After graduating from Ole Miss, Charlie Edwards returned home to Atlanta—and while there, he met University of Georgia undergrad Caroline Perrott. “We met through a mutual friend at Park Tavern and struck up a conversation,” Caroline remembers. The connection was instant. “We spent the rest of the night drinking Miller Lite and falling in love.”
Over the next four years, Charlie introduced fashion-forward Caroline to the great outdoors and all the things that come with it: hiking, camping, fishing. And then, “one weekend, he suggested we stop for a quick hike in the North Georgia mountains,” Caroline says. “Although not super keen on the idea, I found that trusting in Charlie had gotten me to some of the most beautiful places in the world.” They hiked along the Chattooga River with their golden retriever, Earl, to a quiet beach. “It was here that Charlie asked me if I would spend the rest of my life with him. It was perfect. I’ve always said I wanted to get engaged at the beach, so this was Charlie’s solution—my own, personal ‘beach!’”
It was a similar setting that inspired their big day. “Our wedding was inspired by a shared love of the Southern coast and its marshlands, which have filled our summers since childhood,” Caroline says. “We chose to get married on Amelia Island. It’s where we congregate every Fourth of July or beach weekend and is really an untouched area of the coast that still feels very ‘Old Florida.’” To help bring their vision to life, the couple brought on Becca Brooks Events & Design.
Setting the tone from the jump was important to Caroline, who worked with Brent Ellis of Atlanta-based Dear Elouise on a semi-custom invitation suite. “We made our paper goods personal by adding thoughtful design touches reflecting the coast,” she describes. “We included a custom-painted watercolor marsh scene by Colors by Claire, inspired by a photo taken by Kathryn Ann Waller, on our save the date.”
Her fashion was equally intentional—and the editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Weddings Atlanta, The Atlantan, and ML Interiors Atlanta, Caroline has an impeccable eye. “I opted for classic silhouettes with coastal, beachy accents to reflect a sense of place,” she says. For the rehearsal dinner, she paired an off-the-shoulder linen SIR the Label dress with layered saltwater pearl necklaces from Cult Gaia and Lizzie Fortunato, and a vintage bag with raffia details and seashells.
“For my wedding dress, I chose an Oscar de la Renta gown in a classic mermaid shape,” she says. She accessorized with Frances Valentine shoes and Jennifer Behr earrings, and Paulina Perez gave her a pretty chignon. At the end of the night, the bride changed into a “getaway dress,” rather than a second look. “Something about this felt very old-timey and retro to me. Earlier this year, I was looking at photos of my great aunt Gigi’s wedding, and my favorite part was her getaway shift dress and matching jacket she donned with her suitcase, off to the honeymoon! I wanted to do something that mirrored that but with a modern take. I opted for a white Alexis shift dress with a bow neck-tie. I loved that I still got a second look, but didn’t have to change out of my wedding dress so quickly.”
On June 10, 2023—one year to the day after Charlie proposed—Caroline walked down an oak-shaded aisle, overlooking the marsh. “I remember the breeze picking up right as I started down the aisle with my mother and my stepdad on either arm,” she says. “It still gives me chills.”
As golden hour hit, guests slurped oysters and sipped Champagne on the veranda while a string trio provided background music. “Then, as dinner was served, the sun started its descent to the horizon, and guests flooded inside to the A.C.,” Caroline says. Florist Canaan Marshall installed hanging florals above a checkered dance floor—“it looked as if flowers were magically floating around it,” the bride remembers—and tables from Beachview Event Rentals & Design were topped with more flowers in sunset hues.
Toasts were made, and then the band brought the energy up a level. “Our band from Crescent Moon Entertainment was something else,” Caroline says. “Charlie and I both went to SEC schools and share a love of dive bars, [so] Charlie picked a band that would play in a college bar—and it was perfect! It was the cheapest part of our wedding and probably the most applauded. Guests donned coastal cowboy hats and leis, and danced the night away.”
