Jake & Mackenzie’s Low Country Wedding

Jake & Mackenzie’s low country wedding was a stunning day filled with coastal charm and personal touches that are sure to make you smile! Their wedding consisted of a beautiful color palette of ivory, white, French blue with hints of rose pink, lime green, and dusty blue. The story can be read below, it is incredible and so full of love!

Inspired by the lush natural surroundings of the Lowcountry of South Carolina, this Bluffton spring wedding, planned by Amanda Rose Weddings, balanced being an equally modern and yet classically southern affair. Belfair, known for its stunning live Oaks filled with hanging Spanish moss, and formal English gardens near its main clubhouse, created an inviting backdrop for Atlanta couple Jake and Mackenzie’s 120-person outdoor wedding. The couple incorporated hints of coastal design elements throughout their day as an ode to the beautiful location they had chosen. Modern decor, signage, and paper goods, hand-designed by the bride tastefully adorned each corner throughout their wedding reception, and delicately tied the font and stamping from their stationery suite into their wedding day.

Jake and Mackenzie’s love story began back in college in 2015. Both students at Auburn University, their paths crossed one fateful Friday night of freshman year when they both attended a party with friends, and have been tied to the hip ever since! After graduation, the two moved to Atlanta to start their post-grad careers and lives together, and it was there that Jake proposed and asked Mackenzie to marry him. From the bride, “Jake somehow managed to get me to go to a local winery, Chateau Elan, for a day date without any suspicion of him proposing that day. On the way to the winery, he even lied to eliminate any suspicions, mentioning how he hadn’t asked my mom yet for permission to marry me (because he knew it was just as important to me that he asked both of my parents). Little did I know that he had already talked to my parents for their blessing and permission, and got down on one knee that very day. We enjoyed a few glasses of wine and a charcuterie board before he asked me to walk through the vineyards. As we were walking, I noticed Jake was looking around a lot, and he started to act a bit nervous, sipping on his glass of wine. Jake stopped me and grabbed my hands to hold them and said “the real reason I brought you here today…” and began his sweet proposal speech. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him (my glass of wine still in hand). I was totally surprised and it was the absolute best moment! Jake then said we had a reservation for a nice steakhouse down the road from our house, so we left the winery. As we were driving to the restaurant, he took an abrupt turn down the road one of my best friends happened to live on. When we showed up to her house, both of our families and our friends were waiting to surprise us and celebrate! It was the best day of my life, I think only topped by our wedding day now!”

The couple chose Bluffton, SC as the backdrop for their destination wedding after many summers spent vacationing with their families along the Hilton Head coastline. From the Bride, “I grew up vacationing around Hilton Head Island, and always loved the beautiful natural surroundings in the area – the huge live Oak trees, the hanging Spanish moss, and that Lowcountry sunset were always my favorites. When we were looking for wedding venues, I knew I wanted all the oaks and Spanish moss we could get, which immediately drew us to coastal Georgia and South Carolina. Belfair had the most picturesque main entrance, with a street full of live oaks with Spanish moss that created the perfect tunnel for you to drive through. I knew after driving in that this was the place we would get married. That feeling got deeper as soon as we saw the formal gardens that overlooked the golf course and marshland. It was all just so beautiful and different. Jake also loves golf, so that completely sold him on this gorgeous venue, too!”

We began Jake and Mackenzie’s coastal destination wedding day with the details. Mackenzie, a talented designer herself, left no detail untouched, including her stationery suite and signage she designed and printed to greet her guests. From the Bride, “All the signage and stationary was designed and made by me. I am a designer as my full time job, and I always knew I wanted to design parts of my own big day. Designing these details was one of my favorite parts of our wedding planning process. I think details make the experience for guests, so that’s why I decided to put in the work to make something special for our wedding day. Making my own wedding signs and stationery has inspired me to do it for other couples in the future, too!” Working with her planning team, the bride chose ivory, white, and French blue as the primary colors of their palette. Hints of rose pink, lime green, and dusty blue were gently woven into their floral design by the incredible team at Festoon out of Charleston to accentuate the bright, coastal feel of this stunning locale.

