There Were Just Five Guests at This Couple's Colorful Wedding in Charleston

Katie Capo and John Apsey were set up by a mutual friend. He was given Katie's number on her birthday, so John kicked off their exchange with a "Happy Birthday" message and a slew of silly emoticons. Four days later they met in person and were dating a month later. After four years together, the duo—who are wedding photographers in Charleston, South Carolina—planned to spend the day Disney World, a place that's special to Katie since she used to work there, before shooting a wedding. They made an event out of it and invited some buddies to tag along, including a fellow photographer. John sneakily asked the shutterbug pal to snap photos throughout the day and kept asking Katie if she wanted to go to Rapunzel's Tower and take a picture. She kept putting it off so they could go on rides, but when they got off the Haunted Mansion, he asked again, and she agreed.

After a few snaps, their friend told them to kiss. And that was John's cue to pop the question. "All I remember was him saying, 'You know I've wanted to marry you for a long time now...,' and then I covered my face and cried. The proposal came with a gold-and-purple prop ring because John knew Katie wanted something antique, and the next day the newly-engaged couple went to an estate store where he picked out a 1920s ring with emeralds on the sides.

The location of the proposal, the green stones in her ring, and her love of Mickey Mouse influenced the tiny wedding they planned for two years later. On March 13, 2018, the pair wed Middleton Place—a stately and historic setting perfect for a storybook day. The theme of their celebration was joyful, romantic, and fun, with a bit of "colorful vintage Disney Princess" thrown in. Katie's wedding dress was blush pink, John sported a custom green ensemble, and flowers and furniture added more to the day's palette. It was an intimate affair—with just a few immediate family members and the couple's two dogs in attendance.

Custom Invitations

Though the invites were only going to a few people, Katie wanted something personalized, whimsical, and colorful—and to incorporate their dogs Falkor and Zelda. Thanks to Kathryn Selbert Illustration, she checked off all of those boxes.

The Historic Location

Katie and John originally wanted to get married in Ireland but nixed the idea because they couldn't bring their dogs. Middleton Place has that old European vibe while also feeling Southern, so they chose it as their wedding venue.

Their Colorful Attire

John wore a dark green suit by Tom James, a pink checkered shirt, and a white Brackish bow tie and pocket square. The couple's names and wedding date were sewn inside.

Katie always knew she would wear color on her wedding day. "I look awful in white and never wear it anyway so it wouldn't have been very 'me,'" she explains. While browsing BHLDN to see what was new for the season, she saw a pale pink Lara dress. She ordered it immediately and showed it to her husband-to-be once it arrived. Since they had already seen one another's attire, the couple got ready together on the wedding day. "It was just so relaxing and nice to spend the whole day together," Katie says. "I think more couples should do it."

An Ensemble with Dimension

Katie loved the flowers on her pink dress and how it made her feel like a princess. But she added a little something extra with rose gold Kate Spade Keds (great for a celebration on a lawn) and tulle star glitter socks from Lirika Matoshi.

A Vibrant Bouquet

"I had no direction for my florist other than color and boy did she deliver," Katie says of Flora. Her bouquet included scabiosa, garden roses, anemones, ranunculus, sweet peas, and more in shades of yellow, pink, peach, white, and light purple.

The Dapper Groom

"I wore green because we were supposed to get married in Ireland so I wanted to bring a little of the Emerald Isle to Charleston," John says of his decision to skip the standard black option.

Puppy Love

The couple was able to grab a few photos with their beloved dogs before the ceremony.

A Colorful Ceremony Setup

When Katie and John decided to invite family, the bride knew she wanted colorful vintage couches to serve as ceremony seating instead of traditional white chairs. These pieces were from The French Eclectic.

Here Comes the Bride

A friend played guitar for the ceremony, and the bride chose "Blackbird" by the Beatles for her processional with her father.

Getting Married

The couple tapped their friend to lead the late-afternoon ceremony. They exchanged nontraditional rings—his, a custom band by Loch Jewelers that features emeralds (to match her engagement ring) and dinosaur bones (his favorite movie is Jurassic Park), and hers from Sofia Zakia Jewelry with a diamond in the center and two crescent moons on the sides with a rainbow of stones after that.

A Special Ritual

During the ceremony Katie's mother did an Irish hand fasting ritual. It was a nod to her grandmother and the location of their honeymoon.

A Young Guest

The intimate group included the bride's parentsm her two sisters, and her young niece. Three friends were there too, handling the music (and the dogs) for the day.

Just Married

After sealing the deal with a kiss, the couple recessed to George Harrison's "I Got My Mind Set On You"—a song picked by the groom. Exactly a month later, the newlyweds were in Key West with the bride's parents and the song came on in the store they were in. Katie ran up to John and made him dance with her behind a clothing rack.

Portraits on the Grounds

The newlyweds wandered the sprawling grounds for portraits after the ceremony.

Animals All Around

Former vet tech John loved that there were animals on the grounds. "I am pretty sure he took a photo of every single sheep we stumbled upon when we were there," Katie says. The couple took a few formal portraits with them, too. "Besides the ceremony, my favorite moment was taking our portraits with the sheep," John admits. "One of them came up to us and we thought it wanted us to pet it, but instead it tried to eat Katie's flowers. Perry caught it on camera with us laughing."

A Two-Tier Cake

While Katie isn't a fan of cake at all, she does enjoy a slice of confetti-style cake from Delicious Desserts. The couple chose a simple white design with golden silhouettes of the bride and groom and handcrafted flower accents. A silhouette of Mickey Mouse made an appearance on the back as a surprise to the couple and a nod to their engagement setting.

A Table for Two

A petite table was set for the bride and groom to enjoy their cake at. As for the celebratory meal, the group continued on to Poogan's Porch in downtown Charleston for dinner.

Sources

Photography, Perry Vaile

Location, Middleton Place

Event planning, Pure Luxe Bride

Catering, Poogan's Porch

Flowers, Flora

Stationery, Kathryn Selbert Illustration

Cake, Delicious Desserts

Rentals, 428 Main; Polished Table Top; The French Eclectic

Bride's gown, Lara from Bhldn

Bride's accessories, Emma Katzka Bridal crown; Lirika Matoshi socks; Kate Spade shoes

Hair and Makeup, Ash & Co.

Groom's suit, Tom James

Groom's bow tie and pocket square, Brackish

Transportation, Relic Imports