J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works provides a memorable backdrop to a magical day.
Angie Leigh Suppa & Justin Keith Pauley
Charleston | 10.15.22
written by Devin Lacy
photographed by Melissa Kincaid Photography
It all started with a message—a Facebook message, to be exact.
To hear Justin Pauley tell the story, it sounds a bit like divine intervention or simply fate. Angie Suppa was the sender of the message. She was working on her degree in Morgantown while Justin was out in the workforce when they decided to meet at Los Mariachis for dinner and drinks.
They settled into conversation easily as their orders were taken. When drinks arrived, Justin kindly offered to pour her one, but disaster struck. “It went everywhere. All over the table, the floor, her.” Angie laughs as Justin recounts the story. He was sure everything was ruined—but that wasn’t the case. “After you get through spilling margarita all over someone, it’s pretty easy from there.”
Moments of humor are not unfamiliar to this couple; when it comes to the proposal, they also can’t help but laugh. “He was definitely being super weird on Christmas Day,” Angie says. “He kept disappearing, which is so out of character for him!”
Meanwhile, Justin was outside trying to figure out just how he was going to ask Angie to marry him. “I was walking around thinking ‘What do I do? How do I do this?’” Eventually, he decided to wing it. “I’m all improv,” he says with a smile.
However, their Christmas engagement wasn’t the only thing they would celebrate in the new year. Just a week later, the newly betrothed couple was getting ready to join friends for dinner to share the news of their engagement when their world shifted for the second time. Angie was pregnant with a girl. “Forget about dinner!” Justin says. “Nothing else mattered then.”
It’s the little things
For some, there are few bigger moments in life than the “I do.” The wedding day, however, can become a colorful blur of love and celebration. The Pauleys were determined to find those little moments of stillness and enjoy all that their day was to be. And those moments added up to something spectacular.
Angie and Justin’s wedding day took place at J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works. The cloudless day was vibrant in the soft, sun-soaked way that only October can bring. Pale pinks and greens coordinated with boho-inspired pieces to match their venue’s aesthetic. The day was a strategic marriage of rustic and elegant elements executed flawlessly. Angie directs praise for the outcome of the day to their florist, Jennifer Davis: “A week before the wedding, I had a moment where I thought, ‘There’s no way I can get this all done.’ I asked Jennifer for help, and she showed up and jumped right into it.”
However stunning, the excitement of the day paled in comparison to the love between the bride and groom. One look at the photos of their private first look in the Salt-Works’ rose garden, and it’s obvious. “I felt like all the emotions leading up went into that moment,” Angie says. “That was one thing I wouldn’t change for anything.”
Their daughter also had a first look with Justin just before Angie joined them outside. “I think that made everything complete. It was pure, innocent joy that you can’t find anywhere else,” Justin remembers. But that wasn’t the only surprise appearance the 2-year-old would make in the day’s festivities.
The couple had been taking dance lessons leading up to the wedding, often practicing in their home where their daughter would watch, so their first dance on the big day was a familiar sight for the young girl. “It was going great, we were in the middle of it, and Magnolia just ran out and grabbed my leg,” Justin says. “She wanted to join!” The joy of familial love was palpable, a story to be told for years to come.
With love, the Pauleys
As the night wore on in a string of snapshot moments—quickly emptied plates, drinks served from the bar, music and dancing, speeches, a bonfire, cake—Angie and Justin found themselves on a lovely couch set up to face the dance floor. They took it all in from that vantage point, enjoying a moment of stillness that all couples long for on such a day. “We spent a lot of time there just watching everyone, watching all the different generations on the dance floor,” Angie says. Justin adds, “There was no stranger, no drama. It was just all fun.”
It’s clear to anyone who speaks with them that Angie and Justin are surrounded by the immense love of family and friends and are happy to reciprocate those feelings in spades. “There were a lot of people there that I haven’t connected with for a while. Having those people there, giving us a sense of where we were heading—it brought me to a great spot,” Justin says. “The wisdom of years from those people—amazing.”
“You put so much time into your guest list,” Angie says. “It was super cool and meaningful to see those people who took time from their busy lives to come across the country or even just an hour to see and support us.”
The Pauleys agree that they would happily do it all again, fond reminiscence in their voices. And with a day made of so many magical moments, how could they not?
PHOTOGRAPHED BY
Melissa Kincaid Photography
BRIDE’S GOWN
The Boutique by B. Belle Events, Charleston
BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
Revelry
GROOM’S & GROOMSMEN’S ATTIRE
Men’s Wearhouse, Charleston
