Travis and Shannon’s April celebration was the perfect kickoff to the spring wedding season in Greenville, SC. Their intimate outdoor ceremony at the picturesque Old Mill Garden in Falls Park offered a serene riverside setting, complete with the sound of the Falls as guests awaited Shannon’s walk down the stone steps.
Following their heartfelt vows, guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the wrap-around porch of The Grand Bohemian Lodge, plus a fun trivia game about the couple. The festivities continued under a tent on the Grand Lawn with dancing, laughter, and the downtown skyline as the backdrop.
One of the most touching details of the day was Shannon wearing her mother’s wedding veil, creating a sweet generational connection. The stationery suite added another layer of charm with line drawings of The Grand Bohemian and watercolor-painted envelopes. And in perhaps the most heartwarming surprise, Shannon’s mom secretly saved a gallon of Jeni’s peach ice cream—out of season for the wedding—for over a year, ensuring her daughter had the flavor she loved on her big day.
“From a riverside garden ceremony to a skyline-lit reception, Shannon & Travis’ wedding captured the very essence of Greenville in the spring.”
How did you two meet? What were your first impressions of one another?
We were introduced by a mutual friend in college. She brought me to his apartment so she could download some class notes he had, which she planned to sell online. When he first opened the door, he had the biggest smile on his face, ready to welcome us to his brand-new apartment. We all went to his room where his computer was, and while my friend was downloading his notes, he asked me to help attach hangers to some artwork he was planning to hang on the walls. I have small hands, so it was the perfect job for me. While I was doing that, we casually started talking and getting to know each other—I already had butterflies and knew that he was going to be someone special in my life. I just didn’t know how special at the time. Following girl code, the first question I asked when my friend and I left was whether they had anything going on—and they did not—so I was in the clear! He got my number from her and texted me later that night to hang out. The rest is history!
Tell us a funny story relating to your wedding day or relationship!
The bride was born and raised in Atlanta, GA, and her family is from Ohio. While attending law school in Charleston, SC, the bride became obsessed with Jeni’s Ice Cream. It continues to be a frequently visited spot for the bride and groom, who live in Charleston. It just so happens that the original location of Jeni’s is located down the street from her parents’ first house in Columbus, Ohio.
When we got engaged, I knew I wanted to incorporate Jeni’s ice cream into the wedding day and have it served alongside the cake. Christina presented a couple of different wedding color schemes to us, and the peach fuzz one stood out to me because Jeni’s has a Sweet Cream Biscuits and Peach Jam flavor! Suffice it to say, that same night we walked over to Jeni’s and asked how we could get a pint of ice cream for the wedding.
Come to find out, Jeni’s peach ice cream is a seasonal offering, and the next season started a month or two after the wedding day… meaning no peach ice cream for the wedding.
The bride’s mother went above and beyond in every way for this wedding to make sure the bride got everything she wanted—she is, of course, the only daughter! Unknown to the bride and groom, the bride’s mother reached out to Jeni’s and bought the last gallon of peach ice cream in Atlanta for the 2024 peach season. She hid it in her freezer for an entire year to make sure the bride had what she dreamed of! It was a huge surprise opening it on the wedding day and discovering it was not freezer-burned—which it wasn’t!
Describe a hurdle you had to overcome in your relationship or during your wedding planning.
Planning our wedding came with a challenge—we live in Charleston, while the big day was set for Greenville, three hours away! While we made several weekend trips to see things in person, much of the planning happened remotely. We relied heavily on virtual meetings, emails, and—most importantly—our amazing team, who we trusted completely to bring our vision to life (and make sure all the colors matched!).
Any special ways you incorporated your family or family history into your wedding day?
It actually ended up being an entire wedding weekend, not just a day! Friday night kicked things off with a traditional tea party (which the bride’s mother is obsessed with) on the patio of the Grand Bohemian Lodge.
After the rehearsal dinner, we hosted an Italian dessert-themed happy hour on the back patio of the Grand Bohemian Lodge. The bride’s great-grandmother, who she knew growing up, came over to America on a boat when she was just an infant, so we have a rich Italian heritage with Italian food and dessert at every family gathering. Also, the bride wore a blue butterfly attached to her dress during the ceremony, which belonged to her great-grandmother Rose, as a way to honor her.
