We wanted the wedding to almost feel like a backyard wedding
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We met while in college, and we’ve been together for almost 7 years. It started out as a long-distance relationship since I (Thita) was in Mississippi at the time and Brandon was in North Carolina. Our relationship started just before the COVID lockdown happened. Then schools closed, and we were doing online classes. Everything else was shut down, so we didn’t have our part-time jobs anymore. We were actually on a spring break trip together in Miami when our schools announced that the rest of the semester would be online. When we got back to North Carolina, my parents told me to just stay there and quarantine before coming home. When it was time for me to go back to Mississippi, Brandon decided he wanted to come with me. I think he ended up staying with me for over 6 weeks. This gave us A LOT of time to hang out and get to know each other even more since the whole world was pretty much on pause and there was nothing else to do. I think going through that together as a new couple had a big impact on our relationship and really tested us as individuals. After I graduated, I moved to North Carolina, and we’ve been here ever since. Now, we both work in the vintage/secondhand clothing industry. Brandon has a clothing store in Concord, NC, where I also work. When we aren’t working, we like to hang out at home with our 3 cats, try out a new restaurant, go to a Charlotte Hornets game, or take a trip somewhere we’ve been dying to go. The list goes on, really.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met through a mutual friend and talked online for a couple of months before Brandon got the courage to fly out to finally meet me in person. We clicked right away, and it felt as though we had known each other forever.
Thita: My first impression of Brandon was that he’s really funny, outgoing, and actually quite the opposite of guys I’ve dated in the past. That last fact made me really excited to get to know him. He was so easy to talk to, and I felt like I could completely be myself around him.
Brandon: My first impression of Thita…I was in awe. Even when we were just talking over text, I could already tell she had a certain something to her. When we finally met in person, all the things I thought were true. I knew from the moment she picked me up from the airport that I would marry her (whether she wants to believe me or not). Anybody who has ever met her would tell you the same as me now: she gives off an energy that some may never feel in their entire lives.
What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).
The intimate setting of our venue was what really gave us the vibe we were looking for. We wanted the wedding to almost feel like a backyard wedding, and Coterie’s patio gave us exactly that. The space was the perfect size for our guest count of 50. We were also trying to avoid having excessive florals because of the wastefulness of it, and Coterie was perfect since their space was already so lush with greenery that florals weren’t necessary at all.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
I enjoyed designing the save-the-dates and invitations the most. I designed them all by hand, so it was a fun little creative project that set the tone for the guests and gave them a bit of insight into what they could expect for our big day. Our tip for couples starting their wedding planning journey would be to stay true to who you are and what you want. It’s your wedding; you can do it however you want to. It’s so easy to get influenced by all the wedding content on social media and by other people’s opinions, but at the end of the day, you have to remember that this is your day and that’s all that really matters.
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
We really only had 2 vendors- our photographer and venue. They were both 10000/10. The venue, Coterie, is an intimate restaurant and bar. Their space was beautiful, the food and drinks were fantastic, and service was amazing as well. They were so pleasant to work with. Our photographer, Melissa, fit in perfectly with our day. We can be a bit awkward in front of the camera, but she made us feel relaxed and comfortable through each stage of the day. We didn’t notice her or her second photographer at all during the ceremony, which was exactly what we wanted. It was really important to us that the photos from our wedding truly reflect the day and us as a couple, and Melissa absolutely nailed it.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
Thita: I knew I wanted to wear this dress for my wedding long before I ever got engaged. I first saw it on Pinterest. It was a black and white photo, and the woman wearing it was turned to the side so I couldn’t even see what the dress looked like fully. I was in love with it right then and reverse image searched it on Google and found it. It had everything I wanted in a wedding dress: ivory, long sleeves, lace, lightweight, no train, and no poof. After the wedding planning process started, I ordered the dress, tried it on, loved it, and that was that.
