Today we are going to shine some extra light on one of our couples: Winni and Donavon. The two were married last year during our "1,000 year flood" in Charleston, SC. Their original plan was to have an intimate ceremony in the gazebo at White Point Gardens Park followed by a reception at Poogan’s Porch. However, downtown flooded and was shut down the day of their event resulting in some extreme, last minute changes.
One would anticipate that any couple would take this news with some despair, but Winni and Donavon pleasantly surprised us all. Not only were they incredibly gracious and positive towards everyone on their wedding day, but also immensely HAPPY! Since the two handled everything with such poise, we
asked our bride if she had any advice for future couples when things don’t go quite as planned.
Remember Why You’re Getting Married
Bride: “You have to remember that you are ultimately professing your love to each before God and entering into the covenant of marriage. That's what kept my husband and I so positive!”
Day of Wedding Planner
Bride: “Also, have a great wedding planner that you feel very secure with! My wedding planner and I had an almost sisterly bond! Forming a good relationship with your wedding planner months before the wedding will pay off with the last minute changes. They will know your personality so well that when those last minute details need to be changed, it's most likely something you will agree with if you aren't readily available to give them the 'OK'! She knew me so well that everything she changed fit me so perfectly!"
Fantastic Vendors
Bride: "My vendors, in my opinion, were compassionate and flexible individuals before the whole flood catastrophe; therefore, when it was time to make last minute changes, they were ready to do what was best for us! They had already figured out alternative ways to bring my flowers, cake, etc... prior to my wedding planner even calling them! Some of them started working before sunrise to figure out how to make deliveries safely and they stayed in constant communication with us. That ultimately was the key, communication, communication, communication!!"
If Your Wedding Day Falls on a 1,000 Year Flood…. Schedule a Makeup Shoot!
We were so moved by how Winni and Donavon handled their wedding day that we knew we were capturing true love in our lens (rain drops and all). We wanted this couple to have the downtown photos they were dreaming of as badly as they did. Since the couple didn’t live in town, we decided to reschedule a complimentary shoot downtown in six months when they were visiting the area again. Thankfully, the rain stayed away this time!
Bride: "Our makeup shoot was so much fun!! We didn't have the pressure of getting to the reception on time and trying to take pictures with the entire wedding party. My husband and I really had the chance to soak in the experience of being newlyweds. It was just he and I. No one was waiting on us. That day felt like my wedding day all over again. I was thrilled that we were able to take our pictures again. I was much more relaxed and was able to plan my hair and makeup differently. Also, who doesn't like putting on their wedding dress again? We received so much more 'congratulations' that day while walking downtown! It felt great! My wedding photo album will be so awesome now that my husband and I have two different sets of wedding pictures to talk about!"
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