Kenny Stevens and Nicole Knowles met at a high school beach party and dated throughout college. By the time Kenny proposed with his grandmother’s diamond—right in the middle of the jewelry store!—the couple had been together for 13 years. When they finally tied the knot at Charleston’s historic Governor Thomas Bennett House, the pair and all of their family and friends were eager to see them make it official.

The couple was quickly drawn to the historic home and its surrounding gardens. “We loved the idea of being able to spend the day in the home looking out the upstairs window as they readied the garden for our wedding,” Nicole says. “It was the perfect venue to host the entire event, including the outdoor ceremony, cocktail hour in the home, formal dinner and festive dancing with a band.”

The inspiration for the event came from a piece of fabric that was used as a runner on the head table. The print of the fabric was letterpressed into the invitations, and was used on all of the stationery, escort cards and signage. The colors were also inspired by the fabric.

They worked with Meredith Tanton and Jacqueline Volz of Sweetgrass Social to plan the event from beginning to end. “Planning our wedding was so much fun,” Nicole says. “You seldom hear a bride say that. But it is true. Early on, we decided this was going to be an enjoyable process. I am creative so I loved planning the details, but bringing it all together can be stressful. With them, I didn’t worry. They were there every step of the way, and we met often to discuss details.”

Nicole adds, “Shortly after returning from our honeymoon, I said I would love to throw a party like that every year.” Since the wedding, the newlyweds bought a new home in Atlanta and they welcomed their daughter, Madeline, in June.