Daryel Washington, Jr. returned from a six-month deployment—he’s a staff sergeant in the United States Marine Corps—just days before his wedding. While he’d been gone, his love Caroline “Buggy” Tuten had been working to plan their perfect wedding, one that involved a meaningful venue, stunning florals, and the couple’s beautiful daughter as flower girl. But their story had really begun six years earlier.
Daryel and Buggy met in Portland in 2019 and dated for three years before getting engaged. “We were about to move to San Diego together and went hiking around Trillium Lake in Oregon one last time,” Buggy remembers. “We were taking in the view when I turned around and Daryel was on one knee with a little blue box. He had gotten my aunt and uncle to come and photograph the entire thing. It was such a beautiful and treasured memory.”
A year prior, Buggy’s father had passed away suddenly, and the couple saw their wedding as a way to honor his memory. “My parents custom-built our house in 2000 and always joked that they wouldn’t have to pay for a wedding venue,” the bride says of the South Carolina home. “Both my siblings opted out of using it, but I thought it would be a great way to honor my dad! We certainly felt his presence on the day-of.”
They erected a tent on the property that would be decorated with lush and whimsical decor—including insect-inspired nods to the bride’s nickname—and send out invitations with playful squiggled designs. Buggy wanted her fashion to match this level of whimsy. “I had no idea where to start,” she says. “Then, I was walking down the street in San Diego—my new home at the time—and saw a gorgeous bridal shop. The French owner, Christina Sfez, made custom gowns, and the rest is history. We worked together for a year to come up with the perfect look.” Latia Curtis Fine Art Beauty did her hair and makeup, and she finished the look with diamond studs and a colorful necklace.
On May 4, 2024, the rain was coming down, which prompted a shift in the original plans. “We had to change the venue at the last minute due to weather, so what I thought would be an outdoor wedding with my childhood home as the backdrop turned into a tent on the lawn,” Buggy shares. “I was rightfully panicked about the last-minute change, and on the fly, we came up with an entire floral wall that would serve as the backdrop to our ceremony.” That’s where Kate Asire Flowers stepped in. “She turned my vision into a reality with what felt like minutes to spare. It ended up being completely different from what I envisioned, but in the absolute best way possible.”
And in reality, the timing was everything. “The ceremony felt like I was walking on a cloud,” the bride says. “My husband had just gotten back from a six-month deployment a few days before, so it was even more meaningful and special walking down the aisle to him after so much time apart. One of my most treasured memories was when our daughter, Ruthie—who acted as flower girl—ran straight to her daddy right before I walked down the aisle. Everyone was clapping and laughing, and it was just the energy that we wanted.”
The joyful energy segued perfectly into a happy reception. “We had a beautiful tent with a black-and-white striped ceiling and carpeted floors,” Buggy describes. “My mother worked tirelessly for a year to accrue enough vintage glassware and place settings for 220 people, and there was a lot of color and texture and depth to each table.” The ceremony backdrop became a flowery photo moment, and floral-adorned vintage motorcycles flanked the tent’s entrance as another nod to Buggy’s dad.
Guests sipped signature espresso martinis and cucumber gin gimlets before sitting for a meal of braised short ribs and rosemary mashed potatoes by Southern Way Catering. “We had an amazing band, Wanda and the Wobblers; the lead singer was a good friend of the family, and she absolutely knocked it out of the park!” Buggy says. “Then, around 10:30, we switched to a DJ from Curate Entertainment and turned the lights down low to give it more of a club vibe.”
The newlyweds danced to Sade’s “Kiss of Life,” and then Daryel grabbed the mic to karaoke “Your Man” by Josh Turner. “He nails the country accent and deep voice, so it’s particularly hilarious,” Buggy says. “It was one of the best moments of my life.”
The night ended as all the best nights at her parents’ house do: “We all went up to our ‘camp house,’ a house we have on my parents’ property; we’ve always used it for fun parties over the years, so it was a really full-circle moment having our friends from all over the country there to celebrate with us,” Buggy says. “We kept the party going until the wee hours of the morning, and it was so much fun.”
