1. Real Weddings

An Elegant, Modern Wedding with Coastal Flair at the Historic Rice Mill in Charleston, South Carolina

For their early September nuptials, Shayna Simmons (28 and a campus recruiter) and Joshua Bulluck (30 and a network analyst) headed to Charleston, SC

For their early September nuptials, Shayna Simmons (28 and a campus recruiter) and Joshua Bulluck (30 and a network analyst) headed to Charleston, SC to celebrate with their families and friends. “Charleston is where we took our first vacation together as a couple and we fell in love with the city,” says Shayna. “So when it came time to decide where to get married, our friends and family spanning the country, a destination wedding of sorts was a given and what better place than the very city fell in love in?” With the location squared away, the couple started on their search for a venue that reflected Charleston’s rustic charm and elegance. The Historic Rice Mill checked all boxes for the pair, with its beautiful brick facade, waterfront location and classic design. A color palette of navy blue, silver and white with hints of mint brought a timeless, yet modern edge to the day’s decor. “We love the classic and timeless feel navy brings to the table and with our venue being on the Charleston waterfront, we wanted to incorporate a coastal feel into our wedding,” says Shayna.

With the stately architecture of the Historic Rice Mill as their backdrop, Shayna and Josh exchanged vows in a ceremony officiated by Josh’s father at the front of the historic venue under the shade of two oak trees as their friends and families looked on. The pair kept the decor to a minimum, allowing guests to appreciate the venue’s old world charm, adding only a few vintage-inspired carriage lanterns warmly lit by flickering candlelight to the aisle. Close friends helped the couple put a personal twist on the ceremony through song and spoken word. “We had a close friend sing Stevie Wonder’s ‘As,’ another close friend read Corinthians 1:13 and my sister’s godfather wrote and performed a spoken word poem for us,” says Shayna. Before heading inside for cocktail hour and the reception, Shayna and Josh closed the ceremony by jumping the broom.

The reception festivities kicked off with cocktail hour on the patio, where guests sipped on signature cocktails like Elderflower Old Fashioneds and St. Germaine, Hendricks and soda and took in views of the Charleston waterfront. Silver sequined table linens and metallic accents paired with sleek, modern lounge furniture to inject the open-air space with a festive, glamorous vibe. Back in the dining room, Shayna and Josh went for modern elegance, with crisp white and navy linens, varying arrangements of fresh white calla lilies and orchids and silvery carriage lanterns that twinkled with warm candlelight. Self-declared wine aficionados, the couple incorporated subtle vineyard-inspired touches throughout the decor, from wine varietal table names to bottles of cabernet and pinot grigio from a family friend’s own vineyard on each table. “At one point during the reception, we announced that one person at each table had a star sticker on the inside of their place card,” says Shayna. “That person got to take the bottle of wine home with them!” After dinner, Darby Events got guests up out of their seats and onto the dance floor, while Ben Keys from Wed On Canvas, recreated scenes on canvas from earlier that day. A tip for the taking from Shayna: “Don't ever stop having fun! Stay true to you and your better half!”

Never one to dream of over-the-top arrangements for her wedding day, Shayna kept it simple when it came to her bridal bouquet, having Anna Bella Florals create an elegant bouquet of white calla lilies, her favorite flower, for her walk down the aisle. To tie the fresh bundle into the day’s theme, a length of navy satin ribbon was tied around the stems.
For a more modern feel, Shayna and Josh opted to alternate between floral and non-floral centerpieces for their reception tables. Vintage-inspired carriage lanterns filled with ivory pillar candles played into the wedding’s coastal undertones and cast a warm, ambient glow over the tables. “We had silver lanterns everywhere that my mother purchased from various stores,” says Shayna. “We wanted that twinkling light effect and to have just as much silver everywhere as navy.”
With Shayna hailing from Atlanta, Ga. and the wedding taking place in the South, a parting gift with Southern flair was a must for the couple. Customized muslin bags of grits were placed at each guest’s seat, along with a “Grits and Gratitute” recipe card.
With so many delicious options to choose from, Shayna and Josh couldn’t decide on just one flavor for their modern three-tier wedding cake. “So we decided to go with two!” says Shayna. “The first and third tiers were to-die-for champagne cake and the second tier was a chocolate lover’s chocolate.” Beneath the layers of white and blue fondant was a decadent layer of vanilla buttercream frosting.
After the couple said their "I do's" they joined their guests on the Historic Rice Mill's patio for cocktail hour, where guests sipped on signature cocktails like Elderflower Old Fashioneds and St. Germaine, Hendricks and soda and took in views of the Charleston waterfront. Silver sequined table linens and metallic accents paired with sleek, modern lounge furniture to inject the open-air space with a festive, glamorous vibe.
Though Shayna and Josh chose to keep the flowers to a minimum for the reception, subtle bunches of Shayna’s favorite blooms, calla lilies and orchids, in varying sizes topped alternating reception tables, infusing the historic mill space with an air of freshness and a light floral scent.
Shayna went for a classic, timeless look when it came to her bridesmaids’ wedding day attire, choosing a floor-length navy chiffon gown with an illusion neckline from David’s Bridal for all of the girls. They completed the look with silver heels for a touch of subtle glitz and knot bangles gifted to them by Shayna.
From the invitation suite to the programs, place cards, menus and beyond, each and every stationery element was designed and handcrafted by a dear family friend. She drew on the couple’s navy and white color palette for inspiration and used whimsical flourishes and Shayna and Josh’s monogram to give each design and elegant, personalized feel. “The only part she didn't play a hand in was our save-the-dates,” says Shayna, “which one of our very talented groomsman made for us.”
Friends and family played an important role in giving the ceremony a truly personal and unique feel. Elements like a special scripture reading, a performance of Stevie Wonder’s “As” and a spoken word poetry reading blew guests away; the raw emotion could be felt by everyone present and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Though coastal storms blew through Charleston just hours before their ceremony, Shayna and Josh’s wedding went off without a hitch. The pair gathered with their family members in friends in front of the Historic Rice Mill building in downtown Charleston, where Josh’s father led them through their “I do’s.” “The gorgeous brick facade and lush leafy trees made for a perfect backdrop for our ceremony,” says Shayna. For a romantic touch, the pair lined the aisles with brightly lit candles house in chic silver lanterns.
After Josh’s father pronounced them husband and wife, Josh dipped Shayna like a true pro and the pair jumped the broom before heading back up the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. Bulluck. “My mother decorated one in blue, silver and mint and it’s now hanging on one of our walls,” says Shayna.
Ben Keys from Wed on Canvas was on site the capture the couple’s first kiss on canvas. “Throughout the reception, he was posted up near the bar, paining the very scene that our guests were a witness to just moments before,” says Shayna. “It was such an incredible moment to capture on canvas.”