For Sarah and Clai, choosing FRIPP ISLAND for their wedding was about far more than finding a beautiful coastal setting. Captured by OTTO PHOTOGRAPHY and thoughtfully planned by Katie of HUEBEL CONSULTING & EVENTS, their celebration unfolded in a place woven throughout their relationship, from meeting Sarah’s parents to becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, getting engaged and, finally, becoming husband and wife.
Sarah’s family had long had a home on Fripp before her parents eventually moved there full time, making the island their home base. It was somewhere the couple returned to again and again, and they loved the idea of bringing their favourite people there to experience a place that meant so much to them.
The pair originally met through mutual friends at a brewery in January 2020. They crossed paths only twice before Covid sent them both home to quarantine and they lost touch. Once they returned to Charlotte, they reconnected, and they have been together ever since.
Back to the 12th Hole
Fripp Island also provided the setting for Clai’s memorable proposal. During Hurricane Helene, in torrential rain, he proposed on the 12th hole of the golf course before surprising Sarah with a celebration attended by family and friends who had travelled in for the occasion. Losing power for 36 hours added some unexpected complications behind the scenes, but Sarah remembers it as one of the best weekends of their lives.
So when it came time to choose their ceremony location, returning to the very same spot felt inevitable. Given Clai’s love of golf, tenting the course at the Ocean Creek Club House for the reception only made the choice more fitting.
A Nostalgic Morning at Home
Sarah spent the wedding morning getting ready at her family home alongside bridesmaids who had known the house almost as well as she did. Her bridal party was a mix of childhood and college friends, many of whom had spent years gathering there, creating a wonderfully relaxed start to the day.
“It was the perfect morning and felt very nostalgic and full circle,” Sarah recalls.
That sense of familiarity carried through the entire celebration. Rather than creating something overly formal, Sarah and Clai wanted their wedding to genuinely reflect who they are: laid-back and easygoing, but still elevated, chic and considered.
Her bridal party was a mix of childhood and college friends, many of whom had spent years gathering there, creating a wonderfully relaxed start to the day.
Orchids, Colour and Playful Details
Florals became one of the defining elements of the design. Sarah inherited her mother’s love of orchids and knew from the outset that she wanted them to feature prominently. Katie and her mother Bev, who created the florals, embraced the idea with an abundance of colourful varieties.
Sarah’s bouquet was a particular highlight, combining vibrant orchids in an arrangement she describes as better than anything she could have imagined. Inside the reception tent, orchids appeared amongst a broader mix of florals, bringing colour and personality to the tables and beautifully complementing the relaxed island surroundings.
The stationery by SAS-E INK followed a similarly playful direction, taking cues from the venue and location while immediately setting the tone for the celebration.
Vows Overlooking the Marsh
Despite showers coming and going throughout the day, Sarah and Clai remained determined to hold their ceremony outside on the 12th hole.
With Reverend Todd Simonis officiating, they exchanged vows overlooking the marsh and surrounded by family and friends. Then, almost perfectly timed, the rain stopped and the sun appeared as they recited their vows and shared their first kiss as husband and wife.
It was a particularly poignant moment in a location that had already witnessed so many important chapters in their story.
One Very Good Party
For the reception, Katie and the team at Huebel Consulting & Events transformed the tent into an elevated yet inviting setting filled with beautiful linens, florals and thoughtful details. Nothing felt too precious or formal, leaving plenty of room for the celebration to become exactly what Sarah and Clai had hoped for: one enormous party.
THE ROOT DOCTORS kept the dance floor packed, reading the crowd and engaging with guests throughout the evening. A collection of funny hats introduced later in the night proved an unexpectedly brilliant addition, reinvigorating the dance floor and creating some of the evening’s most hilarious moments.
“No one left the dance floor,” Sarah says. “The night flew by.”
It was a celebration that felt wonderfully connected to its setting and to Sarah and Clai themselves. From getting ready in the family home to exchanging vows on the same golf hole where Clai had proposed, every part of the day carried a sense of history. OTTO PHOTOGRAPHY captured that story beautifully, preserving both the polished details and the relaxed, joyful energy that made the celebration unmistakably theirs.
