A Perfect Start

They say you can tell a person by their friends—an adage that certainly rings true in the case of Candice Cline, the director of a private foundation, and James “Graham” Kenan, who graduated from Charleston School of Law and recently passed the BAR.  After meeting as friends in Innsbruck, Austria in 2002, Candice and Graham reconnected when both were living in Charleston years later. When she asked him to join her at a concert (with her family), they hit it off. Four years later, Graham proposed on the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

When it came to the wedding location, the Lowcountry residents brought their far-flung courtship back home. “Some people are relieved to get out of town,” says Candice, “but I get excited when I know I have the weekend to relax and enjoy Charleston. We liked the idea of having friends and family experience our favorite city.”The couple chose Runnymede Plantation—a newly offered location neighboring Middleton, Magnolia, and Drayton Hall plantations—for their April 2, 2011 nuptials. After opting for teal Amsale bridesmaids’ dresses from Bella Bridesmaid, Candice enlisted Tara and Kate Badger Little of  Tara Guérard Soirée. They softened the palette with pale gray and peach and—heeding Candice’s affinity for natural materials—added wood, copper, and linen to the mix.  

When the Big Day came, Candice and Graham tied the knot beneath a 1,000-year-old oak tree in a ceremony that included a verse reading from Candice’s late mother’s Bible. During the reception, guests dined on seasonal fare from Savannah caterer Susan Mason before dancing to band Party on the Moon. “We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend,” says Candice.