Erynn stayed true to her word, and only had a 30-second first dance with her new husband, she was spotted more than once being dragged onto the floor by her eight bridesmaids and was even seen belting out an Aretha Franklin song into a water-bottle-turned microphone.

Erynn's bridesmaids react to discovering a dancefloor at the reception.

Enthusiastic bridesmaids prepare to outreach each other for the bouquet toss.

Sprinkle/Anderson Family Portrait at Palmetto Bluff by RIM Photography

First of all, I’ve got to say, what a fantastic extended family the Sprinkle and Anderson clans make! What a perfect setting too, for them to have a chance to fellowship while spending a long weekend together in a beautiful home at Palmetto Bluff. 

Bride Linda Sprinkle, who could easily have a second career in destination wedding planning, found a spectacular Village Home that welcomed guests with antique pine floors, high vaulted ceilings, cozy fireplaces, and spacious screened verandas. When not running out the door to hop on their bikes, Sprinkle’s nephews could be found soaking in the ambience of a huge family room with its wall-size home theater system.

The families blended together seamlessly as they sipped wine while sharing stories and laughter around the large wooden dining table or lounged comfortably in oversized sofas in front of a roaring fire. 

Linda had everyone dress in jeans and white shirts for family portraits amidst the panoramic vistas of the lowcountry visible right outside their back door. Large oak trees and hanging Spanish moss provided the perfect backdrop for their family pictures. 

Everyone was a sport too, about the unusually chilly weather. With a high of forty degrees, and the temperature dropping steadily, family members shed coats and mufflers for group poses during which they were more than happy to snuggle in tightly and think warm thoughts before running back to the warmth of their coverings. 

We got some great photos in that last hour before sunset. Here are some of my favorites:

Photos by Renee Ittner-McManus/RIM Photography.