We also chose the Grand Bohemian Lodge in part because of the Native American theme they have centered throughout the hotel. The groom’s heritage on his mom’s side is Native American from the northern plains of South Dakota.
What part of your wedding day was/is most important to you?
Our rescue dog, Mac, being involved in the ceremony, as he has helped us build our little family in Charleston, SC.
What is the best thing you’ve learned from one another?
Being together has taught us the power of patience—of letting things unfold in their own time. We did long distance for about four years while the bride was in law school and the groom continued his education through Indiana University, where we met. It was only supposed to be three years, but then COVID hit and extended things by another year.
What is your favorite thing about each other?
Groom’s answer: What I love most about my spouse is her brilliant mind—her ability to think critically, reason clearly, and stay grounded in her own independent judgment.
Bride’s answer: Travis is my safe place. He always makes sure I have what I need, including a cup of tea every night before bed, and makes confiding in him very easy, as he never judges me but will sometimes push me to think about things in a different light.
What was your favorite part about planning your wedding?
Food tasting with Chef Adam from the Grand Bohemian Lodge. He did not just present the food to us; he also gave us a story about the ingredients that he used from local farms and shops. He talked through each dish with us—what he did or did not like, and what we would want to see more of.
He also went all out with the tea party desserts and the smoked brisket breakfast tacos on Sunday. He was willing to run with any idea we had.
If you had one piece of advice for other couples, what would it be?
In regards to the wedding day—hire a wedding planner! The wedding day truly went by so fast and we were so busy getting ready, getting to the ceremony site, and then making sure we said hi to everyone, that the details and the day were a blur. There is no way that we could have made sure everything went according to plan and was as picture-perfect as it was without our wedding planner and her team. Friends and family are still reaching out months later, commenting on how beautiful of a day it was with all the details.
When it comes to life, don’t be afraid to pause and truly take things in—whether they’re big or small.
What is the most honest thing you can say about love?
It is challenging, but so totally worth it. We faced a lot of challenges and “what-ifs” in our relationship, and we waited for the right time to make risky moves—such as Travis proposing the same night that we moved all of my office furniture to a new location (which ruined plans A through Z that he had come up with)—and buying a home while wedding planning! It was challenging and risky, but the timing was right. After the wedding, I had a very surreal moment in our backyard while Travis was grilling and the dog was running around, realizing that this is our little family now, and it’s all I have ever wanted.
Bride: Shannon & Travis Bennett / @rivershannon
Pup: @macmiller_da_pup
Planner: Charming The Carolinas Event Planning / @charmingthecarolinasevent
Photographer: Ryan and Alyssa Photography / @ryanandalyssaphotography
Ceremony Venue: Old Mill Gardens / @cityofgreenvillesc
Reception Venue: Grand Bohemian Lodge / @grandbohemianlodgegreenville
Florals: Twigs / @twigsgreenville
Rentals: Professional Party Rentals / @professionalparty
Draping: Gathered Draping Studio / @gathered_draping_studio
Cake: Couture Cakes of Greenville / @couturecakesofgreenville
Content Creator: Jamie Bonfante Wedding Content Creator / @btswithbonfante
Ceremony Music: Deans’ Duets / @deansduets
DJ: Uptown Entertainment / @uptown_entertainment
Hair & Makeup: Cotton Rouge and Company / @cottonrougeandco
Bridal Gown: The White Magnolia / @whitemagnoliabridal
Bridal Party Attire: Azazie / @azazieofficial @azaziebridal
Dog Handler: Woofies of SE Greenville / @woofiessegreenville
Stationery: Red Bud Lane / @redbud_lane
Seating Chart: The Letterhaus / @theletterhausllc @catsinklings
Welcome Bags: Charming The Carolinas Event Planning / @charmingthecarolinasevent
Ice Cream: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams / @jenisicecreams
Live Stream Video & Photobooth: Love Stream Wedding Live Stream & Photobooths / @thebooth.lovestream
Flower Donations: The Pear at Five Forks
Publisher at The White Wren and Bajan Wed, Award Winning Photography + Videographer at Live View Studios, Dad, 80s music lover, crunchy health advocate
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