By Cheryl Markham, owner of Picture Perfect Events of Coastal Carolina
When Kate and John were students at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, Kate and her dorm mates hosted “Real World” parties that John never missed, and it wasn’t long before their friendship blossomed into romance. After graduation, they moved to Hollywood, Florida, to begin their careers.
John and Kate met while students at Coastal Carolina University, John planned his proposal for New Year’s Day, 2008, while he and Kate were watching fireworks over the ocean at Hilton Head. After a frantic search for a flashlight, John waited for the perfect moment for his proposal, which Kate enthusiastically accepted under the exploding fireworks. It was only fitting that when it came time to select a wedding location, they chose Myrtle Beach where they met and fell in love.
In April, they came back to Myrtle Beach to meet with Picture Perfect Events of Coastal Carolina and enlist Cheryl Markham and her team in planning their destination wedding. Kate had a definite plan and idea of what she wanted the wedding to be.
“Since becoming a teacher of environmental science,” said Kate. “I have gained an appreciation for the environment. It was very important to me to have a wedding with a small ecological footprint.”
Kate created a coral reef theme. She said, “I have a passion for the ocean and am an avid scuba diver. My friends and I spent months collecting washed up pieces of coral from the beaches to use as centerpieces.”
From the save the date cards, invitations and programs to the favor boxes and the cake, the motif continued. Everything was made with 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Kate and friends made sand dollar sugar cookies dipped in white chocolate for the favors. The staff at Picture Perfect Events assembled them in boxes decorated with raffia ties and fish cutouts.
“For the cake, we wanted a simple, elegant design that mimicked the theme on the handmade invitations.” said Kate. “Cakes by the Sea did an excellent job of recreating our vision.”
Kate and John chose the Changing Tides beach house for their venue, which features a beautifully landscaped large yard facing the ocean and the coral colored house as a backdrop. They chose a morning ceremony and a casual lunch reception with a steel drum band.
“We took advantage of all the amenities the house had to offer, including the heated pool which was a perfect place for the post wedding evening barbeque with all of our guests,” said Kate.
When the wedding week arrived there was only one crucial decision left to be made: the signature drink. They settled on a drink with Peach Vodka, Triple Sec, OJ and Cranberry juice, topped with champagne. As a play on John’s last name they called it “Peach on the Beach”.
The wedding day arrived with perfect weather. While the staff of PPE worked to erect the canopy and set up the tables and the coral centerpieces, Kate and John were able to relax and prepare for the ceremony. “The wedding day was more than I could have ever imagined. Everything was absolutely perfect, said Kate. “When I first laid eyes on John I felt butterflies in my stomach, not because I was nervous but it seemed so surreal. We had been planning this moment for over a year and it was finally here.”
With seashells and starfish hanging from chairs and rose petals strewn on the aisle, Kate cried walking on her father’s arm. She says, “I will never forget John’s vows. They were very meaningful to me and especially the part when he promised to be my Steven Irwin and go on adventures around the world with me.” John said, “Kate’s vows were very heartfelt and I loved them. For the whole ceremony it seemed that we were in our own little world.”
From their first dance to the cake cutting to the final good-byes, it was their perfect day. Kate and John are looking forward to many adventures together and have tried out for the next season of “The Amazing Race.” Maybe we will get to share those adventures with them.
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We all know that it’s impossible to put a price tag on love, but many are trying. And believe it or not, couples are looking at destination weddings as a way to economize and yet still have the wedding of their dreams.