From the beginning of their relationship, Sumner Arbuckle and Conrad Smith have had no shortage of fun in their time together. While Conrad hails from Anthem, Arizona, Sumner is a Columbia native and a graduate of A.C. Flora High School and Wofford College. After a year working in the mountains of Wyoming and Colorado, Sumner moved to Austin, Texas, where she took on the new adventure with the same optimistic energy with which she faces all of life’s twists and turns. Austin, with its artistic eccentricity and vibrant creativity, promised fresh and exciting experiences and — little did she know — a man who would steal her heart away.
Sumner met Conrad on a group outing in celebration of National Margarita Day. She remembers it as a fun filled day, chatting with Conrad amongst friends and chowing down on delicious food truck snacks. Sumner certainly made an impression on Conrad, and before long, they were out hiking the beautiful River Place Nature Trail on their first date. Sumner laughs as she remembers the two huffing and puffing their way up the stunning but steep trail. It was a challenge to have a conversation at the same time, but they pressed on, a foreshadowing of the future of their relationship — a few weeks later, the global pandemic struck. While some budding relationships would be squelched by such a monumental tragedy, COVID-19 only propelled Sumner and Conrad’s relationship. “We got to know each other quickly, and we knew we wanted to make things work, so much so that we called our relationship a ‘turboship,’” Sumner says.
Before he proposed, Conrad knew he needed to talk with Lauren Fincher, Sumner’s mom, as family is of the utmost importance to both of them. So, in July of 2021, Conrad traveled to Columbia. Little did he know that Lauren waited for him with a list of questions. “He was nervous,” Lauren says with a chuckle. “I had a lot of questions for him. Since he and Sumner lived so far away and they met and dated during the pandemic, I wanted to make sure that he was the right one. But he passed with flying colors!” Then she says with a laugh, “But we thought I’d scared him off! He didn’t propose for another eight months!”
A long time coming, the eventual proposal was as refreshing as a dip in the pool — literally. A long standing tradition throughout their dating relationship, Sumner and Conrad would venture over to Austin’s beloved Barton Springs for sunrise swims. The Barton Springs pool is known for both its beauty and its underground spring fed waters that stay at about 68 to 70 degrees year round. Sumner remembers sitting on the grounds and chatting as the bright sun peeked over the horizon but growing impatient at how long it was taking them to jump in.
Finally, just as she was about to stand up and take the dive by herself, Conrad popped the question. As dawn lit up the skies, Sumner said “yes,” and together, they set out to chart the new waters of marriage. The engagement ring that Conrad placed on Sumner’s finger was especially meaningful; it had been passed down from Conrad’s paternal great-great-grandmother to his grandmother, then to his mother, and now to Sumner. It was originally set with three diamonds, but Conrad’s grandmother had them removed so she could pass down one special gift to each of her children. Sumner’s ring is a solitaire with one of those original stones.
Beauty in the Details
As Sumner and Lauren embarked upon the journey of wedding planning, a big part of the mission was staying true to Sumner’s personality. “We wanted people to arrive and immediately think, ‘Oh yeah, this is definitely Sumner’s wedding.’ We wanted it to feel bright, happy, and whimsical,” Lauren says of their vision for the celebration.
One of those whimsical details that excited — and still excites — Sumner was the wedding invitation suite. Sumner came across the work of Kammie Rudisill of Dizzy Daisy Designs in Charlotte, North Carolina, on social media and immediately fell in love. Kammie picked up on Sumner’s creative vision seamlessly, designing a simple, classic two-sheet invitation blossoming with happy florals and dragonflies. “I know it sounds strange, but Kammie somehow managed to make the flowers both pastel and colorful!” Sumner says.
The invitations were colorfully joyful without being too loud or fussy, and they also honored Sumner’s relatives. Little did Kammie know dragonflies remind Lauren of Sumner’s late and beloved Uncle William “Billy” Fincher, Jr., who passed away in June of 2008. Additionally, the yellow roses that laced the floral design were reminiscent of the yellow roses that William “Bill” P. H. Fincher, Sumner’s grandfather, would give Lauren on her birthday every year. These invitations, imbued with rich meaning, are proudly displayed on Sumner and Conrad’s walls to this day.
When it came time to find a wedding gown, Lauren surprised Sumner with a girls’ trip to New York City. Growing up, Sumner was a fan of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress, raving over the enviable designer dresses modeled in the famous Kleinfeld Bridal boutique. Going there as a bride herself was a dream come true. “It was so much fun to shop for my wedding dress in New York, but nothing was standing out. I was beginning to worry that I wasn’t going to have that ‘big moment,’” Sumner says. “Then we went to Lovely Bride, and that’s where I found it.”
About a year before Conrad’s proposal, Sumner had bookmarked a dress designed by Alexandra Grecco that she saw in a magazine. She remembers showing her coworkers, asking “Isn’t that gorgeous?” Never did she imagine that not long after, she would walk into a store in New York City and have the opportunity to try on that exact same dress. Needless to say, she had her “big moment” when she emerged from the dressing room.
