Sarah & Andrew had the most perfect destination wedding planned for Saturday, September 15, 2018, in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Well, on Monday, September 10th, the governor of South Carolina called for the mandatory evacuation of the coast. Panic hit, but by Tuesday, the couple decided to move their wedding to Cleveland. They had nothing but Sarah’s wedding gown & shoes. The groom and his groomsmen’s suits were all in SC, as was the cake, flowers, etc. Some of the bridesmaids were stuck in the hurricane zone, while others could not afford the last minute flights up north. Everyone scrambled.
Tuesday afternoon, I was contacted by the bride’s sister, Christine, to see if I was available to shoot their wedding that coming Sunday. I was so happy to say, that with a little shuffling of my schedule, I could do it. The couple’s good friend, Summer Genetti, then stepped in a preformed nothing short of a miracle. She not only officiated the ceremony, but also made the spectacular wedding cake, along with homemade mini-pies and even homemade ice cream for the reception dinner. The groom is a pastry chef at Spice Kitchen + Bar in Cleveland, and they generously donated their farm, Spice Acres, to hold the wedding ceremony. It is SO beautiful!!! And the reception was scaled down to a dinner party at Toast in Cleveland.
Sarah & Andrew’s destination beach wedding, turned in to a farm wedding, with a lot of “winging it” moments, but it turned out amazing. Instead of over 100 guest, there was less than 30. The date already on the guest book, and even engraved in to their wedding bands, was off by a day. But, think of the stories they have to tell! At the end of the day, they were married. It wasn’t on the beach, not everyone could make it, and they even had to stop for gas on the way to the reception….But, they were married. They pulled it off!!
Read more about the crisis the week it happened, in the interview given by The Plain Dealer here: https://www.cleveland.com/expo/news/erry-2018/09/89f57c0bf49216/hurricane-florence-causes-loca.html
Vendors:
Photographer: Lindsay Dawn Photography
Venue: Spice Acres
Venue Provided By: Spice Kitchen + Bar
Reception: Toast
Bridal Gown: Dame Couture
Bridal Shoes:Badgley Mischka
HMUA: Stella & Shay Beauty Bar
Cake, Desserts, Florals: Summer Genetti, Pastry Chef at Lola Bistro
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