1. Real Weddings

A Sophisticated, Elegant Wedding at the Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Using a blush, ivory, gold and navy palette, Kathryn Atkinson (31 and a manager of talent sourcing) and Mike Zachrich (31 and an account manager) comb

Using a blush, ivory, gold and navy palette, Kathryn Atkinson (31 and a manager of talent sourcing) and Mike Zachrich (31 and an account manager) combined garden touches with a little nautical flair for a sophisticated look we love. Instead of getting married at home, the Florida-based couple decided on destination to the oh-so-romantic Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, so they could share an important part of their lives together with their loved ones. "We chose Hilton Head Island because it was our first weekend vacation that was just the two of us, and as cheesy as it sounds, we fell in love in Hilton Head," Kathryn says. "Mike also used to visit the Island with his family and friends. I had never been before I met Mike and we made it a point to visit one or two times a year while we were dating and engaged." Soon after Kathryn and Mike were engaged, they dived into planning, and enlisted the help of Amanda Spencer from Spencer Special Events. "I don’t know what we would have done without her," Kathryn says. "She truly went above and beyond, and I honestly miss talking to her every day. She became a great friend to us and our families." There is so much to love about this gorgeous wedding—see all our favorite details, beautifully captured by Ashley Seawell Photography, below.

Say it with Paper, a boutique in Miami, Florida, created the classic navy and ivory invitations. Kathryn wanted them to be elegant, but not too fancy, and these stationers nailed it. The other stationery for the day was created by Minted with navy and gold accents on ivory paper for a cohesive look that didn't match super-closely.
Inspired by the classic, elegant theme, Kathryn carried an all-white bouquet of roses from Flowers by Freshcuts. The stems were exposed, but wrapped with a white double-face satin ribbon with lace overlay and pearl pins at the top.
Kathryn's eight bridesmaids all wore navy Jim Hjelm dresses. Since Kathryn wanted each lady to be comfortable, she let them choose whichever style they wanted, which resulted in a cohesive but personalized look. They completed their look with stud earrings, no necklaces and simple bracelets.
The bridesmaids carried white hydrangeas and pink roses in their lush, round bouquets. The classic arrangements, gorgeously done by Flowers by Freshcuts, really popped against the navy Jim Hjelm bridesmaid dresses.
Kathryn wanted her look to be both glamorous and classic, elegant bridal for her wedding. She wore her hair gathered to the side with lots of volume at the top. She completed her look with airbrushed makeup in shades of purple for her eye shadow and pink for her lips.
A Waterfront Wedding Ceremony in Hilton Head Island
Kathryn's uncle officiated Kathryn and Mike's wedding under a handwoven Italian ruscus garland-embellished wedding arbor. Gorgeous arrangements including white hydrangeas, white lilies, ivory and soft pink roses, white stock and white lisianthus added plenty of romance to the waterfront ceremony site.
Flowers by Freshcuts decorated Kathryn and Mike's white wooden wedding arbor with a hand-woven Italian ruscus garland embellished with white hydrangeas, white lilies, ivory and soft pink roses, white stock and white lisianthus to bring a little overgrown garden feel to the waterfront space.
Kathryn completed her stunning Romona Keveza mermaid-style gown with her mother's veil from 41 years ago. She loved having the timeless accessory as a sentimental touch to her attire as well as her something old.
Mike's eight groomsmen wore matching charcoal gray suits with navy ties for the sophisticated, classic wedding. Mike wore the same suit, but with an ivory tie to match Kathryn. The bridesmaids, donning navy Jim Hjelm dresses, tied the whole look together.
Kathryn and Mike exchanged vows on the 18th lawn at Harbour Town, across from the infamous red-and-white-striped lighthouse. After enjoying cocktail hour on the lawn beside the ceremony, guests grabbed their escort cards from a wooden trellis before walking to the Champions Ballroom for the reception.
After the ceremony on the water, guests headed to the open space on the 18th lawn by the harbor for cocktail hour. The tables were decorated with pink sequined linens and gold chiavari chairs for plenty of romantic glamour.
After the outdoor cocktail hour, guests picked up their escort cards from an Italian ruscus-covered wooden trellis. Kathryn and Mike loved the overgrown-garden feel from the gorgeous garlands, gorgeously created by Tracey at Flowers by Freshcuts.
The escort cards were made from a template on Minted. Kathryn and Mike loved how they matched the ivory, gold and navy invitation suite without matching too much. The ivory paper and elegant gold calligraphy was perfect for the classic wedding.
Kathryn wore her hair in a curled updo on the side. She accented it with little white orchids to match the wedding's coastal feel and add a little romance to her look.
Kathryn and Mike had their reception in the Champions Ballroom at the Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. They loved the classic white and gold room and how it reflected the palette they wanted for their wedding. The tables were topped with white linen, and some had a lace overlay for a little extra flair.
Since Kathryn and Mike wanted to add some dimension to the classic ballroom, Flowers by Freshcuts created seven centerpieces for the occasion. The tall centerpieces included white hydrangeas, green viburnum, blush roses, white lisianthus and green hanging amaranthus.
Seven of the reception tables were topped with tall glass candelabras holding white pillar candles. The base was surrounded with white hydrangeas, green viburnum and blush roses.
The ceremony aisle was lined with glass vases filled with blush roses and ivory sweet peas hanging from the chairs. Kathryn and Mike used the decor later in the day as centerpieces.
Sea Pines Resort catered the reception, and also made the elegant white buttercream-decorated wedding cake. The three-tier confection was decorated with Swiss dots in the center and fresh blush and ivory roses on each layer. Inside, the cake was a marble sponge cake with cream cheese buttercream in the center.
Kathryn and Mike danced to "Someone Like You" by Van Morrison. "This is the first song we ever danced to and has been our song ever since," Kathryn says.