Traditional Island vibe meets modern California cool at this Kiawah Island wedding

On-site daily Covid testing for all their guests and vendors ensured California couple Cameron and Dan could still go ahead with the wedding of their dreams on the pristine Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Captured by Charleston wedding photographer HANNAH ALYSSA, their vision of a traditional island meets modern California vibe was bought to life by HOST & HAVEN who used lots of light white shades and natural greens, framed with a dash of black. The end result was impeccable elegance.

Guests were greeted to the island with welcome gift beachside totes full of Southern staple snacks and a build your own margarita kit – we can't think of a better way to kick off the wedding. Cameron wore an A LA ROBE sheath, low back gown along with a diamond cocktail necklace gifted by the groom and then changed into feathered mini Cult Gaia dress for the reception, which paired perfectly with a surprise fireworks show by the groom. The bridesmaids wore custom designed dresses by NYC stylist Carey Baldwin. The reception design featured a sailcloth tent, custom made grass cloth floral pillars, a tent entrance constructed with suede fabric and dried sago palms, ticking striped linens and matching chair cushions, table side lamps, tortoise shell candles, gold bamboo flatware and hand-torn paper and calligraphy place settings. The wedding cake was infused with the couple’s own rosé label, which guests enjoyed along with croquembouche towers post-seated dinner. 

HOW DID YOU MEET? Dan and I met in San Francisco one night out for a mutual friend’s party that was being hosted at a ping pong social club. After we briefly chatted, the next thing I knew we were at the bar taking shots of tequila and talking about a mutual friend’s bbq we were both attending that Sunday. We exchanged numbers and leading up to the bbq on Sunday decided we should have a mac n cheese bake off. Loser would have to take the winner on a date (win-win for both of us). Dan made a lobster mac n cheese and I made a bacon mac n cheese. Dan claims he won but still took me out on a date.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROPOSAL: Dan had asked me if I wanted to go up to Calistoga Ranch in Napa for the weekend which wasn’t unordinary since we lived so close. As soon as we arrived we walked around exploring the property so Bee (my dog) could stretch her legs. We walked everywhere from the vineyards, to the lake house, and to the lookout deck. Once we reached the lookout deck, Dan said that Bee had a question for me which caught me off guard. I turned around and he was on one knee asking me if I would marry him.

TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR WEDDING DRESS: I reached out to a friend of mine who introduced me to Lindsey Nowak who is a stylist and owns The Edit Collective. Lindsey set up many appointments for me at Loho Bride and a few other bridal boutiques in LA. After trips to LA, San Diego and local stores in San Francisco, I ended up with the first dress I tried on from Loho bride which I knew was going to happen.

DID YOU HAVE ANY DIY ELEMENTS? From Lindsey Boyce, Designer: Veil came up with a way to incorporate dried sago palms into the tent fabric valance as a border texture. We kept the effort local and would text or call when we found landscaping scrapes for pick up. They then took them home and laid flat until the wedding day.

DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS: From Lindsey Boyce, Designer: The overall design was meant to feel approachable, clean, not overly fussy, and full of texture. We kept the colour scheme more simplified but relied on each element to tell the story of layers. Sarah of Fern worked closely with growers to find a perfect balance of traditional green and ivory floral with local elements such as grasses and palms. The design was light and airy, and allowed you to really focus on the different textures.

FAVOURITE DETAIL OF THE DAY: One of my favourite details of the day was the surprise fireworks show that Dan had arranged. I was completely shocked and surprised to say the least and was an end to such an amazing night.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUT TO A COUPLE PLANNING THEIR WEDDING? Hire a wedding planner! Having a planner helped take much of the pressure of Dan and I having to plan and do everything on our own. The wedding world is filled with so many choices and options and having a planner helped narrow these down and being presented in a less overwhelming way.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? One of my most memorable moments of the day was walking in the tent for the first time and seeing how everything came together that we had been planning for over a year. Even Dan’s jaw dropped and finally understood all of the little details we added to make the evening feel as special as it was.

WHAT ASPECT OF THE WEDDING WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU BOTH? The most important aspect of our wedding weekend was for our family and friends to have the best experience as soon as they arrived on Kiawah.

A huge thank you to Charleston wedding photographer HANNAH ALYSSA for sharing this absolutely stunning with us today. Hannah is a valued member of our VENDOR COLLECTIVE. Hannah takes an editorial approach to her weddings, with attention to detail and a passion for storytelling. "Shooting film requires me to slow down, be fully present and photograph with intention. I am passionate about capturing genuine love stories and inspiring destinations just as beautiful as they are in the moment, and film allows me to do just that." See more of her work in our vendor collective here and be sure to check out this Dreamy floral filled picnic complete with baby goat at Kiawah River, Charleston.