When Jenna Leigh O’Neill and Peter Reid Wilson matched on Hinge, they decided to meet at an Irish pub on Bleeker Street in New York, a spot Pete frequented that also happened to be close to Jenna’s Soho apartment. It must’ve been fate or a stroke of Irish luck as sparks flew. After spending two years together, Pete proposed at the couple’s favorite New York City destination, The Greenwich Hotel. That morning, he brought Jenna breakfast in bed, and when he lifted the silver cloche, instead of a steaming entree, Jenna found a sparkling engagement ring. Later that evening, loved ones surprised them at The Maritime Hotel.
“We always knew we wanted a destination wedding, a place where our friends and family could have a vacation to really enjoy themselves after these past few hectic years,” Pete says of their venue in South Carolina. “We did want to give a nod to our Irish heritage as well, by bringing in lots of greenery and clovers throughout the weekend, from stationery to cufflinks along with Irish blessings and a bagpiper playing as we walked out of the chapel.” Meredith Tanton of Sweetgrass Social oversaw all of the planning while Otto Schulze and James Christianson of James x Schulze captured their vision on camera.
“Casa Felix created the ultimate bespoke wedding suite for our special day, blending in elements from our Irish heritage, Lowcountry destination, and spring florals. We couldn’t have dreamed of a more beautiful invite,” Jenna notes. The exceptional team also created custom escort cards, menus, and place cards each wrapped in ric rac ribbon.
For her wedding dress, the bride-to-be headed to Mark Ingram Atelier. She fell in love with the first dress she ever tried on—“It was a gorgeous Marchesa gown that made me feel the best me right when I put it on,” she shares. On the day-of, Jenna accessorized the look with Completedworks pearl earrings and Jimmy Choo heels. As the night went on, she slipped into something ideal for dancing—a Rachel Gilbert flapper-style dress paired perfectly with mules by The Attico. Bridesmaids, or “Green Goddesses” as Jenna like to call them, complemented in handpicked green dresses of different styles. Meg McMillion Beauty created the bride’s fresh makeup look that lasted all evening.
The weekend began with a welcome party to which the couple arrived via a baby blue Hinckley Yacht. Jenna wore a Markarian sequin gingham midi dress complete with a Nicola Bathie ring, Lizzie Fortunato drop earrings, and a Silvia Tcherassi woven bag. Pete coordinated in a green Luigi Bianchi jacket. SYG Designs beautifully detailed each table with florals befitting an upscale, Lowcountry barbecue. Holy City Steel Collective’s melodies only attributed to the ambiance of it all.
On May 21, 2022, Jenna and her father walked down the aisle as a string quartet strummed Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love.” The deacon gave a heartfelt homily, and close friends shared readings during the mass. “We were both just really happy during the entire ceremony,” the bride smiles. “While we knew how important it was, the ceremony was filled with a lot of laughter, which is what we wanted.” Afterward, the newlyweds headed to the reception in a 1987 Bentley Continental convertible—their “something blue.”
Everyone raised a glass during a cocktail hour overlooking the May River surrounded by SYG Designs florals and with a view of a flying Irish flag—another acknowledgment of the couple’s heritage. Jenna and Pete danced to “Is This Love” by Bob Marley & The Wailers—“fitting our love for South Carolina and reggae.”
Filet mignon and butter-poached lobster tail were served before the couple cut their bourbon-soaked vanilla sponge cake with caramel milk chocolate ganache. “Our favorite part of the reception had to be the toasts given by our family, who all did an incredible job and kept everyone smiling the entire night,” Jenna recalls. “The dancing and our crowd surfing from the stage came in a close second place.” Evolution Party Band kept everyone buzzing before DJ Scott Sain took over the setlist and closed out the night in style. Jenna and Pete exited amidst a line of sparklers before heading of on their honeymoon for an Aman journey throughout Indonesia and the Philippines.
