I thought it would be fun and helpful as we head into a new year of brides’ planning their big day, to talk to some of our past brides about their planning experiences and what they would do differently if given the chance. Our first bride married her husband on a beachside ceremony on Kiawah Island. The ceremony and cocktails overlooked the ocean, followed by a lovely candlelit dinner, and a beachside tented dance party! A big thank you to Lisa Reed Roy for sharing her thoughts with us, and to Liz Banfield for the wedding shots.

What was your favorite part of planning your wedding?

My most favorite part about the planning process was taking all of my wedding pipe dreams, blog bookmarks, inspiration + pinterest boards and visions of grandeur, handing them to Tara + her design team and then seeing the magic happen! I had so many, many ideas and wish list items but had a hard time imagining my vision seamlessly strung together. The coolest bit about this was that each week and month, as the planning went on, i was able to see the details come to fruition. So satisfying!

What was the biggest challenge during the planning process?

The biggest challenge was, simply put, the decision making!—-when there are endless opinions handed to you from all directions, between your husband, mother and the planners, bottom line— its hard to make up your mind! I wanted to please everyone but had to remember that it was OUR wedding and Mike and I, and our intentions for the day, mattered most.

What do you miss the most now that it is over?

You know, your wedding kind of becomes this dream boat passion project. For me, it not only took up so much of my time but it was such a fun and creative outlet. I miss the late night brainstorming, the “meeting of the minds” with Tara and Kate and Erin at Soiree + the girls at Lettered Olive and as a child of 4, i have to admit that I miss the special attention a wee bit, too.

What is the moment that when you think back on your wedding you remember the most?

Something about our first dance is a pinpoint in my mind…It was the first time I really gasped in this astounding joy that oh my goodness, Mike, my person, was now my husband and this was our WEDDING day and these were all of our most favorite and cherished people in one room and damn, this song is good!

Is there anything you would do over and what?  Would you wear the same dress?

My only regret, and it pains me to say this aloud, but I’d wear a different dress. The hunt for the perfect dress was exhaustive and unending and there was a time when I just lost steam in the process. I wish I’d worked a little bit harder to find a dress that better suited my personality and fashion sense and all-around aesthetic. Rather, i settled for something kind of generic.

Can you please give a brief description of your engagement?

Our engagement was very ‘us’ and i treasure the fact that Mike didn’t try to do anything out of the ordinary or wildly spectacular and kept it really intimate and personal and true to our relationship. He proposed at sunset on our upstairs balcony at our home on the Wando River. It was happy hour. We were enjoying a glass of wine and i was casually seated upon the arm of an old adirondack. We had Al Green playing which in hindsight, is so very awesome but cliche and i should have seen it coming. It was an out of body experience. I, literally, couldn’t believe myself. I’d been waiting so long for this but the shock overtook me. I barely got out a ‘yes’. It took me a minute but shortly thereafter, i had a moment and a dance and i was on cloud nine!

What was your wedding date and where did you get married?

September 1st of 2012. We were married on the green at the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island.