It all began on a hot summer day with a walk around one of Raleigh’s spectacular downtown squares where they would discover a mutual interest in old houses and architecture. Now five years later, Mark and Ricky are about to take another walk—this time, down the aisle at St. Matthew’s Church, right in the heart of historic Charleston—a city that holds a truly special place in their hearts.

You might be asking yourself “Wait, why Charleston? Didn’t this story start in Raleigh?” Good catch, Raleigh was the site of this enchanted couple’s first meeting back in 2020, but it was a weekend trip to Charleston some months later that set the stage for their future together.

Ricky had been invited on a weekend trip to Charleston with some friends from Charlotte and had (in typical Ricky fashion) invited Mark last minute to join. Mark accepted the invite on a whim, booked a room at The Dewberry, and rushed down I-95 to Charleston from Raleigh (no easily predictable journey for those familiar with I-95). The plan was to join the group on a sunset harbor cruise aboard the Palmetto Breeze. So hurried was his journey that Mark very nearly missed the most important cruise of his life. Mark flew from the precarious parking lot abutting the docks at Shem Creek onto the gangway as the Palmetto Breeze was pulling away from the quayside setting sail into the sunset—beginning the journey of a lifetime.

The weekend went exceedingly well. Ricky abandoned his friend group in favor of spending time getting to know the very handsome “Mr. Brown.” This did not go unnoticed by Mark—this was supposed to be a weekend for Ricky and his friends. So, prioritizing his time with Mark would leave a significant impression on him. The two whiled away the hours of that weekend together with guided city tours, a walk along the beach, and random Ricky wanderings through the historic city center.

The apex of the weekend, though, was their first date night. Mark stood outside The Dewberry waiting for Ricky to walk across Marion Square to meet him. As Ricky came into view and stood across the street, Mark thought to himself “How in the world am I going on a date with that handsome man?!” From there, they strolled over to the renowned Husk on Queen Street where the two enjoyed a magical candlelit dinner that sparkled with laughter and those delightful “so, tell me everything” conversations. After hours and hours of more conversation and laughter back at The Dewberry, the date finally came to an end with an early dawn first kiss.

The two parted ways following the weekend promising to keep in touch, both excited and unsure of what the future would hold. Ricky lived in Charlotte, Mark in Raleigh, and the distance seemed a difficult mountain to conquer, but fate it seemed had other plans.

Fast forward many, many months… (maybe a couple of years). Ricky had relocated back to Raleigh, life had settled down for both, and they were spending an increasing amount of time together fostering feelings and forming an ever-increasing bond. Picture if you will the lifecycle of a volcano, the magma slowly building silently beneath the surface just waiting to burst forth into creation. That’s precisely what occurred on the night of Mark’s birthday when they agreed to make it official. From that moment on, their relationship flourished. Ricky brought Oliver 🐶, Dolly 🐶, and an impressive array of cherished knick-knacks into the home. Mark, Avery, and Jasper 🐶 soon found their midcentury style complemented by a touch of sparkle, as two families came together and blended effortlessly into one.

As weeks turned into months, and months turned into years, Mark and Ricky’s shared memories and meaningful moments multiplied, making it clear to everyone around that these two were destined to be joined at the hip for life. So, with some help from a couple of friends from Ricky’s days in the jewelry industry, shopping for the ring commenced. After searching high and low at every jewelry store in Raleigh, Mark believed he had found the perfect ring – with a couple of modifications. First, Mark knew it had to be Ricky’s favorite cut – an Asscher cut diamond. Mark was also pretty sure Ricky would want a single halo of blue sapphires instead of the current diamonds. Within a few weeks, Ricky’s good friend would pretend like Mark hadn’t called him for advice yet and suggested that he and Ricky go look at rings so that he would know what Ricky liked if Mark ever called for his advice. After a thorough look at many, many rings, Ricky really loved one ring in particular. But something just wasn’t quite right. So, while Ricky kept looking around, the salesperson accomplice took the ring back and used a blue marker to color the diamonds in the halo to look like blue sapphires and showed it to Ricky again. That was THE RING, exactly what Ricky wanted. The next day, the salesperson called Mark. “We have a winner,” he said. Mark asked, “Was it the one I picked out?” “Yes” was the reply. “With the blue sapphires for the halo?” “Yes.” We had both independently chosen the exact same ring. It was destiny.

Sensing the time was right, Mark began orchestrating a secret plan—Operation Palmetto Breeze—with the help of his band of co-conspirators. Ricky, ever perceptive, suspected something was brewing and began to interrogate close friends as to the plans being orchestrated beneath a veil of secrecy. His efforts – while close to successful – had failed to uncover the plot.

When the day arrived (on the five-year anniversary of their initial conversations) Operation Palmetto Breeze played out perfectly (well, almost perfectly) to plan. Mark convinced Ricky to join him for a pet-free weekend in their favorite city of Charleston, explaining that his original, grander plans had been postponed. Despite Ricky’s many delays in getting the trip underway, the two finally arrived in Charleston, taking a last-minute detour from Ricky’s vacation house to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens for the first stop of the weekend.

Under the guise of a garden and house tour, Mark hurriedly meandered the couple through the gardens, revealing a stunning long white bridge surrounded by majestic live oaks draped in Spanish moss. So caught up was Ricky in taking pictures of a “swamp puppy” (low country slang for alligators) that he failed to notice Mark down on one knee. When he turned to see him on display – stunning ring in hand – all he could muster was “Oh, you are not doing this…” to which Mark replied with his signature cheeky grin “Oh yes I am.” Surprised and delighted by Mark’s proposal, Ricky replied “Of course!” just as two talented photographers emerged from the marsh to capture the moment. Following the parade of photos, the celebration continued with champagne, and Mark revealed another surprise: “Well, now that we are engaged, will you please stay the night with me at The Dewberry? I have booked the same room I had on our first trip.” Mark hadn’t stopped there though. He had thoughtfully recreated that first spectacular weekend in Charleston with another cruise on the Palmetto Breeze. As the couple rounded the gangway to board the ship, Ricky spotted some familiar faces. Mark had even brought along a contingent of his co-conspirators from Raleigh & Charleston to celebrate the occasion. The big day wrapped with a return to the scene of their first date – a celebratory candlelit dinner at Husk with their friends. The weekend became an unforgettable celebration, filled with laughter, love, and a few memorable mishaps (we won’t discuss the wardrobe malfunction here, but photos will be on display at the reception for those curious).

That’s how our journey has brought us to this moment. Charleston isn’t just the backdrop for our wedding—it’s the place where so many of our most treasured memories were made, and where we recently found and furnished our first “together (vacation) home”— known as “Palmetto Breeze.” We chose this city to celebrate our special day because it holds a unique magic for us, and we can’t wait to share that with the people who mean the most. We hope you’ll join us at St. Matthew’s and a final return to The Dewberry as we walk down the aisle and step into forever together.