Brandon: There’s not much of a story to my outfit. I knew I wanted to wear green and went with Indochino. The shirt was the hard part because Thita was adamant about me not wearing a white shirt because she thought it would clash with her ivory dress. You really don’t know how hard it is to find an ivory dress shirt until you’re shopping around for an ivory dress shirt. Shout out to State and Liberty. The cat socks I wore were a fun gift from Thita. She went online and got custom-made socks with our 3 cats on them.
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
Brandon: The engagement ring I gave to Thita was actually my mother’s original engagement ring, minus the centre stone. She got a new ring made with her original stone a few years back, so when I told her I planned on proposing, she gave me her original band as a gift. The setting was meant for a marquise diamond, but Thita and I had gone ring shopping prior, and I knew she loved an emerald cut. I went to Falls Jewelers to pick out the diamond and change the setting. It turned out beautiful. As for my wedding band, I actually came across it when someone came into my store to sell some estate jewellery. I bought the ring and saved it just for this.
Thita: I got my wedding band on Etsy. I love shopping on Etsy for jewellery in general, so it just made sense for me to look for my wedding band there too.
What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).
Food and drinks. This was a non-negotiable during our planning process. For us, a wedding is basically a big party, and one of the most critical elements of throwing a good party is providing good food and drinks. We are very serious about our food in everyday life anyway, so this just naturally translated into our wedding. Some of the deepest conversations and connections take place over a dinner table and/or drinks. This was something we definitely weren’t going to skimp on.
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
Brandon: Having my brother officiate the wedding was so special and something I will cherish forever. It also lessened the pressure/nerves during the ceremony.
Thita: Our last song was “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence and The Machine. At the end of the night, when we announced that the evening was coming to a close and this was our last song, everyone gathered around in a circle with us to clap and sing along. It honestly felt like the end of the movie, and I don’t think a single person got a photo/video of it. You just had to be there.
What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?
Being married means promising to love each other and be there for each other every day, for the rest of our lives. We don’t have any special post-marriage rituals yet, but we do have a tradition that we started about 3 years ago. On New Year’s Eve of every year, we sit down together and do a yearly review of everything we’ve accomplished (or not accomplished) that year, and we also write down our goals for the upcoming year. Then when the next New Year’s Eve rolls around, we do it all over again and compare what we’ve accomplished with what was on our goals list for that year. It’s a fun way to keep track of life and remind ourselves of our accomplishments, however big or small. Sometimes, we find that our lives went on a separate path completely, and our previous goals no longer apply to the new path we’re on.
LOCATION Coterie, Charleston, SC, USA, @coterie_chs BRIDE Thita, @thitainretrograde GROOM Brandon, @branharrington_ PHOTOGRAPHER Melissa – The Photo Brief, @thephotobrief BRIDE’S BOUQUET Made by the bride GROOM’S BOUTONNIERE Flowers from Whole Foods CELEBRANT Groom’s brother, Matt Harrington HIRE & CATERING Coterie, @coterie_chs CAKE Strawberry & cream supreme cake – Publix BRIDE’S ENGAGEMENT RING Custom Made – Falls Jewelers, @fallsjewelers BRIDE’S WEDDING BAND Jewelry Palace Jewels, @jpalacejewels GROOM’S WEDDING BAND Vintage from Nothing New, @nothingnewobv BRIDE’S DRESS Rabanne, @rabanne BRIDE’S SHOES Badgley Mischka, @badgleymischka BRIDE’S NAILS Eri at Deco Beauty Club, @okaynailz BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Veil – Amazon, @amazon; Earrings – Forever 21, @forever21 HAIR & MAKEUP DIY BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Cloud + Lovenotes – Ariana Grande Fragrances GROOM’S SUIT Indochino, @indochino GROOM’S SHIRT State and Liberty, @stateandliberty GROOM’S SHOES Steve Madden, @stevemadden GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Custom cat socks – Sockologie, @shopsockologie GROOM’S FRAGRANCE Paradigme – Prada, @prada
