1. Real Weddings

A Classic Southern Wedding at The Reserve at Lake Keowee in Sunset, South Carolina

Jordan Busse (27 and a physical therapist) and Whitney Busse (27 and a Physical Therapist) met in class while pursuing Doctorate degrees in Physical T

Jordan Busse (27 and a physical therapist) and Whitney Busse (27 and a Physical Therapist) met in class while pursuing Doctorate degrees in Physical Therapy at Elon University. They remained friends for a year while getting to know another before they began dating long distance as they'd accepted jobs in different cities. Whitney was working full-time at the camp she had spent her college summers volunteering at. One the day she was supposed to make the four hour trip to visit Jordan, her boss continued to give her random odd jobs to take care of. Her final task involved an errand at one of her favorite buildings on the campsite. She opened the door and found Jordan with champagne and a proposal. The couple wanted their wedding location to be semi-destination so they chose a venue in South Carolina as Jordan's family was from Illinois and Whitney's family from Kentucky. The ceremony and reception were both held outdoors in the clubhouse which overlooked both the lake and the golf course. The natural setting of the venue is lush with deep greens so the couple chose to compliment that with a deep purple. They accented with subtle pops of soft corals, pinks and whites so as not to distract from the existing colors. The couple didn't want a seated dinner so they instead had various round tables, high top tables and scattered seating arrangements to encourage the guests to mingle with one another. During the last hour of the reception homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches were passed on trays before guests shook orange and purple pom poms as the couple exited the reception in preparation for Clemson's opening weekend of football.

Ivory and Champagne Invitations
The ring contained Whitney's grandmother's diamond that was reset into a new solitaire setting. She had seen the diamond before but never seen it reset until Jordan proposed to her with it.
The only request the bride made in terms of her flowers was that there be monogrammed ribbons tied around each girl's bouquet as a personal touch. It is a very southern tradition to include ribbons and monograms.
The brides dress was her grandmother's wedding dress that both her Mom and aunt also wore which made her the 4th woman to wear it. It was a classic Priscilla of Boston gown bought over 50 years ago. The dress had lace and pearls which were hand-sewn on by her grandmother.
Groom Getting Ready
The couple carried out the "Burying the Bourbon" tradition. They buried a bottle of bourbon one month before the wedding date at the brides parent's house. On the wedding morning while all the girls were inside primping, the boys came over and dug up the bourbon.
The bridesmaids all matched in deep purple and light purple color block dresses. The short strapless dresses popped against the lush greenery of the setting.
Black Groomsmen Suits
Whitney and Jordan valued maintaining the tradition of the not seeing each other before the wedding, but also wanted to have a special moment before the ceremony. They decided to write each other notes and exchange them while they stood on either side of a wall out of sight from each other.
Painted Quotes Aisle Decorations
Outdoor Tent Processional
Both sets of parents wrote a blessing together that they came up and prayed over the couple during the ceremony. The brides uncle is a pastor so he married them. He also married her parents 33 years ago and would marry her brother 6 weeks later.
Black and White Recessional
Whitney and Jordan wanted everyone to mingle and visit with each other so there were various round tables, high top tables and seating arrangements to encourage mixing.
As a surprise to Jordan, a true popcorn fanatic, they had a Popcorn Bar complete with 3 different kinds of popcorn that guests could sample throughout the evening.
The cake had magnolias, pearls and a monogram on the side. It was part Sweet Potato cake with cream cheese icing and part Wedding White cake with chocolate raspberry icing. During the last hour of the reception homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches were passed around.
First Dance
The guests shook orange and purple pom poms as the bride and groom exited the reception in preparation for Clemson's opening weekend of football one week later.