A stylish Savannah couple weaves deep-rooted family traditions into their wedding — complete with a pheasant shoot and a tartan-draped reception.
Written by AMANDA BROWN
Photography by KELLI BOYD PHOTOGRAPHY
ONE FINE DAY IN JULY 2021, Clarkson Logan suggested that he and his then-girlfriend, Meta Adler, take a walk on her family farm in South Carolina.
The property holds a special place in their hearts. After years of long-distance dating between Savannah and New York, the couple had spent countless hours together on the land when the world first went into quarantine the year before.
For this particular walk, Logan suggested they dress up like characters from the television show, “Downton Abbey.” He knew that Adler loved anything outdoors and had an affinity for Old English charm, and today’s walk needed to be one to remember.
After some convincing to dress up in the summer heat, the two set out with the farm dog, Coco, and strolled by the crepe myrtle trees in the plant nursery. Then, Logan got down on one knee and asked Adler to spend forever together.
The wedding was held just seven months later.
While the swift timeline may intimidate some, Adler brought to the table her ample experience executing special events as a former caterer and co-owner of Hostess Provisions, a Savannah-based gift shop specializing in luxe entertaining essentials. (Fun fact: she and Logan first hit it off at her late Broughton Street bistro, Dept. 7 East.)
Their vision for the wedding? A handsome hunting club — designed with nods to the couple’s European heritage as well as their deep Southern roots, and filled with friends and family. To bring the dream to life, they enlisted highly sought-after Savannah party planner Tara Skinner of Tara Skinner Weddings & Events.
The multi-day fête kicked off on a Thursday afternoon with a pheasant shoot on a friend’s farm, followed by a cocktail reception complete with barbecue. On Friday evening, the couple hosted a rehearsal dinner at The Chatham Club — Adler’s late grandmother’s favorite place — and a welcome party in the Grand Ballroom at The DeSoto Savannah, while anticipation built up for the big day.
On the morning of the wedding, Logan and his 25 groomsmen suited up at the stately Harper Fowlkes House. Meanwhile, Adler and her 12 bridesmaids primped at the historic Green-Meldrim House, adjacent to St. John’s Episcopal Church, where the ceremony would take place hours later.
While beauty expert Genevieve Routon styled the bride’s hair and makeup, Skinner and bridesmaid Jessica O’Neill had a special surprise in store.
O’Neill’s daughter, who served as the flower girl, carried a baby bunny over to Adler.
“Jessica explained how we needed some live bunnies to hold to calm her nerves,” Skinner says. The special moment turned into a favorite memory of the day.
Shortly after 5:30 p.m., Adler walked down the aisle in a custom Reem Acra dress.
Once the ceremony concluded, the newlyweds exited the church while an 11-piece ensemble performed Adler’s favorite song: “Appalachian Spring: Doppio movimento” by Aaron Copland. A horse-drawn carriage — lead by bagpipes — delivered them to the reception at The Oglethorpe Club, where Adler’s family have been long-time members, “which made it near and dear to their hearts,” Skinner says.
To the surprise and delight of guests, the club’s parking lot was entirely transformed.
A magical forest scene full of giant paper mâché mushrooms and taxidermy animals led them to a cocktail hour in a tent draped in a red tartan.
A 50-foot-long custom art gallery spanned the back of the tent, displaying curated artwork from the bride’s family’s collections as well as two abstract paintings by O’Neill depicting scenes of the Adler’s family farm.
The party continued inside the club, where mantels were adorned with lush floral arrangements, including vines from the Adler farm. Positioned in front of one mantel was the wedding cake: a six-tiered, almond pound cake made by family friend Mollie Stone of MollieCakes.
As the night went on, the surprises continued. Each thoughtful touch exemplified both the couple’s close-knit Savannah community and their fun-loving personalities.
They served guests late-night snacks of Champagne and French fries — one of the bride’s favorite combinations. Meanwhile, she changed into a white sequined cocktail dress and sneakers so she could dance the night away. And there was a cameo appearance from Godzilla.
“I gave the mask to my dad for his birthday,” Adler says, explaining he is a big practical jokester. “I thought it was amazing, and he even brought it to the reception.”
As the party came to a close, the couple walked through the whimsical forest one last time, with cold sparklers lining their path to a chauffeured getaway car — courtesy of another close friend and neighbor, the owner of Callan’s Classics.
Looking back, Adler remains overwhelmed with the support from everyone who came together to make her dream wedding a reality. “They made it special and a perfect day for us,” she says.
Details
- Date: July 9, 2022
- Planner: Tara Skinner Weddings & Events
- Number of guests: 375
- Rehearsal dinner location: The Chatham Club
- Welcome party location: The DeSoto Savannah
- Location of ceremony: St. John’s Episcopal Church
- Location of reception: The Oglethorpe Club
- Officiant: Rev. Gavin Dunbar
- Photographer: Kelli Boyd Photography
- Videographer: Justin Peay Productions
- Florist: August Floral & Event Design
- Music for ceremony: New Arts Ensembles; Steven Branyon (organist)
- Music for reception: The Royals
- Bagpipers: Craig Sherman and David Crampton
- Cake: MollieCakes
- Groom’s pies: Cashiers Farmers Market
- Tent/rentals: Amazing Event Rentals
- Tent draping: The Veil Charleston
- Lighting/sparklers/AV system: JLK Events
- Catering: The Oglethorpe Club
- Late-night food: Krystal; Krispy Kreme
- Bride’s hair and makeup: Genevieve Routon
- Bridesmaids’ hair and makeup: Salon Aqua
- Live bunnies: Fluffle Bunnies
- Bride’s dress: custom design by Reem Acra
- Alterations: Adrienne Boyce
- Groom’s attire: Grady Ervin & Co.; Berlins for Men
- Groomsmen attire: J. Parker Ltd.
- Accessories for bride: her grandmother’s jewelry
- Rings: heirloom/ Levy Jewelers
- Ice sculpture: Chandler Echols
- Invitations/paper styling/custom signs: Lowcountry Paper Co.
- Custom crest artwork: Hagood Coxe
- Art for gallery wall: Jessica O’Neill (Art by O’Neill) and the couple’s family collections
- Transportation: Old Savannah Tours; Carriage Tours of Savannah; Callan’s Classics
- Tree Rentals: Pineland Nursery
