Charming Charleston Wedding at The Parsonage

A bride and groom stand hand in hand on a sidewalk in front of a light-colored building with green shutters and a green door.

Charming Charleston Wedding at The Parsonage

May 15, 2026
Words by Lauren Ertl
Photos courtesy of Alisha Cory Photography

Charleston and its vintage beach vibes tugged on Veronica and Nicolo’s heartstrings from the start. Nicolo’s parents reside just outside of the city in Summerville, so every time the couple would visit them, they’d fall in love all over again with Charleston. Naturally, when they began planning their wedding, knowing they wanted a destination celebration from the start to have more built-in time with their loved ones, “The Holy City” called to them.

Flat lay of wedding stationery, white orchids, perfume bottle, rings, a bracelet, and a small dish on a light surface.

A woman in a white dress and sheer robe stands in a white built-in closet with shelves, drawers, and decorative items.

Three women in matching loungewear and robes sit and kneel on a bed in a well-decorated bedroom, smiling and posing for a photo.

Planning got underway quickly after the couple secured their planner, Megan from Sweet Peach Planning. “Great communication was key for all our details that we were specific about, and she nailed every single one,” Veronica says.

Early on in the process, Nicolo found the most ideal venue in a home filled with character, charm and history: The Parsonage. Its wraparound porches, iron balconies, and lush courtyard are quintessential southern elegance. Plus, the venue is situated just steps from Charleston’s famous cobblestone streets, yet it feels like its own world.

Stone fountain surrounded by white hydrangeas, roses, and green foliage against a wall.

A bride in a white lace veil and a groom in a white jacket and black bow tie stand together outdoors, smiling and holding a bouquet of white flowers.

Outdoor wedding ceremony seen from above, with a bride and groom standing together, officiant in front, and guests seated on either side surrounded by greenery and string lights.

A bride and groom stand hand-in-hand at an outdoor wedding ceremony, surrounded by guests taking photos and members of the wedding party.

With the venue locked in, Megan helped the couple shape every detail from afar, with one pivotal site visit that brought everything into focus. During that trip, photographer Alisha Cory joined them at the venue, allowing the three to align on the documentation vision for the day.

“She nailed everything,” Veronica says of Alisha, a sentiment that could just as easily describe the entire vendor team they assembled.

Bride and groom pose on a sidewalk outside a house while a cyclist pulls a passenger in the foreground, slightly blurred.

A bride and groom cross a street holding hands, with the bride raising her bouquet, in front of a pink building with black shutters.

A gold ring in a shell-shaped jewelry box, surrounded by white beaded accessories and a pale pink shoe with a bow.

From the beginning, Veronica and Nicolo wanted their wedding to reflect their souls. As a result, coastal touches found their way into the reception table decor plan: capiz shells to catch the light at each place setting and shell wine glasses engraved with the wedding date. Veronica planned to strut freshwater pearl earrings on the wedding day as another nod to the couple’s theme.

When the day arrived, Nicolo and Veronica exchanged sweet vows at golden hour with The Parsonage’s climbing vines framing them. A close friend served as officiant, intertwining humor with heartfelt memos.

“It summed up what our relationship is like,” Veronica says.

A small white vintage car is parked on the street in front of a pink two-story house with black shutters and a wraparound balcony. A long outdoor dining table is set with white plates, glassware, tall glass candle holders, and vases with white calla lilies.

A round table covered with a white draped tablecloth, decorated with white flowers and candles, set outdoors on a brick patio with greenery in the background.

As the evening progressed, the celebration transitioned to tables set under a canopy of twinkle lights. Guests enjoyed a dessert spread that leaned wholeheartedly into Nicolo’s Italian heritage with a heart-shaped strawberry cake by Rise Bakery Charleston, decadent cannoli from Lowcountry Canolli, and a gelato cart helmed by Heather of Gelati Moto.

A bride and groom dance outside at their wedding reception, surrounded by guests and string lights in front of a two-story house.

Outdoor dining setup in a narrow courtyard next to a brick building, with tables arranged under string lights; people gathered on both the patio and upper balcony.

Perhaps the most personal of the tributes belonged to Nicolo’s roots. His family has spent roughly 50 years in the pizzeria business, and that legacy showed up in the most joyful way: custom pizza-themed T-shirts waiting for guests as their wedding favor. And then there was Toto. A dog? No, a white vintage Fiat, lovingly brought over from Italy by Nicolo’s father, which served as both a portrait prop throughout the day and the couple’s grand exit vehicle!

As the Parsonage gates swung open at the end of the night, Veronica popped through the sunroof, laughing and waving beneath the Charleston sky while the sound of trailing cans faded into the warm evening air.

For couples considering a destination celebration, Veronica and Nicolo have one piece of advice they’d share above all else: book your hotel block within walking distance of the venue.

A woman in a white dress and a man in a white shirt with a black bow tie clink glasses beside a heart-shaped cake on a table outdoors at night.

“It was so nice not to have to worry about booking any other transportation to and from the venue,” Veronica says. The couple chose The Ryder Hotel, just a short stroll from The Parsonage, and it became the natural gathering place for family before and after the wedding. “All our guests loved having things to do.”

It’s the kind of detail that sounds small on paper but shapes the entire feel of a destination weekend, and for Veronica and Nicolo, it meant more unhurried time with the people they love most. Which, in the end, is exactly what they came to Charleston for!

A group of four people, including a woman in a white dress, pose and smile for a selfie at an indoor-outdoor event with string lights and greenery.