The bride was an absolute modern vision in custom-made Elizabeth Lee Bridal. Instead of finding the perfect ‘one’ dress, Mackenzie chose to work with Elizabeth Lee to design a dress composed of her absolute favorite elements from three distinct dresses from their collections – the buttons and train from the first, the neckline from another, and an otherworldly silk fabric from a third and final dress. Together, these elements made a bespoke yet classic wedding dress for her. A trumpet silhouette was concocted with a plunging neckline with a mirrored low ‘V’ in the back, and featured a stunning train with silk-covered buttons down its entire length to add some drama to the ensemble. A bow of the same silk material was the pièce de résistance to the dress, and tied the whole look together! For her bridesmaids, inspired by the distinctive Haint Blue porches found throughout the Lowcountry, Mackenzie sought to find the perfect light blue for her bridesmaids’ look. Dessy had just the blue she was looking for in a silk finish for her ladies. She decided on a one-shouldered sheath full length gown for each gal to compliment the look and material of her own wedding dress. -Sarah Nann Photography Each design element for their day focused on complimenting the natural beauty found throughout Belfair’s sprawling property. Whitney Randall’s team at Festoon was brought in from Charleston for the floral design. Creating an organic garden-inspired theme that centered on accentuating the natural color palette of the Lowcountry, Festoon incorporated beautiful white and green blooms with hints of lime green, dusty pink, and French blue throughout. White ranunculus, snapdragons, sweet peas, and garden roses were complimented by vivid lime green Hellebore blooms, sage green botanicals, and pink jasmine sprigs in each bouquet. Overflowing, tall compotes were selected for their ceremony space along the aisle and at the front of the ceremony site. Inside Belfair’s spacious ballroom, round tables in white linens were adorned with short compotes of the organic florals, and dusty blue tapered candles were sprinkled throughout to add height and ambiance.

Mackenzie & Jake chose Belfair’s sunken English Rose Garden to set the stage for their outdoor wedding ceremony. Guests were seated facing the river and marshlands, with the garden’s central fountain framing the couple at the front. Overflowing floral compotes at the front and rear of the seating wove their delicate color palette into the ceremony space. From the bride, “For ceremony music we brought in a string trio, JL Music Services out of Savannah, which I felt like set the perfect, elegant tone for our wedding ceremony in the gardens. They performed our chosen songs: ‘Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring’ for our family, ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ for our bridal party, and ‘Canon in D’ for the my entrance, and for our recessional, ‘This Will Be’ by Natalie Cole on strings.”

After the ceremony, we snuck the couple down to the ‘Avenue of the Oaks’ at the front of the Belfair property entrance for some incredible ‘just married’ portraits under the Spanish moss while their guests enjoyed an al fresco cocktail hour. Leveraging the delicious in-house catering with their venue, Jake and Mackenzie opted for balancing their story in the food they served their guests. Passed hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour at sunset featured an assortment of southern snacks that called back to their home state of Georgia. Gluten-free chicken tenders, fried green tomatoes, and chicken & waffle bites were available while guests enjoyed the formal gardens and the lawn facing the waterfront and the marshlands. Signature cocktails were available all night long, named for their sweet puppies so that they too were a part of their wedding day – the Sadie Lady, a margarita named for their golden retriever, and the Duke Man, a whiskey sour for their sweet chocolate lab.

Once guests were seated inside the ballroom, Jake and Mackenzie shared their first dance as a married couple. From the Bride, “Our best man, Andrew, sang our first dance song up on the stage with his guitar. Andrew and Jake go way back. Jake’s mom was even in the delivery room when Andrew was born. Jake and Andrew have such a special relationship after all these years of growing up together. We were so honored to have him sing our first dance song. The unique touches he put on our song, ‘Joy Of My Life’ by Chris Stapleton, was truly special to us, and we will cherish his performance!”

