Like something out of a movie, Atlanta-based interior designer Clary Bosbyshell grew up only a street away from her future husband, Graham Welsh. “We have baby pictures together,” Clary explains. “Our moms have always been friends.” Fast forward a couple of decades later, when Graham, a medical device consultant, had just bought his first home and needed a decorator. “We reconnected when he hired me,” she adds.
A little under a year later, Graham and Clary were heading out to dinner one night to one of their favorite restaurants, KR Steak Bar. When they got there, the waitress led them to the outdoor patio, where friends and family awaited with champagne and yelled “surprise!” Clary, whose birthday was the next day, mistakenly thought it was an early birthday celebration. It was only when Graham got up to give a toast that it finally clicked for her that he was about to propose. “Next thing I knew, he was down on one knee,” she says. “It was all kind of a blur from there. Thank goodness some friends caught it on video!”
Graham and Clary always knew they wanted to get married at The Cloister at Sea Island; a place they both grew up going to and where they’ve always enjoyed taking Clary’s son, Rayfe, as well. “It was important for Rayfe to be a special part of the ceremony, which is also why we chose to get married at 11:30 a.m.” The bride, who worked with Kellie Ryan and Maggie Bea from the Sea Island wedding planning team, drew upon her design background when dreaming up the wedding decor. “I incorporated my favorite Quadrille fabric, Veneto, into our wedding reception as table runners and as a skirted table for the cake,” she says. “I also wanted all white flowers and a mix of tropical botanicals.”
Since the wedding was taking place early in the day, Clary wanted her dress to be unfussy and simple. “I didn’t think that a huge gown was appropriate,” she notes. She tried on a few dresses until she finally decided on one by Oscar de la Renta. Meanwhile, Graham had a bespoke suit made at Sid Mashburn. “We picked out a steel blue gray fabric and went from there,” Clary says.
On the morning of May 6th, Clary’s father and her son walked her down the aisle of the chapel at The Cloister. “Seeing my groom brought tears to my eyes,” she says. “We incorporated a song that was played at my parents’ wedding into the ceremony, too, which was really special.” From then, guests moved to The Cloister’s garden, where cocktails and a full charcuterie spread were being served. Since it was still early, the couple did their first and only dance to Ray LaMontagne’s “You Are The Best Thing.”
Then came a seated lunch inside at Tavola, where the menu included grilled avocado and tomato salad, seafood pasta, and chicken marsala. “Graham gave the only toast of the day, thanking my parents and friends and family for being with us,” Clary says. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.” After lunch, the reception was officially over, but there was still some fun left to be had. “Our guests changed into their bathing suits, and we all met on the beach at The Cloister,” explains Clary. “It was a fun way to continue the celebration.”
