Laura Dopp and Andrew Tracy initially met in the high school choir. “We didn’t talk for twelve years, and then we re-met in Los Angeles,” explains Laura. The two dated for a year and a half and eventually started their own sound design studio in Brooklyn called One Thousand Birds, where she’s the executive producer and he’s the lead sound designer/mixer. Andrew eventually proposed in their hometown of Charleston, SC. “Andrew had my ring made in New York, and it became ready while I was on vacation in Charleston, so he bought a ticket to fly down and surprise me. My friend Ash Waring and I had plans to get a drink, so she drove me to White Point Gardens where Andrew was waiting by the water. He was uncharacteristically wearing a tie so I knew something was up, but I was completely shocked when he got down on his knee. Then we had dinner at McCrady’s.”
Laura’s father, Steven Dopp, owns and has restored the Francis Marion—a historic hotel named after General Francis Marion, the “Swamp Fox” of the American Revolution—so it was the clear choice for the wedding venue. “We wanted the ceremony to be outside, and the Spoleto Festival organization let us use the garden of the house they own nearby,” explains Laura. “My family has been involved with the festival for as long as I can remember, so it was all very natural.”
Choosing a dress wasn’t as easy. “I tried on every style before wandering into Stone Fox Bride,” admits Laura. “I realized I wasn’t as interested in the dress as I was the head pieces, so I decided to make my own huge red rose crown, and then I bought a simpler crown and dress from Stone Fox. I wore a bracelet from my great aunt and bought a necklace from Alexis Bittar. I also bought all the make up I wanted the artist to use beforehand because I was worried she would over do it. It was Chanel except for an Armani lipstick, which I wear all the time.”
On the day of the wedding, twenty of Laura’s best girl friends made flower crowns at her parent’s house. “I called them flower spirit guides instead of bridesmaids,” jokes Laura. “They walked with me to the venue, and we had drinks on the second floor of the Spoleto building, and then they greeted guests with mint juleps. The ceremony was pretty quick, not religious. I walked down the aisle to ‘Pachelbel’s Canon.’ And, we had two best friends do readings, and our two nieces were the flower girls.”
Afterwards, everyone went over to the hotel to celebrate. “We had a big brass band, and then a DJ,” says Laura. “There were toasts from Andrew’s brother, father, and best friend. My friends from growing up and college also gave toasts. Then, we all started dancing and didn’t stop. The last song of the night was ‘Pony’ by Genuine—at my request, of course.”
