I’m so happy to officially announce the wedding day for our winners of last summer’s “A Lowcountry Wedding Giveaway” who will have their dream come true in Charleston, South Carolina.

On April 24th, Julie Robbins and Ryan Query, will gather under an avenue of ancient oak trees at the historic Legare Waring House in Charleston, South Carolina to say “I do” in front of their closest friends and family. Thanks to all who voted last summer in the national giveaway, Julie and Ryan will have the wedding and reception of their dreams! If you missed it, here’s their contest video entry.

It’s a $40,000 prize package made possible by the immense generosity of our local businesses. They are the best in the Charleston wedding business!

As we count down to their wedding day, I’ll highlight something special each week related to their wedding planning. We’ll follow along together on Julie and Ryan’s wedding journey!

First, every “I do” begins with a love story. Julie was kind enough to share their special story. Here it is, in her own words.

Our Story

Ryan and I actually met online. After a few months of messaging back and forth, I finally agreed to meet him. We both were newly single and just dating around. Neither of us  had any intentions of meeting the one we would spend the rest of our life with.  We met Nov. 28^th, 2011.  I still have the empty bottle of wine we shared after a night of wonderful conversation and laughs. Who would have thought that night sparked a turn of events for a life long romance. That night I met my best friend,  future husband,  father of our son, my true soul mate. Once we met I knew within two weeks this was it, I was done looking, I found him. 

Ryan and I just automatically gravitated towards each other. We had all the same interests and similar experiences. We enjoyed concerts, football games, weekends at the beach and mountains. We were and are still inseparable. We share the same values on life and family. Our journey took us from our home in Charlotte, NC to Beaufort, SC in 2014. We wanted a taste of the lowcountry living. Here we had fun fishing, attending festivals, and weekend beach trips with our  dogs. We had really taken to the care free coastal lifestyle.

In April 2015 I found out I was pregnant. We were extremely surprised and excited. We then moved to Bluffton, SC for a little more space to provide for our growing family.  In June 2015 we were told we needed to visit MUSC (The Medical University of South Carolina) to verify some concerning results on a recent blood work exam. That was a bad day. At 24 weeks pregnant we were  told our son was diagnosed with spina bifida. We were devastated and shocked. You go through a whirl wind of emotions.  We leaned on each other and our faith and decided if this was God’s plan we were OK with it. On August 15^th, 2015 Ryan asked me to come take a look at the paint job he completed in our unborn son’s room. I walked into the room and turned around, he was down on one knee, and with tears in his eyes he asked me if I would do him the honor of being his wife. My response was “of course I will.” That was a wonderful day.

We had later thought of names for our son and we decided on Caden Jacob. Caden actually means fighter in Irish and Jacob is a family name with strong biblical meaning. It fits our little man perfectly.

Caden entered the world on Dec. 14^th, 2015. Our world has definitely changed for the better. We stayed at MUSC for three months and were able to bring him home on March 7^th, 2016.

We have had our ups and downs with our little man’s condition. We have numerous trips to the doctor, additional surgeries, and in-home nursing around the clock. It is a life change you just adapt with. You do whatever you need to for your child. It is trying on your relationship, but Ryan and I are very strong people who have learned to lean on each other. One thing I can say we have experienced something most people will never experience in their life time. We have seen a miracle. Our son Caden is a true miracle. He is the most determined, loving little boy. His smile lights up the room. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for our little fighter and our family. 

 

Love endures! We are all thrilled for this special couple, and we can’t wait to see Julie and Ryan (and little Caden) on their very special day in April.

 

Our wonderful Lowcountry Wedding vendors!