Jake & Mackenzie’s soirée concluded with a magical energy on the dance floor thanks to their live band, Sam Hill Entertainment’s band, Power 2 Party, and a fashion-forward outfit change for the bride featuring a strapless neckline, mini length, and train-length dramatic bow on the back. These two tore up the dance floor all night long with their friends and loved ones, and concluded their evening with a private last dance, before a bubble exit to close out the evening. I am so thrilled we got to be a part of their delightful wedding day with such a stellar group of Lowcountry vendors that made it all possible! Cheers and best wishes to Jake and Mackenzie! -Sarah Nann Photography How did you two meet? What were your first impressions of one another? We met at Auburn University. Jake was a sophomore and I was a freshman. It was my first night of college when I was invited to Jake’s fraternity by one of my new sorority sisters. We ended up meeting because Jake’s friend scratched my nose in a game of good ole beer pong which led Jake to come check on me. We talked for hours that night sitting on a picnic table in Jake’s fraternity’s backyard. My first impression of Jake was that he very handsome and charming. He was so witty and hasn’t stopped making me laugh since that night. Jake says I was beautiful and that he knew the instant connection was going to be something special. He still even remembers what color my nails were painted that night, 8 years ago. Tell us a funny story relating to your wedding day or relationship! Jake asked if I wanted to go to a winery one Saturday in September 2021. Jake is a huge Auburn football fan and hunter so fall was full of those activities. I thought nothing of him asking me on this date and that he just wanted to take me to do something special before our weekends were spent watching football. On the way there Jake mentioned that he hadn’t asked my mom for permission to marry me yet (which was very important to me as she’s my best friend). Again, I didn’t think much of it and expected him to do it soon. Later in the day, we were drinking a glass of wine and he looks around at the vineyards and then back at me and says “this would be a pretty place to propose”. I was a little taken back but approved that yes this would be a beautiful place to get engaged. Little did I know that was just his plan that day. Less than 30 minutes later, Jake was down on one knee. He had said all these things all day to throw me off and surprise me. It was the best day! (And yes he actually did ask both of my parents) Describe a hurdle you had to overcome in your relationship or during your wedding planning. All week leading up to our wedding, the weather was calling for rain for our whole wedding day. We spent a year and a half planning our dream wedding outside in beautiful South Carolina surroundings so I was devastated. We had to call the rental company and pay for a tent a few days before the wedding, which was an expense we weren’t expecting. Jake was always there reminding me it was still going to be a beautiful day even if there was rain and we would make the most out of it. When I woke up on our wedding day, I looked outside and saw it was pouring. I finally felt at peace with the whole situation because of the repeated reassurance Jake gave me. I was just finishing up getting my hair and makeup done and I look outside and blue sky randomly popped out of the rain clouds. By the time our ceremony time came, the rain had cleared and the sun was out. At the end of the day, rain and all, it was the best day because I married the love of my life. He helped me overcome so much stress and worry during the wedding planning process. Any special ways you incorporated your family or family history into your wedding day? We had a memory table that was full of photos of our loved ones who could not be there for our wedding day. It was the perfect reminder that they were looking down on us during our big day. On the memory table, we also had a jar full of dimes. I am the only grand daughter on my mom’s side and when my Grandma Judie found out my mom was pregnant with a girl, she decided to start saving all of her dimes for my wedding dress. For 20 years she saved dimes. She had multiple jars and boxes full of dimes just for me to spend on my wedding dress. Unfortunately she passed from cancer before she could meet the great guy I would one day marry in the wedding dress she thought so much about. Having that jar of dimes at our wedding representing that story and the amazing woman my Grandma Judie was incredibly important and special to me. I knew she would have loved Jake and the dress I married him in. What is your favorite thing about each other? Jake’s personality lights up every room he walks into. His humor always keeps me laughing. He shows kindness to everyone.

Mackenzie has a heart of gold and she cares for all her family, friends, and I. She also is a great cook. What is the most honest thing you can say about love? Love is a secure feeling. It is knowing someone is always in your corner. Its an unmatched feeling to have someone know you better than you know yourself and to show you that on a daily basis. What part of your wedding day was/is most important to you? The best part of our wedding day was officially being husband and wife. Being surrounded by so much love and support from our family and friends our whole wedding weekend was beyond special for both of us. The feeling of our wedding day will always be something we will remember and hold on to. Our photographer, Sarah Nann helped capture those feelings so perfectly and we will always cherish the memories we get to keep and frame in our house of our favorite day. If you had one piece of advice for other couples, what would it be? It is you and your partner versus the problem, not you versus your partner. Give each other grace when working through problems you face. Always listen to each other and be there for each other through the ups and the downs. Make one another a priority. What was your favorite part about planning your wedding? Our favorite part of planning our wedding was putting our personalities and love into each decision we made and wanted our guests to have fun. I am a designer so I made all of our wedding day signage and wedding invitations and I loved creating those special personal touches to our day. What is the best thing you’ve learned from one another? Jake constantly reminds me not to take life too seriously and always laugh. Mackenzie supports me when I don’t believe in myself and pushes me to be my best. The way we show each other love shows a lot about both of us and I think we have both been able to learn from one another through that. We balance each other so well and always have so much fun together. Photographer: Sarah Nann Photography
Venue: Belfair
Stylist / Planner / Designer: Amanda Rose Weddings
Floral Designer: Festoon
Dress Boutique: La Raine’s Boutique
Dress Designer: Elizabeth Lee Bridal
Cake Designer: Bloom Custom Cakes
Makeup Artist: True Beauty by Joanna
Hair Stylist: True Beauty by Joanna
Mens Formalwear: The Black Tux
Rentals: Amazing Event Rentals
Stationery:- Bride designed & printed her own
Accessories / Decor: Amazing Event Rentals
Film Lab: PhotoVision Prints
Reception Dress Designer: Meshki
Bridesmaids Dresses: Dessy Group
Custom Jewelry: SJ Bailey Co.
Wedding Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Ceremony Musicians: JL Music Service
Live Band: Power 2 Party
Second Photographer: Kate Gharib
Photography Assistance: Sincerely Eva V
Guest Transportation: Coast Transportation