Maximalist Fun

Anna Bazhenova & Dylan Lundberg May 22, 2021 • Lowndes Grove Disco balls, tarot readings, over-the-top flowers, mismatched seating, a golden dinosaur cake topper—everything about Anna Bazhenova and Dylan Lundberg’s wedding at Lowndes Grove veered toward the unexpected. And that’s just how the couple wanted it. While they may embrace a minimalist aesthetic in their home in New York City, where he works in tech and she owns a funky bodega with a hidden bar under the Brooklyn Bridge, Anna wanted the exact opposite for their Big Day: “vibrant, maximalist, colorful, larger-than-life,” she says. Anna and Dylan have been together for most of their lives, first as neighboring friends and then as high school sweethearts. The proposal, on a secluded beach brimming with butterflies, came exactly 3,333 days later—a nod to Dylan’s penchant for the number three. So when it came time to plan their wedding, originally slated for April of 2020, Charleston had been a regular rendezvous point between their separate colleges in New York and Atlanta and felt like the perfect place to bring together family and friends. They enlisted the help of Carri Tanner of Mac & B Events and The Bearded Florist Noah Sanderson to help create the bride’s vision for an outrageous eclectic garden party, and Lowndes Grove was perfectly suited for the house party mansion-on-the-water vibe they’d hoped for. Ooh! Events and The French Eclectic had just the right mix of mismatched vintage furnishings for the ceremony, lounge, and reception areas, while Noah’s awe-inspiring floral installations spilled from trees, the stairwell, and sprawled above the dinner tables and dance floor. Unlike many brides he works with, who typically stick to a palette of four or five colors, Anna went big with eight-plus hues, from bright corals, pinks, and yellows to burgundy and deep green. Noah made a splash through both size and contrast, placing bright blooms against the moody darker tones. He also introduced the brass figurines that graced the reception tables, furthering that unexpected element the bride and groom wanted. For her part, Anna’s artistic background in fashion design came through in all of the signage she created, from the save the dates and invites to the flower-filled escort cloches to the reserved seating tags made out of playing cards (a testament to the couple’s love for games). It also came through in the bridal party attire. Anna asked her bridesmaids to wear whatever they wanted in pink, and in true New York fashion, her gals went high, donning feathers, sequins, and designer dresses and shoes. Anna, too, went all out, with a Vera Wang dress and veil, mismatched star earrings by Jennifer Behr, and her favorite piece, Rene Caovilla fishnet heels. As they say, go big or go home. Or at least put the “big” in Big Day. Vendors Design, coordination: Mac & B Events Venue: Lowndes Grove Images: Sean Money & Elizabeth Fay Florals: The Bearded Florist Catering: Patrick Properties Rentals: Adorn, The French Eclectic, Ooh! Events, Snyder Events Specialty linens: Nüage Linens Draping: The Social Spool Bride’s attire: Vera Wang (gown, veil), Rene Caovilla (shoes), Chosen by KYHA (cocktail dress)Beauty: Slate Charleston Groom’s attire: Tom Ford Transportation: Lowcountry Valet Entertainment: Classical Charleston (cocktail hour), DJ R Dot (reception) Videographer: Life in Rewind