1. Real Weddings

A Dreamy Summer Wedding at the Peace Center Wyche Pavilion in Greenville, South Carolina

While living in Mexico, Madeline Parks (29 and a corporate event planner) and Kenny Reto (30 and a controller) knew they wanted to get married near fa

While living in Mexico, Madeline Parks (29 and a corporate event planner) and Kenny Reto (30 and a controller) knew they wanted to get married near family in South Carolina, so they chose the Peace Center Wyche Pavilion in the heart of Greenville for their celebration. The couple used different spaces on the property: from the ceremony in the pavilion to a cocktail hour in the restaurant’s courtyard, dinner in the dining room, and dancing back in the pavilion. “We liked the idea of having venue changes on one property,” Madeline says. Madeline's mother, who is a professional event planner, helped the couple pull off the wedding of their dreams with a romantic palette of blush and gray, along with lush florals and glamorous decor. “We brought in our talented friend and colleague, who does all the decor for our events, Jeffrey McCormick,” Madeline says. “He was the mastermind behind our ceremony space and floral arrangements.” Friends lent a hand as well. One of Madeline’s bridesmaids has an Etsy.com shop called Palindrome Post, so she made the newlyweds a sign embellished with “Madeline and Kenny” and their wedding date and location. She also made the sign for their favors. Calligrapher Tamara Wood (Madeline’s colleague) addressed the couple’s save-the-dates and invitations and penned their escort cards. From the rehearsal dinner to the ceremony, Madeline and Kenny added sentimental touches to their wedding weekend. “One of my favorite details was the night before, at the rehearsal dinner, I was able to wear my mom’s wedding dress, which was a casual, short dress that she had worn to her and my dad’s backyard wedding in 1980,” Madeline says. Other personalized details included Italian wedding favors (confetti candies in a linen bag) as a nod to Madeline’s grandmother, who immigrated to the US from Italy. “The candies represent wishes for health, happiness, fertility, longevity and prosperity,” Madeline says. To pay homage to the groom’s Jewish heritage, the couple incorporated several traditions, including the breaking of the glass during the ceremony and the hora at the reception. “It was a blast—and a little terrifying,” Madeline says of being lifted up in a chair during the hora. The Andrew Thielen Big Band kept the party going all night with an array of classic tunes from Motown and jazz to swing and rock. “One of the first things Kenny and I bonded over when we met was our love for music,” Madeline says. “So it was important to us that we hired a great band.” The newlyweds had their first dance to “It Had to Be You” by Harry Connick Jr., the mother-son dance was to “In My Life” by the Beatles, and the father-daughter dance was to “Over the Rainbow” by Harry Nilsson. —Marissa Hermanson 

Calligrapher Tamara Wood, Madeline’s colleague, addressed the couple’s save-the-dates and invitations and penned their escort cards.

Madeline serendipitously found her wedding gown while she and her mother were traveling in Italy. In Milan they stumbled across a small bridal boutique with about 20 dresses. “I knew I wanted something simple, and the first gown I tried on was the one,” Madeline says. “After choosing my gown, the rest fell into place.”
“Kenny came up with the idea to have custom suits made for him and the groomsmen, which is very inexpensive in Mexico,” Madeline says. Kenny chose the fabric and cut of the suits and had his friends send their measurements so he could have suits made for them. “The suits came out great and were his gift to the groomsmen,” she says. Kenny accessorized his suit with a blue and white polka-dot tie and an anemone boutonniere with a blue center.
“We decided on navy suits and blush dresses, which then determined the palette for the whole day,” Madeline says. “It was a summer wedding, so we wanted to keep the palette light, with a lot of shades of pink, blush and gray.”

“The most difficult part was trying to
“We were fortunate to be able to include family members in our ceremony,” Madeline says. The groom’s aunt officiated the ceremony. “She did a wonderful job making it feel very personal,” Madeline says. The bride’s uncle, who is a professional classical guitarist, played "Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” for the processional. The couple’s short but sentimental ceremony also included a reading from Ernest Hemingway’s "A Farewell to Arms” and, as a nod to Kenny’s Jewish heritage, the celebratory breaking of the glass.
Escort cards were artfully arranged on a piano with candles and a bouquet of blooms.
Calligrapher Tamara Wood, Madeline’s colleague, addressed the couple’s save-the-dates and invitations and penned their escort cards. One of Madeline’s bridesmaids, who has an Etsy.com shop called Palindrome Post, made the newlyweds a sign embellished with “Madeline and Kenny,” along with their wedding date and location. She also made the sign for their favors.

A long king’s table was set off by an array of beautiful crystal chandeliers that were hung above it.
Tables were topped with low bowls filled with peach, white and purple-pink blooms.

Madeline and Kenny served a espresso cake with bourbon salted caramel filling and vanilla icing. The two-tier cake was embellished with pearly details and topped with pink blooms.
“Once you choose your venue, most things start falling into place,” Madeline says. “You only get to do it once, so enjoy every moment.”