The Alexandra Grecco gown includes two pieces, an underlying strapless slip and a floral appliqué overlay. The delicate flowers are increasingly visible towards the bottom hem of the skirt. The dress is unique in that it gives the bride the option to remove the overlay for a more comfortable and classically simple look, which Sumner appreciated, as dancing was a top priority for her at the reception. As another creative touch, Sumner’s debutante dress was altered and worn as her going away minidress, a grand finale to all of her bridal apparel.
A Fairytale Wedding
Sumner and Conrad’s event venue was unlike any other. Thanks to Lauren’s research and exploration of multiple possibilities, they discovered the distinctive beauty of Atalaya Castle located in Huntington State Park of Murrells Inlet. This area of the Carolina Coast is especially significant, as Sumner was born in Pawleys Island and continues to visit every summer. It was also the first place where Conrad gathered with her entire family during their annual beach vacation. When Lauren first toured the venue she marveled at its charm and potential as a wedding venue. Atalaya consists of the open air ruins of a castle, giving it a true air of enchantment.
Two sections are situated within the same building, allowing for multiple rooms for both ceremony and reception festivities. The sections are carpeted with thick, emerald green grass and shaded by tall, stately palm trees that rustle in the breeze.
While Atalaya was an already stunning canvas to paint upon, RSG Event Designs of Myrtle Beach took its magic to another level. Sumner and Lauren both attest to their love of flowers, constantly arraying their homes with freshly cut blooms. They wanted the wedding to be a testament to that love. Sumner did not necessarily want a select few color-coordinated flowers; no, when it comes to flowers, “They’re all my favorite!” she says. Therefore, the whole affair was, as Lauren would say, “A floral explosion!” Flowers were everywhere: pastel petals with greenery and pops of color adorned the entryway, each aisle, the altar, and the reception tables. Harkening back to the wedding invitations, the colorful flowers were just the thing to add to the playful atmosphere Sumner sought to create.
On the big day, the venue was everything the families dreamt it would be and more. The ceremony, while certainly rich in color, was also rich in meaning. Sumner’s cousins, William and Thomas Middleton, read Grace by Frederick Buechner at the ceremony in honor and memory of their beloved grandfather, Bill Fincher. It was his favorite devotional, and the words were an inspiring reminder of the necessity of grace in a relationship so deep as marriage. Sumner’s great uncle, Col. H. Thomas Fincher, officiated the ceremony, his familiar voice bringing warmth and fullness to the cherished, intimate moment.
Dancing the Night Away
In addition to the flowers, a number of other colorful touches were included to liven up the celebration and pay homage to the couple’s fun-loving personality. The tent covering the dance floor was decked out in stream lights, disco balls, and of course, more flowers! The panels in front of the bar were covered in a custom wallpaper that featured none other than Sumner’s longtime “faithful” companion: the tiny dog she adopted in Austin, Faith Hill.
Each wallpaper image showcased Faith Hill doing something different, like strumming a bass guitar or sipping a margarita. The wallpaper was like Faith Hill’s very own stamp of approval on the marriage — and it certainly succeeded in making guests smile.
Live music was nonnegotiable. “For many of our guests, I knew it would be their first time seeing a live band perform at a wedding reception, so I thought that would make the celebration extra fun,” Sumner says. The Soul Psychedelique Orchestra was the ultimate selection, and the band was even better than they could have imagined. The musical group performed a feel-good rendition of I’m a Believer by Neil Diamond and The Monkees for the newlyweds’ first dance. They inspired everyone to get on the dance floor with the South Carolina classic shagging song Carolina Girls, to which Sumner and Thomas Middleton, her famously light-footed cousin, danced together. To Sumner’s unexpected delight, they even played one of her favorite childhood songs, Redneck Woman by Gretchen Wilson. She relished the nostalgia as she and her friends sang and danced to the song they used to sing at sleepovers.
However, the magic of the evening didn’t set with the sun; the wedding day was perfectly captured for later reminiscing by photographers Jeff and Molly Patterson and Bonarrigo Films. Both groups made everyone feel relaxed and comfortable while catching each special moment of the day in stunning detail.
As Sumner reflects on the celebration, she can’t help but exude over everyone’s love and support. “I still haven’t gotten over the love that was present,” she says. The gratitude nearly overcomes her for a moment, but then she says with a laugh, “It ruined my speech!” She and Conrad had planned to deliver some words of thankfulness for their family and friends at the wedding, but her heartfelt appreciation overwhelmed her in the moment, cutting the speech short.
Speechlessness sometimes com-municates more than words, and this was certainly one of those times. Were he present at that moment, Sumner’s grandfather may have helped her out by returning to his Frederick Buechner devotional, quoting Buechner’s words that embodied that day as well as Sumner’s emotions: “Somebody loving you is grace. Loving somebody is grace.”