A Southern-Meets-Dutch Wedding in South Carolina

Rachel Stewart and Jurrie Reinders, both grew up sailing with their families, and are coastal-dwellers through and through. When temperatures rose on a late-winter Sunday in 2012, it's no surprise that the New York City-based pair found each other at the Frying Pan—a former barge that's now a bar on the Hudson River. "When I looked to my friends who were already seated, I noticed a very handsome gentleman I had yet to meet. He was nice enough to give me his chair and somehow found himself another seat right beside me," says Rachel. "After talking about Jurrie's Dutch background and his American adventures since living in the United States, my Southern upbringing, and our shared love of sailing, we became immediately inseparable."

Two and a half years later, the couple was planning a major celebration. Jurrie's parents and sister were traveling from Holland to meet Rachel's family in Charleston, South Carolina. At the end of their stay, Jurrie set to sea with their dads for an all-day fishing trip, and insisted on a big cookout when they returned. Before dinner, as the sun was setting, Jurrie took Rachel's hand and starting pulling her down to the beach. Then, he suddenly stopped. She read, "Rachel, will you marry me?" written in the sand, and turned around to find Jurrie on one knee. After she said yes, the pair returned to the beach house where all of their family and friends had arrived for a post-proposal party, all to Rachel's surprise.

When it came time to plan the wedding, their engagement spot and Rachel's hometown won out as their location. On September 19th, 2015, 115 guests arrived at the Creek Club at I'On for a casual, coastal celebration that incorporated Dutch, Southern, and New York touches.