At 14 years old, Alexandra Reiter declared – to even his parents – that she would marry her best friend Jeremy’s older brother one day. “The day I met Ryan [Roberts], I had the biggest crush on him,” admits Alexandra of how her love story began. “His smile was the first thing I saw and that immediately comes to mind when I think of our first meeting.” Over a decade later, as the twosome floated above the water in a boat that Ryan rented while vacationing in Positano, Italy, he proposed in a romantic sunset scene.

The couple shares that their friends and family were extremely supportive during the planning process, which made it all the more memorable. The bride gives her best friend Sarah and her cousin Rachel a nod in recognition for all of the amazing planning advice as she made her final decisions with the guidance of a professional wedding planner.

“They both had beautiful weddings the year prior, so I really appreciated their tips,” says Alexandra. “The best advice was to just have fun and not stress over the small things because it can be really easy to get caught up in the chaos and opinions of others. Ryan and I made it a priority to enjoy the process and to remember that we get to marry each other at the end of it all.”

As Alexandra and Ryan weighed their options for a venue, they elected to host their nuptials in Charleston since they shared many happy times there together. “The beginning stages of picking a location were stressful, so I asked myself where I feel most calm and at peace,” reveals the bride of her strategy for settling on a locale.

When the pair first visited an estate with perfectly manicured lawns, they were able to envision their loved ones there as they said their vows by the water. “It was a no-brainer at that point!” says Alexandra. Excited to share a site that none of their friends and family had visited, they designed a stunning, classic invitation suite that featured a remarkable hand-drawn sketch of the property.

“The beginning stages of picking a location were stressful, so I asked myself where I feel most calm and at peace.”

Beneath a grand tree that showcased a garland of florals beginning at the base and trailing up the trunk, Alexandra’s teenage self-proclaimed destiny came to fruition when she and her beloved finally exchanged vows to become husband and wife. Ryan’s cousin, who has witnessed their relationship develop, served as the officiant, making it all the more special.

Alexandra wore a gorgeous, lace-embellished gown, while her bridesmaids donned a variety of long dresses in shades of green. Ryan and his groomsmen looked sharp in muted grey-hued ensembles. Their collective attire complemented the light, airy décor of the space that allowed the natural setting to take center stage. “The ceremony was so much fun! We laughed and cried and wanted to do it again the day after!” exclaims Alexandra.

Almost 150 guests shifted to the cocktail hour to enjoy music, merriment, and more until they eventually made their way over to the open-air structure that had been bedecked in romantic details. “We used a lot of neutral colors mixed with light green and then we had some black accent pieces that popped,” describes the bride, who focused on a simple, but stylish design for the reception. “The venue is already beautiful on its own, so we didn’t want to take away from any of the natural scenery.”

The pièce de résistance was the large custom bar that featured a floral pattern in light green and ivory. “Plus, the bar had some accents in both gold and black that really pulled it all together,” illustrates Alexandra.

Guests relished the atypical wedding menu and noshed on hors d’oeuvres of braised chicken tacos, chicken and waffles with hot honey, and bacon-wrapped shrimp before moving on to the next courses of wagyu beef ravioli, braised short ribs, and pan-seared salmon.

The newlyweds opted to forgo a traditional cake and instead elected to serve Oreo cheesecake bites, peanut butter mousse cups, and apple pie cobbler. To keep everyone dancing and energized to an excellent DJ who worked with the couple to truly curate the playlist, late-night bites of buffalo chicken tenders, smash burgers, and donut holes were also served. “It was perfect. I could not have asked for a better wedding,” confirms the new Mrs. Roberts.

This real wedding was originally published in the Spring 2025 expanded-digital issue of Inside Weddings magazine. 

To order a copy of the Spring 2025 expanded digital edition, visit our library of Inside Weddings digital back issues available for purchase.