A Warm and Airy Wedding on an Oceanfront Golf Course Near Charleston

When Patricia Koch was vacationing in San Francisco in June 2012, her friend took advantage of the opportunity and arranged for her to meet Kevin Cahill. “Kevin was my friend’s boss at the time,” Patricia explains. Three years after they first hit it off, Kevin surprised Patricia with a proposal. “He’d asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner, and was surprised to come home and find me in pajamas on the couch,” says Patricia. “I got up to change, and that’s when Kevin handed me a card.” She didn’t think anything of it, until she looked up and saw Kevin on one knee. Says the bride of that special moment, “I keep the card on my vanity so I’m reminded of it every day.”

With the goal of treating their guests to a weekend that felt like a vacation (without the long-distance travel), the couple chose the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island as the setting for their April 30, 2016, wedding. “It’s close to Charleston, has incredible ocean views, and let us keep as much of our wedding outside as possible,” says Patricia. They opted to simply enhance the venue’s natural beauty, using white flowers and soft gray accents as well as natural elements like succulents and sea grasses. The design, by Events by Reagan, was a perfect match for the stunning location, and the photos by Julie Livingston Photography are proof!

The combination of stark white paper and soft gray and sea glass blue ink gave the couple’s invitation suite an airy and ethereal feel. Equally ethereal was Patricia’s Vera Wang wedding dress, a lace silhouette with a full mermaid skirt. The edges of her nude Casadei sandals were a sweet and subtle “something blue,” and Patricia’s emerald-cut solitaire engagement ring is one that will never go out of style.

“I’d been to two other stores, and didn’t love anything I tried,” says Patricia. “I actually went to Vera Wang on my own, with a few specific dresses I wanted to try. They were much more simple, but when I put this dress on, I just felt like a bride.” She paired the fitted gown with an all-white bouquet of orchids, ranunculus, garden roses, lilac, and sweet peas. Dusty miller leaves added a hint of greenish gray contrast.

Kevin wore a navy blue suit with warm brown shoes. We love the idea of having a first look beneath the ceremony arch!

The ceremony aisle was lined with hurricane vases full of sea grass. The arch itself, made of birch boughs, was draped with ranunculus, hydrangeas, roses, and sweet peas.

Just before they walked down the aisle, Patricia and her father took a moment to practice their father-daughter dance.

The couple added a personal touch to their ceremony by inviting Kevin’s brother-in-law, who is ordained, to officiate. “He knows us both, and was able to add sweet and special anecdotes to the proceedings,” says Patricia.

Dinner was served on the lawn, where the newlyweds created an intimate setting for their 135 guests by seating them at two 72-foot tables. Hardwood tables and a mix of soft white flowers kept the reception feeling airy and natural.

Centerpieces combined white hydrangeas, roses, and tulips with pillar and votive candles. Soft gray linen napkins were topped with either succulents or sprigs of lavender. The menu included a duo of filet mignon and shrimp and grits, and specialty cocktails were cava and Arnold Palmers—perfect for the golf course setting!

Instead of escort cards, guests found their seats with a custom watercolor diagram perched on a wall of greenery. The al fresco dinner took place alongside the clubhouse, overlooking the lawn where the dancing tent had been pitched.

The open sailcloth tent provided the perfect setting for an evening of dancing and revelry. Three oyster shell chandeliers hung over the dance floor, and clusters of lounge seating and lanterns filled the space.

Kevin and Patricia’s first dance was to “Lay Down” by Son Little. In addition to a small vanilla cake, the couple served key lime tartlets, mini chocolate bourbon pecan pies, blueberry almond crisps, and cookies from their favorite bakery in their hometown of New York City, Momofuku Milk Bar.

At the end of the night, the newlyweds made their exit beneath streamers and banners reading “Hooray!” and “Congrats!”

“Hiring a wedding planner was the best decision we made,” says Patricia. “Reagan made the process so much more enjoyable. I didn’t have to worry about a thing, knowing that I had her to help me every step of the way.”