Magnolia Plantation and Gardens

Elena and Joseph's Wedding

Ceremony

Reception Dinner

Reception Merriment

Fall

Our Wedding

Joseph

Every hero eventually takes on a sidekick. It’s much less common for a hero to pick a sidekick that is so much taller, faster, and stronger, but I wasn’t about to turn down such a great gig because from the first time I set eyes on Elena I knew there was a great adventure in store and I wanted to be a part of it. We connected immediately, I think in large part because we are both bookish dreamers and lovers of story. This love of story developed into a long standing relationship with the dorkiest of games, Dungeons and Dragons. For anyone not familiar with D&amp;D, it is a game of role playing and adventure wherein the players write the story together with a bit of dumb luck dice to guide the chaos. Over the years we’ve played, I met so many different Elenas: a pacifist elf who loved all the tiny creatures of the realm, a fanciful and cunning young woman with singular focus, and a sneaky rogue with a flimsily hardened external persona, but a heart of gold when it mattered most. That silly game that gave me a chance to meet so many different Elenas also gave me a chance to fall in love with all of them too. I loved them all because they were all a little piece of her brought to life through her whimsy and creativity. The truth is that Elena has already been with me through so many real adventures, the silly fun quests and the painful battles. She’s the only one I’d want to set out with into the unknown. So now, hand-in-hand with excitement and love, the adventure awaits.

Elena

March 21, 2015 started as a bad day. The last thing I felt like doing that day was driving to a wedding and being surrounded by a mass of happy, celebrating people. I was grumbling and grumpy for the majority of hours leading up until the wedding. I wore a blue flower dress. In spite of myself, the joy of the day overtook me and resigned myself to try to have fun. I had always loved weddings. There was something magical about getting to watch people outfitted in beautiful sparkling gowns and form-fitting tuxedos on the best day of their lives. I danced the night away with the rest of the guests. The first time I saw Joseph, it was through sparklers. He wore square glasses and had the most earnest look on his face. Apparently, it was not the first time he saw me. He describes watching me dance as "a butterfly having a seizure," which is a great way to tell someone to never dance again. When he finally approached me as the reception was winding down, he asked me if anyone had stepped on my feet while I was dancing. Somehow, that lead to the rest of a whirlwind evening in which he unceremoniously fell out of a desk chair, another wedding guest jumped into a dumpster, and we shared our first kiss in a garden. Nearly eight years later, after our lives had become completely intertwined, Joseph planned a night of dungeons and dragons. He lit candles around the room and invited all of our friends who had ever played with us - a pivotal moment in our campaign, I assumed. I had rehearsed my British accent and was fully in character when one of Joseph's characters asked my character if she would come away with him. Well. Of course not. She had a quest to complete. As Joseph continued his plea, it became obvious - he wasn't asking the Warlock Clarissa Rosalie Auclair to come away with him, he was asking me - human, Elena Lauren Sparacio, to continue adventuring with him. He got down on one knee and asked if I'd adventure with him forever. Well, of course yes!

Our Story

Photos

She's my best sister! We met when she was born. 

Ariana Sparacio

Wingman, zombie survival specialist, video game partner, and my longest running best friend. 

Connor Janssen

Rita and I have been best friends since we were 12 and jumping around being excited to ride horses

Rita Baorto

Smash bros mentor, hiking buddy, Iron Man 70.3 training partner, and DnD Adventurer. 

Teddy Childers

We met through Joseph and Teddy and the four of us have been best friends ever since! 

Rachel Childers

Cousin, sprint triathlon champion, parkour specialist, ED nurse extraordinaire, and uno fiend. 

Adam Granade

From the childhood days of limitless time jumping on the trampoline and crashing golfcarts at the farmhouse to the busier days of life as adults coordinating our unforgettable family vacations, she has been a part of every great adventure of mine.

Morgan Davis

Cousin, boardgame buddy, sprint triathlon champion, and the honorary ice cream chef at Fourth of July. 

Sam Granade

Jasmine and I met when she was five years old. Shortly after I accidentally kicked a soccer ball into her face and we've been friends since 

Jasmine Granade

Co-resident, 5k buddy, DnD chaos-maker, and future triathlon partner. 

