Seaside Cents

“While our exhausted classmates slowly trickled home every night, Joe and I were always the last on the dance floor,” says Déla Breyne of meeting Irishman Joe O’Callaghan during a college trip to Belgium. Three years later, Joe proposed on Garnish Island in Ireland, but with the rigmarole of visas, the groom made it stateside a mere two months before the Big Day. Flying solo for most of the planning (and wanting to stick strictly to their $10,000 budget), Déla struck gold when she found a private home on a local beach that could host their 20ish guests for the laid-back day on the coast she had dreamed of. “I knew I wanted something low-key and low-stress,” she says, “with a vibe that was romantic and ethereal but not over the top—like a really great dinner party at a friend’s house.” And she got it. “I loved having all our friends here for the weekend,” she says, “it was like a big sleepover.”

Sea What Works

Choose wisely. Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Folly Beach, Kiawah, and Seabrook have varying rules about hosting ceremonies (or receptions) on the beach and throwing parties in rental homes. Visit (and bookmark) CharlestonWeddingsMag.com/BeachRules for details.

Play it close. Sidestep many regulations—plus gusting wind, blowing sand, and onlookers—by holding the ceremony in your rental’s waterfront yard and the reception on its decks.

Aim for double duty. Besides having it host the Big Day, use your rental for accommodations.

Pick a pretty one. Opt for a property (Déla found this one on VBRO.com) with an aesthetic that requires minimal additional décor.

Get crafty. The bride (a graphic designer) made the invitations and heart garlands, while the same pals who bussed tables and kept drinks full folded napkins with a flourish.

Vendor List

Wedding design, planning: Dela O’Callaghan (the bride)

Photography: Carolina Photosmith, www.CarolinaPhotosmith.com

Venue: Beach rental via www.VRBO.com

Bouquet, boutonnieres: Kimana Littleflower, kimanalittleflower@gmail.com

Plant centerpieces: Abide-A-While, www.AbideAwhileGardenCenter.com

Rentals: EventHaus Rentals, www.EventHausRentals.com

Catering: Twenty Six Divine, www.TwentySixDivine.com

Cakes: Saffron Restaurant & Bakery, www.EatSaffron.com

Wine, spirits: Total Wine, www.TotalWine.com

Invitation envelopes: Rifle Paper Co. from Mac & Murphy, www.MacAndMurphy.com

Bridal attire: Justin Alexander from Bridal House of Charleston, www.BridalHouseOfCharleston.com

Beauty: Salon Latitude, www.Facebook.com/SalonLatitude

Groom’s attire: 319 Men, www.319MenByShaw.com (suit); Famous Footwear, www.FamousFootwear.com (shoes); Doickers (tie), www.Dockers.com