1. Real Weddings

A Romantic Southern Wedding at Legare Waring House in Charleston, South Carolina

When Katie Bjorkman (26 and works for Holy City Hospitality) was assigned to take Reed Bjorkman’s (26 and works for Lee Distributors) photo for their

When Katie Bjorkman (26 and works for Holy City Hospitality) was assigned to take Reed Bjorkman’s (26 and works for Lee Distributors) photo for their high school yearbook, he wouldn’t stop talking. Although Katie found it frustrating at the time, a year later she fell in love with Reed's outgoing personality. From the moment they found Legare Waring House in Charleston, South Carolina, they knew it was the perfect place for an open-air wedding under the stars; the couple decorated the grounds with string lights. To create their vision, Katie and Reed made most of the decorations themselves, including the long doily runners, chalkboard menu, seating chart and framed pictures of their grandparents from their own wedding days. “We added many small touches to make our guests feel welcome, including hankies for their tears of joy and shawls to wrap up in when it got chilly.” —Jen Leahy

After trying on more than 75 dresses, Katie fell in love with this stunning ball gown from the Allure Romance collection. "I have always been drawn to a sweetheart neckline and loved that this dress had beautiful lace all over with a hint of blush showing through," she says.
Katie's grandmother was not able to travel for the wedding, so the bride borrowed the rosary her grandfather gave her grandmother when they got engaged, wrapping it around her bouquet. "She says her rosary every morning, and it is something very special to her, so this was a way to honor her and have her with me on my wedding day," Katie says.
Reed and his groomsmen sported khaki suits with mint ties, complementing Katie's bridesmaids in various chiffon, floor-length mint dresses.
Katie and Reed held their ceremony in the avenue of oaks at Legare Waring House in Charleston, South Carolina, with a white, crystal chandelier hanging above as they spoke their vows.
Katie and Reed displayed their menu on a chalkboard sign beneath the seating chart. They repurposed an old window frame, replacing the panes with chalkboards.
Katie and Reed celebrated under cafe string lights, using long wooden farm tables with lace doily runners and wooden x-back farm chairs to accentuate their rustic theme.
Guests settled at long wooden farm tables decorated with neutral handmade doily table runners, which contrasted with the wooden boxes filled with a mix of vibrant garden roses, peonies, ranunculus, hydrangeas, jasmine vines, tulips and sweet peas.
Vibrant floral bouquets and colored glass candleholders adorned tables as centerpieces, next to rustic wooden signs displaying table numbers in a whimsical font.
A simple and elegant three-tier cake was decorated with an illusion-lace pattern and adorned with peach and pink flowers.
Katie and Reed hung string lights across their outdoor reception to keep the party going into the night.
Reed and Katie left their wedding in a 1970 convertible after wading through their bubble-blowing guests.