“We wanted to get married on the beautiful island of St. Simons where William grew up. Both of us love the beach and I grew up in Rhode Island and went to the beach every weekend as a child. We even plan to buy a beach house one day.
Will and I rodebikes on the beach in front of The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort so many times that it became a special place for us. The venue combines all the aspects we wanted and we loved the modern yet classic feel of the hotel.”
Their Vendors
Ceremony & Reception: The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort, 912.268.5001, kingandprinceweddings.com
Gown: Carolina Herrera, at Saks Fifth Ave, NYC
Bridesmaids: Show Me Your Mumu
Tux: Men’s Wearhouse
Photographer: Brooke Roberts Photography
Makeup: Patricia Kozack, Makeup by Tricia
Hair: Tiffany Bienvenue Salon
Florist: Courtyard Florist
Cake: Publix
Band: Shimmer Band
William and I met when I was working as a research assistant in the emergency room. I was applying to graduate school and had an interview the following week at the school where Will was about to graduate. A colleague of Will’s mentioned Will could help me prepare for my interview. She introduced us in a group text and we planned to meet for a drink. I couldn’t find him on social media so I thought he might be an old man haha.
We met at a restaurant down the street for a drink a few nights later to talk about my interview. We hit it off and talked all night (not about my interview). I texted my sister that night telling her I was going to marry him. Now I am a physician assistant in emergency medicine and Will is a physician assistant in cardiac surgery.
Four years later we went to St. Simons Island for their New Year’s Eve gala. His dad had just been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy so we wanted to spend time with him.We woke up at 6 am to watch the sunrise on the beach where his grandparents would walk every morning. We got to the end of the beach and he proposed by the rocks with his parents down the beach, taking photos from afar.
We wanted to get married on the beautiful island of St. Simons where William grew up. Both of us love the beach and I grew up in Rhode Island and went to the beach every weekend as a child. We even plan to buy a beach house one day. Will and I rode bikes on the beach in front of The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort so many times that it became a special place for us. The venue combines all the aspects we wanted and we loved the modern yet classic feel of the hotel.
We worked with Lyn Cunningham at The King and Prince who made our special day stress-free and well-organized. Planning the wedding from New England was difficult but she emailed me photos of everything down to the linens I could pick. They provided a fun green ivy wall with our last name on a neon sign for photo ops. At the end of the night they coordinated our bubble exit out of the venue. Typically outdoor venues on St. Simons have to stop music at 10 pm, so I love that the indoor hotel bar stayed open late to keep the party going.
Most importantly, Lyn set up one of the venue “cottages” for the bridal party to get ready the morning. It had a full makeup suite and a cute front porch for photos. My favorite was going to our room at the end of the night and having meals from the wedding saved for us, because we were so busy throughout the night we barely got to eat!
Our ceremony was beautiful, short, and simple. Will’s long-time church mentor officiated the ceremony and incorporated beautiful prayers. We saved a seat for Will’s late father who passed away in May and also had his photo pinned to Will’s boutonnière and his mom’s flowers. My nephew and ring-bearer Landon walked down the aisle with our long-haired mini dachshund, dressed in his doggy tuxedo.
We had oysters passed during our cocktail hour since we often have them in Rhode Island. My talented mother-in-law, Marianna Elias, used recycled oyster shells from Brunswick, GA to create seating cards for our guests. Our signature drink, a spicy peach margarita, was passed during cocktail hour, where guests also had marinated tuna, caprese canapés with tomato and fresh mozzarella, and chicken and waffles.
We changed outfits for the reception.
I wore a white silk dress and Will had a white tuxedo, both with our matching Nikes. Our bridal party also changed into matching Nikes that we gifted them for dancing. We had everyone on the dance floor the whole time and the band was wonderful! My favorite part was when we passed out light-up tambourines for everyone to dance with.
Our dinner was delicious. We wanted to give the northern folks a classic southern meal with Georgia shrimp and grits and added a spicy kick to it. We also had grilled sirloin steak, roasted cauliflower steak with crispy chickpeas, and seasonal vegetables with angel hair pasta which I had picked out. Our dessert was a three-tier cake with different flavors in each layer, one being coffee milk, the RI state drink. We also had a signature dessert drink, espresso martinis. Our late night snack was grilled cheese and French fries, which we both love.
We said thank you to our bridal party and parents with handwritten notes and a pair of matching Nikes since Will is a big shoe junkie. Each venue staffer and vendor got a handwritten letter and tip from us to show our gratitude. As wedding favors for guests, we had Polaroid cameras for people to take photos and to take home and we also did welcome bags with local treats such as honey, peaches, and other snacks as well as a hand-painted watercolor map of the island and our weekend events, created by my mother-in-law.
We had a welcome party at the St. Simons Lighthouse following our rehearsal dinner where everyone could climb to the top and get a view of the island at sunset. We also had a pickleball tournament the day before the wedding. These events really helped our guests feel welcomed and get acquainted with the island and each other.
The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort, St. Simons Isl., GA, 912.268.5001, kingandprinceweddings.com
