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Wedding photographer Anne Jervey Rhett and golf professional Matthew Appleby both grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, and actually attended the same high school. \u201cShe was a cool senior when I was a sophomore, so I like to say that she didn\u2019t know me, but I definitely knew her,\u201d Matthew remembers. \u201cOur paths crossed again later in life when my sister got married and Anne was the wedding photographer. She was most professional, deflecting my advances and flirtation in that moment, much to my dismay. When Anne released the photos, I used it as an excuse to ask her out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two years after they started dating, they got engaged on the beach in Harbour Island. Anne was photographing a wedding on the Bahamian island and invited Matthew to join her. \u201cI had been holding onto the ring for months prior and was trying to find a special and unique way to ask her to marry me,\u201d he recalls. \u201cThe opportunity to propose on pink sands presented itself, and I ran with the Harbour Island proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luckily, some of Anne\u2019s best friends happened to be vacationing on the island that same week and helped Matthew coordinate the proposal. \u201cI was as nervous as I\u2019ve ever been in my life,\u201d he admits. \u201cI had the scenario mapped out in my head, and in my mind, I would be so<\/em> smooth! However, when the moment came, I was noticeably nervous and some might say looking a little unwell. Despite all of that, my nerves didn\u2019t ruin the surprise, and she said \u2018yes!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have worked in the wedding industry for most of my adult life,\u201d Anne says. \u201cSo being on the other side as a bride felt a bit foreign but also familiar and\u2014I cannot lie\u2014at times fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n A year after the proposal, the couple married at Sunny Point Farm, outside of Charleston. \u201cWe were on the mossy, marshy, magical expanse of Wadmalaw Island,\u201d Anne says. \u201cThis beautiful corner of the earth has been in Matthew\u2019s mother\u2019s family for generations. His parents and his maternal grandparents both had their wedding receptions at this same spot, so it holds much sentimental value.\u201d Due to Anne\u2019s line of work, she\u2019s been exposed to many far-flung wedding destinations\u2014and she did briefly dream of running off and eloping somewhere international\u2014but ultimately, with both of the couple being native Charlestonians, they decided to stick with their roots. \u201cWe thought, why overlook the beauty at our fingertips?\u201d Anne adds. \u201cWe ultimately came to the conclusion that, for us, there really is no place like home.\u201d<\/p>\n Anne and Matthew worked with Gathering Events to plan their wedding weekend. \u201cI knew they could create an environment that felt elegant yet breezy,\u201d Anne explains. \u201cThe mood board I brought them was a mash-up of images that had spoken to me over the years\u2014lots of shell motifs, columns, tasseled cabanas, and striped awnings.\u201d The team brought it all to life, and also came up with the idea for Anne and Matthew\u2019s beautiful meandering garden-style aisle adorned with cascading florals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n