Nikki and Drew built their entire community into a fun and vibrant launch to their union.
Nichole Marie Keonig & Drew Hendricks McClanahan
Charleston | 10.22.22
Photographed by The Oberports
Written by Taylor Maple
Nikki Koenig and Drew McClanahan swiped right on each other without really knowing how they’d meet in person. A dating app was one thing, but social distancing was in full force in July 2020, and every true meeting involved quite a lot of caution. But to the two of them, coming face to face to see if sparks would fly was worth a little bit of risk.
After some virtual communication, they eventually headed to the Red Carpet Lounge, a local bar in Charleston, to have a beer or two and get a sense of whether this could be something real. “We thought the date was going to be 20 minutes, and we ended up being there for probably three hours,” Drew remembers. That fateful meeting changed everything. “We’ve seen each other or talked to each other every day since.”
A Snowshoe Dream
Flash forward about a year. They were committed to each other and the topic of marriage had come up, but Nikki still wasn’t expecting what happened when they went to Snowshoe for a getaway. She had been excited for some one-on-one time and was a little miffed that Drew had invited a couple of their friends to tag along. What she didn’t know was that Drew needed someone on photo duty as he popped the question.
“I had already talked to her parents. I’d bought the ring,” Drew says. “I was nervous as hell because I wanted it to be perfect, but I also knew that she didn’t want a public setting.” As they walked through Snowshoe, headed to dinner with their friends, they came to a peaceful spot overlooking a lake. Drew made knowing eye contact with one of the friends—this was it—and slyly asked him to take a photo of himself and Nikki in front of the picturesque background. It was then that he surprised her with the proposal.
“I didn’t really want an engagement where I was the center of attention and there were a bunch of people or anything like that,” Nikki says. “So it was fun to have my friend taking the pictures.”
A Community Affair
Nikki and Drew were married in a traditional Catholic ceremony in the Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Charleston. The two had written letters to the priest about why they wanted to marry each other, and he read them during the ceremony, something they say emphasized the weight of what they were embarking on together. “It was a great experience for us,” Nikki says. “It was really positive, and, as we were sitting up on the altar, that was my moment of ‘This is amazing.’”
Then, in a perfect full-circle moment, they took the party back to the site of their first date, the Red Carpet Lounge. Paul Greco, the owner, is a dear friend, and when they had presented the idea of having their reception in his space that felt so much like home, he jumped at the opportunity to make their perfect night happen. “It’s not a wedding venue whatsoever,” Drew says, noting that it was the bar’s first foray into hosting an event of that scale. The couple would have guests attending from all walks of life, and they knew that the Red Carpet would ensure everyone who walked through its doors would be welcomed and celebrated.
All night, the couple and their friends danced, laughed, partied, and embraced the fact that Nikki and Drew’s personalities, values, and loved ones were in the spotlight: They bucked tradition with a mixed-gender bridal party, nearly every vendor was a local friend who was ecstatic to help, the couple’s table numbers sported profiles of local shelter dogs who needed homes, and a local church’s soup kitchen partnered with the venue to help execute the event and receive some of the proceeds in the process.
The cherry on top of the one-of-a-kind celebration? A surprise drag show. “We have a crazy, cool, diverse group of friends,” Nikki says, noting that one of them is the president of Rainbow Pride of West Virginia. He asked if the couple would be open to a local queen, Priscilla Divine, putting on an unforgettable show for their guests. “It was insane. And it was awesome,” Nikki says. Priscilla is also the florist who pulled off all of the wedding’s knockout arrangements.
“We felt as though it was a way to really express thanks to our diverse group of friends,” Drew says. It may have been the first time many of their guests had been to a drag show, and the couple enjoyed the opportunity to open hearts and minds. “It meant a lot to help educate,” Drew continues. “It was a cool opportunity, and we’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
Drew and Nikki pulled off a wedding with purpose. To celebrate their love, their future, and their marriage, yes. But also to celebrate their individuality, the loved ones who make their lives what they are, the morals they hold dear, and the kind of life they’ll live together.
BRIDE’S GOWN
Luxe Redux, Columbus, OH
BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
218, Charleston
GROOM’S & GROOMSMEN’S ATTIRE
Tony the Tailor, Charleston
FLOWERS
Food Among the Flowers, Charleston
CATERER
Red Carpet Lounge, Charleston
CAKE
Rock City Cake Company, Charleston
ENTERTAINMENT
DJEJ, Charleston
RENTALS
The Rental Party, Charleston
CEREMONY
Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Charleston
RECEPTION
Red Carpet Lounge, Charleston