'Southern Charm's' Eliza Limehouse and Her Boyfriend Fell in Love During THIS Styled Shoot and Their Story Is #Couplegoals
When it comes to timeless elegance and charm, there's truly no wedding destination in the world that can compete with Charleston - and this editorial from The Petal Report proves just that. A vintage powder blue getaway car, floral linen, and miles of Spanish moss as far as the eyes can see... every detail of this shoot perfectly captures the sweet essence of Lowcountry. Speaking of southern charm... you may recognize the beautiful bride - Eliza Devereaux Limehouse from Bravo's Southern Charm! She started dating her now boyfriend, Struthers, right after shooting this together as bride and groom - can you believe that?! It just doesn't get any cuter. We were lucky enough to speak to Eliza and hear her side of the story - now we're dishing all the adorable details below! Don't forget to head over to the full gallery by Anne Rhett Photography to see all the southern sweetness.
How did you and Struthers meet?! You two are so gorgeous together!
Well… we’ve known each other for years through mutual friends, from our families being in politics and just through keeping up on social media. I always had a boyfriend and he always had a girlfriend, so we were just friends -- always had a thing for each other but never acted on it -- but there’s always been this “what if” factor. When I needed a groom for this shoot I was like, “let me think of the hottest person I know”! So I called him and was like “Hey do you want to model for this wedding shoot?”, he’s like “I’ve never modeled before” and I was like “Good! Just come on down!” so that’s how it all went down! I had never gotten butterflies before until I kissed and I thought - "wow this must be the real deal!"
Do you have any ideas for your own dream wedding? Were you inspired by any details from this particular shoot?
Oh my gosh -- yes! First of all, it was such a weird feeling, a good feeling -- but a feeling I’ve never felt before because Anne and Linsey and all the people that were a part of this shoot kept joking the whole time that we [Eliza and Struthers] were going to get married or that this was our real wedding saying that they could feel the energy between us. They all thought he was super cute too and kept asking things like “Are y’all going to name your kids after us? Are y’all going to let us plan your wedding?” At first I was just laughing and thought they were so funny until I kissed him and realized “oh my gosh, I think I love this person!” And it was such a weird feeling because we were at a wedding shoot and we liked each other! Struthers and I were joking on Instagram [after the shoot] in a sneak-peak post like “it’s so funny that on our first date we got married” and I was like “can’t wait to name our first born Linsey Anne!” because they were joking about naming our kids after them… meanwhile I didn’t know that Struthers mom’s name is Laura Anne and his sister’s name was Mills Anne! And they were like “how’d did you know our family name!?” and I was like “oh my gosh I didn’t – that was a joke!” We were laughing too because the whole thing was so natural that we were like “if we had a preacher out there, we would have just gotten married!” This shoot was literally my dream wedding. Everything from the dresses, to the car, to the details on the tables and invitations! Literally everything was what I would imagine if I were to get married. The only thing I would do different is get married in the winter - not when it’s warm out!
How did it feel shooting at a venue that is so near and dear to your heart?
It was so cool - I loved it! Everyone always says “don’t you want to have a destination wedding?” and I’m always like "no -- if I ever got married I would definitely want it to be at home under the oak trees."
Tell us about what it's like to be a part of the Southern Charm cast? Any good gossip you can share?
Well, I don’t know what I’m allowed to share because we’re still airing episodes, but it has definitely been an experience for sure! Reality TV is so weird because it’s real life. There are definitely pros and cons! I love the business exposure and meeting all the awesome fans but I’m definitely stressed out all the time like “oh what are people going to think”, you kind of just have to let go of expectations – it’s been an experience I don’t know how else to explain it! It’s like something you can’t describe and something that there’s no way to prepare yourself for it. It’s such a hard question to answer, I’ve been asked it a few times and still haven’t gotten it down yet! You’re definitely going to be surprised about some of the things you see coming up – especially towards the end. We still have a little drama left that’s going to shock everybody!
From The Petal Report... Inspiration for this shoot started with the marshlands of Kiawah River. The blue tones picked up in the glistening streams the trickle backed by the rustic grasses, we pulled from the elements to bring together something elevated. We wanted to incorporate different patterns and textures while still keeping everything beautiful and soft. We chose a floral linen, rooted in the blues that pulled at our heartstrings, from The Curated Line to start off our table decor. Building off of that, we gravitated toward brown sweet peas, toffee roses and anemones for their romantic ruffles but tawny tones. Plates popped off the color palette with two-tones and calligraphy place cards called back to the romantic aesthetic. The deckle edge in the paper reminded us of the marsh grasses rippling in the current, and the texture in the paper called to the foliage around us. Making it look like a real wedding day, we included a "his & hers" lounge set where we envisioned our groom and his pals could sit back and enjoy a cigar whereas our bride and her ladies could sip on champagne while relaxing amongst the Oaks.
Love bloomed on this day between our “bride” and “groom.” Eliza and Struthers had met before, but only twice. As they stood enveloped in the tides and cool breezes, they promptly fell in love. A real life couple now, their chemistry was clearly undeniable. The old farmhouse that stands at the front of the development used to be the home of our bride's, Eliza Deveraux Limehouse, great grandmother. Seeing the history come to life from our fictional wedding was truly an amazing addition. Bringing in a vintage car that could have been used in the same day's as that said grandmother, we had our happy couple stationed within to show what a sweet getaway it would be. Two bridal looks were incorporated to show the whimsy and elegance that the day dictated. Lindsey Nowak, stylist, curated a look from Lovely Bride, with the way it whispered a bohemian nonchalance, and one from Southern Protocol, with perfect femininity. Croghans sent over some gems to cinch the entire look, and it seemed as if she grew to be placed on this very day and in this very spot. The story is simple, but true. We set out to create an intimate wedding rooted in the Lowcountry, and we brought to life a real-life romance in the home of the bride’s grandmother. Somethings are meant to be, despite best laid plans, and this plan was true Charleston perfection.
Photography: Anne Rhett Photography | Floral Design: Vero Designs | Wedding Cake: ABCD Cakes | Groom: Mark Struthers McBride Jr. | Blue Bridal Gown: Lovely Bridal Shop | Bridal Jewelry: Croghans | Bridal Stylist: Lindsey Nowak | Bride: Eliza Devereaux Limehouse | Cocktails: Squeeze OnSite | Coordination & Design: Cayleigh Hopkins | Getaway Car: Lowcountry Valet | Hair & Makeup Artist: Pampered and Pretty | Linen: The Curated Line | Lounge: Adorn Charleston | Pink Bridal Gown: Romona Keveza | Plantation: Kiawah River | Rentals: Snyder Event Rentals