It couldn't have been more perfect

There were Amy and Todd Wood, standing beneath a canopy of palm leaves, as the Atlantic Ocean waved from a few feet away. Guests - many of them escaping the already cold weather of the upper Midwest - gathered in the golden sunlight and celebrated a wonderful new marriage.

Looking back, Amy says she wouldn't change a thing. Not the beach wedding. Not the ultra-personal dinner at the McCrady's Long Room. And she would especially not alter the days-long celebration that allowed both bride and groom - and their extended families and friends - to relax and bond with each other. "If we had planned a ceremony in Michigan, nobody could really have spent so much time knowing each other," recalls Amy.

The wedding weekend started Thursday night, with a Bachelor/Bachelorette party that took everyone out on the town to enjoy the couple's favorite local band, Bell (bellharmony.com). Guests were also encouraged to play and explore the city. They did so via Harbour cruises, shopping trips downtown, 18 holes on local championship courses, and warm days at the beach.

In fact, the Beach was a star of the show. Not only were they married on the shore, they also imported the sea theme throughout. Family and friends stayed together primarily in an Isle of Palms rental house. Others took a room at a beachfront hotel just a few steps from the house.

At the reception, guests were delighted to find a seashell motif woven into the décor, and even the cake. A final touch of Charleston came in the form of a classic Praline, set at everybody's seat.

Attracted originally by the character of the city, Amy and Todd say that their Charleston wedding set a major precedent for their future. She laughs: "Everybody is hoping we'll invite them back for a first anniversary celebration! Charleston is such a beautiful, fun city - they all fell in love with it!"

 

Real Stories

Introduced by popular demand, this section features real-life weddings from you, our readers. We want to give you real stories as told by real couples. We would love you to be part of this section. To submit your wedding day story, tell us in less than 600 words the details of how you met, the proposal, wedding preparations, and the details of the day itself.

Please email the story and up to five low-resolution photos to realweddings@charlestoncvb.com.