An Understated Summer Wedding at Historic Rice Mill building in Charleston, South Carolina

Despite going to the same high school, Laura MacQueen (28 and a teacher) and John McNamara (27 and a security analyst) didn't meet until after college when they started running into each other with mutual friends. The pair dated for two years before John shocked Laura with a proposal during a surprise cottage stay following a beautiful hike. "The day before we went on the hike, I was getting a pedicure and texting with a friend, who asked if I thought that John might propose," says Laura. "My response was 'Not an ice cube's chance in hell—I would definitely be getting a manicure if I thought he was going to!" After the initial surprise wore off, Laura and John began planning their sweet summer nuptials at The Sacred Heart Church in Charleston, South Carolina. "Our only limitation was finding a Catholic Church that would marry a Catholic and non-Catholic both from out of town," says Laura. "The Sacred Heart Church was perfect—it has beautiful dark-wood buttresses in the ceiling and a very open feel." A trolley transported guests from the traditional church ceremony to the rustic-chic reception at the Historic Rice Mill building in Charleston. For their refined soiree, the couple worked with a pale color palette of champagne, blush and dusty rose. "At first, my only request for the flowers was that our florist not use roses," says Laura. "But we ended up using lots of spray roses—a beautiful flower in the rose family that I fell in love with—and small accents of olive branches to add some greenery."  Laura and Johns wedding day was a gorgeous and romantic affair. Every detail was filled with love and warmth, from the remembrance table to the book of "things you should do on your wedding day" created by the brides 2nd graders. ?Throughout the entire event it was very clear that these two are loved!