When Helen “Litsa” Darby and Russell “Whit” Barnes agreed to a blind date on a snow-covered night in the city, one drink turned into three hours of getting to know one another. “It was really like something out of a rom-com movie!” Litsa remembers.
Litsa and Whit dated for two years before he dropped to one knee in a garden overlooking the Hudson River. Afterward, friends and family celebrated the couple at a surprise engagement soiree.
The bride-to-be grew up attending a Greek Orthodox Church and always knew she would be wed in the tradition. “It is special to me because my parents and grandparents were both married there,” she says of her particular church in South Carolina. The reception venue was an effortless choice, as Litsa’s family farm is located just outside of Charleston. As for the aesthetic, classic Southern charm and peak elegance chronicle her memo.
Tara Guérard Soirée planned the weekend, incorporating Whit’s family businesses—Wildwood and Chelsea House—into the design. All the while, Corbin Gurkin stood behind the lens.
The festivities began on Friday, in celebration of Litsa. Aunt of the bride-to-be and abstract artist Anne Parker hosted a bridal luncheon at her home on Sullivan’s Island. “Her studio and garden provided the perfect backdrop for an outdoor soiree. Anne even painted an incredible painting to honor my special day!” Litsa says. To this, she wore a two-piece floral-adorned set by AJE.
The following evening, Litsa attended the beachside rehearsal dinner in Carolina Herrera’s Embroidered Heart Strapless Mini, and on April 30, 2022,—the wedding day—she dressed in a custom Mira Zwillinger look.
“Mira’s gowns are the perfect mix of old-fashioned elegance with a twist of modern. Once I saw her collection, I knew I would choose one,” Litsa says. “The Sophia gown was exactly what I was looking for. We made a few changes and Mira created a custom gown just for me!” As is Greek tradition, Litsa’s mother sewed an evil eye onto the hem of the slip.
Whit donned a custom Tom James tuxedo, and bridesmaids wore pastel dresses by Bella Bridesmaids. Little ones graced the aisle in styles by Ralph Lauren and Serena White.
On the day-of, the bride added a sapphire diamond bracelet—a family heirloom—to her look and readied alongside her bridesmaids. The wedding party posed for a few portraits before Litsa met her father on church steps draped in white florals. “We had a very traditional Greek Orthodox wedding,” the bride notes. “Each part of the service is done three times, the rings, the crows, and our first steps as a husband and wife.” As Litsa and Whit exited the ceremony, guests were handed Bourbonnais—Greek wedding favors symbolic of the bitterness and sweetness of life.
Guests fancied light bites and specialty drinks before heading to the cattle barn for cocktail hour. “An authentic Greek Bouzouki player played Greek music and we all danced in circles, as the groomsmen broke plates in honor of us,” Lista recalls. “A perfect way to begin the night! OPA!”
Then everyone made their way to a tented reception space glittering with wooden light fixtures and local botanicals. They dined on a menu of locally-sourced fish while listening to Joe Clarke Big Band. The newlyweds cut into their five-tier wedding cake by Jim Smeal. “The flowers on the cake matched the flowers on my gown,” Litsa clarifies. “It tasted as good as it looked!”
Litsa and Whit danced to Natalie Cole’s “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love),” and a saxophonist started off the revelry with “When The Saints Go Marching In.” Everyone danced until midnight to songs queued by Simply Irresistible. As it all came to close, fireworks lit the sky and the newlyweds made their grand exit amidst the cheers of loved ones. “And we were off!” Litsa exclaims. “Driving down the Avenue of Oaks in a golf cart!”