Alex Edgil

Compadre of innumerable fun misadventures, ultimate running buddy (always challenges me by sprinting up the hills), and my role model for how to be a great doctor all throughout our training together. 

Catherine Willis

Co-resident, DnD adventurer, a Yoshi that I can't beat, and the bringer of boxed wine. 

Myles Prados

Wedding Party

Q + A

Cambria RiverView Hotel

Wedding guests can obtain the&nbsp;$191&nbsp;group rate at&nbsp;The Cambria&nbsp;at 84 Ripley Point Drive&nbsp;by calling the reservation department at&nbsp;(843) 766-4322&nbsp;and mentioning the&nbsp;Sparacio/Granade&nbsp;Wedding. Please note that the special group rate will be available until&nbsp;February 19th,&nbsp;2025&nbsp;or until the room blocks sells out.&nbsp;&nbsp; Alternatively, guests may make reservations by clicking on the below link:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/tg37m6?checkInDate=2025-03-21&amp;checkOutDate=2025-03-23&amp;ratePlanCode=BSNZXC" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Book your group rate for The Sparacio + Granade Wedding - Cambria</a>

The Hampton Inn Historic District Hotel 

Wedding guests can obtain the&nbsp;$379&nbsp;group rate at&nbsp;The&nbsp;Hampton&nbsp;Inn&nbsp;at 345 Meeting Street&nbsp;by calling the reservation department at&nbsp;(843) 723-4000&nbsp;and mentioning the&nbsp;Sparacio/Granade&nbsp;Wedding or group code SGW.&nbsp;Please note that the special group rate will be available until&nbsp;February 21st,&nbsp;2025&nbsp;or until the room blocks sells out.&nbsp;&nbsp; Alternatively, guests may make reservations by clicking on the below link:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/sparaciogranadewedding/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Book your group rate for The Sparacio + Granade Wedding -&nbsp;Hampton&nbsp;Inn</a>&nbsp;

Stay Duvet

Stay Duvet offers high end vacation home and condo rentals in the Charleston area with many options downtown. This could be a great&nbsp;option for guests who prefer a non-hotel stay over your wedding dates.&nbsp;Wedding guests wishing to browse and book rentals may do so by clicking on the link below. By using the code WHATLEYDESIGN at check-out, any guest will receive a 5% discount off of the published rates.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://stayduvet.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://stayduvet.com/</a>

Travel

(Our) Guide to Charleston

The Angel Oak is one of the first places we visited when we came to Charleston (besides, actually, Magnolia Gardens!). The tree is over 400 years old. And, yes, thanks for asking - I did take that photo :)

Angel Oak Tree

If you've visited us in Charleston there is a 100% chance we have dragged you to eat at the Glass Onion. It's a no-frills restaurant serving Lowcountry fare. We recommend this exact meal: Shrimp Toast, Brussel Sprouts, and the best Shrimp and Grits you've ever had.

The Glass Onion

Enjoy a walk around Charleston Waterfront Park and visit the iconic pineapple fountain

Pineapple Fountain

Folly Beach: The popular beach - it's more crowded, the waves are better, and there are plenty of eateries and shops. Sullivan's Island: Quieter beach near Mt Pleasant. Visit the Obstinate Daughter for some good eats once you're done soaking up the sun. Kiawah Island: Take a scenic drive down to the quietest beach in Kiawah

Charleston Beaches

Charleston is an amazing tourist destination, and there are endless amounts of activities we could recommend to you. Outdoor: James Island County Park, West Ashley Greenway, the Ravenel Bridge pathway, beaches, kayaking, paddleboarding, surfing, fishing, boating, historical plantations, walking through Rainbow Row Food: Wild Olive (fancy Italian), 167 Raw (the best oysters, MUST put your name in 2 hours before you want to eat), FIG (fancy, reserve far in advance), Halls Chophouse, SHIKI (sushi), Jackrabbit Filly (eclectic asian), Vicious Biscuit (breakfast) Random: Low Country Olive Oil (you must get the Rosemary and Garlic), Pounce Cat Cafe,

Elena & Joseph

Elena & Joseph

Registry

The best gift to us is wedding attendance!