A Formal Carriage House Wedding at Four O Three North Lake in Lexington, South Carolina

Stacy Lunceford (29 and in marketing) and Christopher (Chris) Ryan (29 and in marketing) were introduced by mutual friend during a party celebrating the first week of summer. They ran into each other a year later—while on separate dates—but still exchanged numbers and quickly became inseparable. Chris proposed to Stacy after they both graduated college during a surprise hotel stay on Valentine's Day. "Chris had everything all so that when we walked into the room, it was filled with white tulips," says Stacy. "Shortly after there was a knock on the door and he asked me to get it—of course it was champagne!—and when I turned around, Chris was down on one knee." Throughout the next two years, Stacy and Chris planned a rustic fall affair at Four O Three North Lake in Lexington, South Carolina. The couple exchanged vows during a sunset garden ceremony with a shabby-chic vibe. "I knew that I wanted to stay true to the style of the venue and to our South Carolina routes," says Stacy. "We wanted to keep it classic and romantic with lots of candles." Even though Stacy and Chris were planning a rustic barn wedding, they still wanted to ensure that they were hosting a formal affair, and hung glowing lanterns filled with mason jars and flowers from their ceremony arbor for a glamorous feel. Elegant vintage furniture accompanied Stacy's father's old chess table and suitcases to create an outdoor lounge. "My dad passed away when I was very young so we tried to have him still be apart of the wedding in as many ways as possible," says Stacy. "We even used his old doctor's pen that was engraved with his name as the pen we signed our marriage license with." Inspired by their desire to keep everything "South Carolina," the couple arranged their favor display to look like an old country store filled with goodies. "We jarred grits and biscuit mix from Adluh Flour Company located in downtown Columbia, SC along with recipes," says Stacy.