Elizabeth Barr & Joe Dorn
December 31, 2022  •  Pawleys Plantation, Pawleys Island

This may sound like a fish tale, but it’s actually a true fairy tale, surrounding the growing love of Elizabeth Barr and Joe Dorn, who had known each other since children through their mothers, then later reconnected in college.

“Joe took me fishing in McClellanville, where we caught a ton of redfish,” says Elizabeth. “Then I asked him to be my escort for my debutante ball, and the rest is history!”
After a little over five years of dating, Joe took Elizabeth back to the water for the next step in their relationship.

“Joe planned a boat trip from Georgetown to our family farm near Hemingway,” Elizabeth recalls. “We listened to music and fished the whole way there. When we arrived at the boat landing, Joe got down on one knee and proposed. We drove to the farm house, where all of our family and friends were waiting to surprise us. It was perfect!”

Joe and Elizabeth couldn’t wait to celebrate with family and friends once again on their wedding day, December 31, 2022. The ceremony and reception, held at Pawleys Plantation in Pawleys Island, gave off New Year’s Eve vibes, featuring smilax greenbriers, magnolia leaves, white roses, charming anemones, baby’s breath, glowing candles and white lights, and chandeliers festooned with more greenery and light clear orbs.  
Bride and groom completed the look: her, in a simple mermaid-style gown, fingertip veil, and gloves (her favorite white python cowboy boots were hidden under the dress); him, in a tux and Dorn Brackish bow tie named after his grandparents, Pat and Jane Dorn. 

A special highlight during the ceremony commemorated Joe’s brother, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in October 2022. His brother’s yellow Lab, Captain, donned a tuxedo and stood in for him as a groomsman. The couple’s yellow Labs, Mingo and Sioux, were featured on the wedding cake.

“And, because we like to fish, I used a rod and reel to ‘cast’ my bouquet into the crowd of wedding reception guests,” says Elizabeth.

Additional blissful wedding entertainment included a pianist and cellist from Lowcountry Pianist & Company during the ceremony, live music from Men of Distinction band at the reception, and a live wedding portrait created during the day by Event Art by Sarah Jane.

For dinner, guests were treated to a full bar, as well as yummy Southern comforts, like shrimp and grits, prime rib, and macaroni and cheese, with hamburger sliders and champagne at midnight.

Today, the Dorns—Elizabeth, an accountant/CPA at WebsterRogers, and Joe, a Yamaha mechanic at Tailwalker Marine—are living happily ever after (and still probably fishing when they can) in Georgetown.

Key vendors:
Planner: Tara Crammer Events
Dress: Essense of Australia from The Dressing Room in Pawleys Island
Hair/Makeup: Hair! Makeup! Action!
Photography: Paula Player Photography
Videography: Player Films
Wedding Cake and Groom’s Cake: Kendall Wingard Cakes
Florist: Carolina Charm
Food/Catering: Pawleys Island Plantation
Entertainment: Men of Distinction band
Rentals: Eventworks Rentals, Myrtle Beach
Lighting: Alpha-Lit, Myrtle Beach
Carolina Charm Florist
Wedding Invitations: Ooh La La, Myrtle Beach
Ceremony Pianist and Cellist: Lowcountry Pianist & Company
Live Wedding Portrait: Event Art by Sarah Jane