Every wedding vendor team is created a little differently. In this series we explore how and why each couple selected the right wedding vendor team for their wedding day.
While on a walk in Charleston’s Waterfront Park over Memorial Day weekend in 2019, Matt asked Jennifer to marry him. For most of that summer, they enjoyed themselves as a newly engaged couple, and come August, began planning their wedding.
While the couple lives in Chicago, they especially love visiting Charleston, which is where Jennifer’s parents have lived for a decade. So when it was time to start looking at potential wedding venues, they took another trip to the South.
When it came time for everyone to make the trip to Charleston for the wedding, Hurricane Ian blew in and caused quite a bit of uncertainty about whether or not was even possible for Jennifer and Matt to get married in the way they’d been planning to for years. But while the rehearsal dinner and welcome party were sadly canceled—and many of the guests’ flights were too—nearly everyone made it to town, whether it meant on rescheduled or rerouted flights, overnight road trips, carpooling, or other creative transportation methods. With all their guests, Jennifer and Matt rode out the storm together and celebrated on Saturday, October 1, 2022, with picturesque blue skies and beautiful weather.
The bold, colorful, and whimsical-yet-refined wedding was equal parts unique and inviting. Far from a textbook wedding, the celebration was inspired by art, culture, and all that the city has to offer.
Jennifer and Matt researched about a dozen venues, visited half of those, and returned to their top three. It soon became clear which one was for them: Cannon Green.
“Cannon Green was one of my favorites from the beginning, so we were super excited when we realized it checked all the boxes, particularly availability. Among the many things we loved about it was its versatile space, amazing food, the ability to have the ceremony and reception at the same venue and to use indoor and outdoor space, and its great location.” —Jennifer, bride
For the couple, Cannon Green’s cherry-on-top factor was its delicious in-house catering. Jennifer and Matt wanted to give their guests a taste of Charleston as they know and love it, so highlighting its exceptional culinary scene was a must. Passed appetizers celebrated many flavors of the region: fried green tomatoes with tomato marmalade and goat cheese, crisp oysters with sambal mayonnaise, pulled pork tostadas with avocado mousse, and lobster fritters with winter squash and black truffle.
Dinner began with local beets prepared with chèvre, arugula pesto, and toasted hazelnuts. Guests then chose between braised beef short ribs with creamy farro, cipollini onions, and broccolini, or pan-seared local grouper with roasted winter vegetables, herb polenta, and bernaise. Late-night food also made the rounds—chicken and biscuits with house pickles and country gravy, plus parmesan-and-chive frites.
With the wedding date and venue in place, it was time to start bringing the out-of-the-box event to life. The couple hired Christina Baxter Weddings & Events to lead the charge.
Christina considers her clients her muses, and after getting to know them—as well as their style preferences and their wedding day visions—she sets out to select vendors that are in alignment to create an inspired event. From the start, it was essential that she create a design for Jennifer and Matt that was bold and expressive, while also remaining elegant and sophisticated, unique yet timeless.
Jennifer and Matt are both art lovers and wanted to integrate local art into their big day. As soon as Christina heard that, she instantly thought of painter Jonathan Green, a local Gullah artist and respected contemporary artist in the South. His work was researched and a particular painting (Human Variation #2) soon inspired the overall design of the art-inspired wedding. Jonathan even gave permission to reproduce his work as part of the design, but elements also drew inspiration from it more loosely.
Paintings were displayed in the entrance of the venue, all of which were meaningful prints and paintings that regularly hang in the couple’s home in Chicago. Forty framed pieces were selected, measured, and then installed just for the day in a predetermined layout for the custom gallery wall. The theme continued with small easels holding guests’ place cards at their seats, which were set with paint-splattered plates.
The personalization wasn’t reserved just for the visuals, however. To make their ceremony special, the couple opted to ask someone who knew and loved both of them to officiate: Jennifer’s brother-in-law, Graham. He joined Jennifer’s family more than a decade prior and welcomed Matt in from the beginning. His eloquence, humor, and love were the perfect touch.
Christina knew floral design would anchor the look of the art-inspired wedding, and that Blossom Bay would be the perfect fit for Jennifer and Matt’s design. Every piece was a statement piece—from Jennifer’s colorful bouquet to the giant “floating floral cloud” over the dance floor.
“Ally Favory at Blossom Bay loves to collaborate on a wedding’s overall design and we love bringing her and her ideas into the early design process. She is a former sculptor and a true artist at heart, and we knew she would be the florist to build amazing architectural installations. She also does custom fabrications, which allowed us to do coordinating elements like the seating display, cake base, welcome sign, and backdrop. The challenge was to keep it fun and bold while also being elegant and refined. I must say, I think we hit the sweet spot!” —Christina Baxter, planner/designer
“Walking into the reception hall for the first time (just before the ceremony) was especially memorable. I was honestly speechless at how perfectly everything had come together! The floral arrangements were almost certainly the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life.” —Jennifer, bride
Finding a wedding photographer with both the right approach and the right personality for the couple is always a priority for Christina. She knew that Clay Austin of Clay Austin Photography would not only capture the boldness of the wedding, but also the important in-between moments that are often missed in the excitement of the day. She also knew his personality would be a great fit for the bride and groom, and that he’d make them both feel relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera.
“I have been fortunate enough to work at Cannon Green quite a lot and I have always been a fan of its unique aesthetic! It’s so unlike most places in Charleston with its more modern and clean design approach, which can be really refreshing in a town steeped in so much history. I genuinely loved getting to know Jennifer and Matt. We found a lot of similarities with our shared appreciation for music, art, and especially color! They are incredibly kind and giving people and made my job incredibly easy!” —Clay Austin, photographer
With the complexity of the hanging installation at the center of the reception, bringing in a trusted pro was paramount. Technical Event Company ensured it was safely installed and looked exactly as (if not better than) it should.
Brianna B. Adams and Cheryl Quinn are a dynamic duo of hair and makeup stylists who bring their warm and cheerful personalities to the getting-ready room, as well as a true passion for what they do. The pair was an easy yes for the big day.
“It was important to me that I still look like me, but an elevated version of my typical style. I almost always wear my hair down, so I wanted soft, natural-looking waves for the wedding with just a bit pinned back. We weren’t able to do the hair trial in the months before the wedding, so the plan was to have Brianna do my hair for the rehearsal and plan the day-of style then as well. However, Friday was when the hurricane hit, so we had to cancel the rehearsal altogether! Brianna deserves so much credit for improvising on the wedding day, because it looked perfect. As for makeup, I didn’t have a whole lot of specifics, but I believe the keywords were natural, bright-eyed, and dewy. Cheryl knew exactly what to do and knocked it out of the park!” —Jennifer, bride
Knowing a fully custom invitation suite was in the cards, Christina reached out to Cheree Berry Paper & Design to get on their calendar next. To set the tone, a modern, untraditional invite was created, incorporating a monogram that fit the overall design of the celebration.
To guide guests to their seats, a seating chart was designed to mimic the columns one might see in a museum, but using the day’s signature colors instead of a stark white. Corresponding floral arrangements in tonal vases topped each column.
A great band makes for a great party. Steel Toe Stiletto can pack a dance floor and make it one to remember. Plus, Christina liked that they were the right size band for the space. With an expected guest count of 150 guests, she needed the stage to be a certain size to accommodate everyone comfortably. The band wasn’t too large that the stage would eat into floor space needed for tables or other necessities in the room.
A mix of current pop, rock, and familiar classics filled the set list, which made the celebration feel like a live concert (something Jennifer and Matt love doing together). It kicked off with a first dance to “Stolen” by Dashboard Confessional. Then Matt and his mother danced to “Ripple” by Grateful Dead, and Jennifer and her dad showed off their moves to Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock.” The party was capped with another Dashboard Confessional track, “Hands Down.”
Four companies came on board next, outfitting all things furniture, tabletop, and the dance floor. Emerson James, Snyder Events, Nüage Designs, Inc., and Charleston Wraps. With the Jonathan Green painting serving as the main color and pattern inspiration, choosing the options for all the pieces simultaneously ensured it all worked together.
“We were so excited about the dance floor as soon as Christina presented us with the amazing idea. A few weeks before the wedding we asked if there was a way to save any of it afterwards as a keepsake. It turns out that wasn’t possible due to the removal process, so Christina surprised us on our wedding day with our own mini version of the dance floor! We had it framed so we can hang it in our front hall and see it every time we walk into our home. It is the best wedding souvenir I could have ever asked for.” —Jennifer, bride
Christina turned to one of her go-to cake makers to execute a one-of-a-kind modern wedding cake. Chef Tammy Kasarda of Cakes by Kasarda packed a multitude of flavors in the four-tier confection: lemon raspberry, red velvet and fudge, and sweet potato and cinnamon.
“I only had a very vague idea of what I wanted the cake to look like. Maybe very geometric, or color blocked, or paint daubs, or architectural. I had pulled a bunch of different photos that had almost nothing in common with one another. Tammy and Christina were the perfect creative partners! They immediately started arranging foam blocks and tossing around color swatches. It felt like my perfect cake design magically materialized within just a matter of minutes!” —Jennifer, bride
Around the same time, Charleston Virtuosi was selected to handle pre-reception music: a string quartet for the ceremony, and a jazz trio for cocktail hour. As music is important to the couple—and their love for many of the same bands was a large part of what drew them together initially—they spent a lot of time thinking about music for the wedding.
The ceremony featured an eclectic selection of songs. Queen’s “Somebody To Love” for the parents’ processional, “Hoppípolla” by Sigur Rós for the wedding party’s entrance, “Do You Realize??” by The Flaming Lips as the bride walked down the aisle, and “This Will Be Our Year” by The Zombies filled the air at the end of the service.
“My maid of honor, Megan, and I used to love going to jazz nights at the High Museum of Art when they lived in Atlanta; the cocktail hour jazz trio captured that same ambiance perfectly!” —Jennifer, bride
With the bridal party getting ready offsite, Christina wanted to ensure they were in good hands. She enlisted Cacky’s Bride Aid to be with Jennifer and her girls, prepping their dresses and helping them get ready.
Knowing there would be so many fun and precious moments to capture, the couple booked Low Country Photo Booth for guests to pose in throughout the reception, and Hart to Heart Media to document the big day from start to finish.
