For Anna Outten and Alexander Primka, it all started in Charleston. The two met while Alex was stationed in Charleston with the Navy, just after Anna had moved back following law school. After one year and eight months together, Alex planned a proposal that felt both thoughtful and personal.
“He lured me out to White Point Gardens, down by the Battery in Charleston, where I had told him once on a walk that I wanted to be engaged,” Anna shared. “He had arranged for a photographer. His proposal was short, sweet, and to the point, which is exactly what I would have expected from him.” The surprise continued: “After the proposal, we walked back to my mom's house, where a party of our closest friends and family was waiting—which was exactly what I had always wanted!”
They were married on January 25, 2025, in a traditional Catholic ceremony at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. “The Cathedral is extremely special to my family with many members of my family receiving sacraments there, including my own baptism many years ago," Anna explains. And just months before their engagement, Father Wilson—a longtime family friend—returned to the cathedral.
The service included meaningful participation from both families. Anna’s cousins served as readers while Alex’s aunt read the Universal Prayers, and his family pastor also took part.
If the Cathedral honored faith, the reception venue honored family legacy. The celebration took place at Ashley Hall, Anna’s alma mater—and a place woven deeply into her family history. “I always knew that I wanted my wedding reception to be at a place that was special to me, and there are few places more special than Ashley Hall,” she shared. “Eight women in my family have graduated from there, and being an Ashley Hall girl was the best thing that ever happened to me.” Alex was quickly convinced after attending Anna’s 10-year high school reunion. “He was completely on board for it as our wedding venue.”
The couple worked with wedding planner Blythe Hill of Hill & Co Creative to bring the vision together. “Even though I always wanted a winter wedding, I did not want it to be dark and dreary, so everything from the paper to the flowers was brightly colored," Anna says of the day's design.
Florals by Stephanie Gibbs complemented the vibrant tented reception. Stationery included a party pack by Hatch Cove Designs and formal invitations from Writes & Invites by Elaine Bergmann, setting a refined tone from the start. Over The Moon The List Photographer Anne Rhett captured each moment with a timeless approach.
“I knew that I wanted my wedding dress to be very classic, but I also knew I wanted some way to transition it from the ceremony to the reception,” Anna says of her bridal wardrobe. She visited White on Daniel Island, where owner Jodi introduced her to an Anne Barge trunk show. “The one I chose ended up being the first one I tried on. What I loved the most about it was it had a matching veil and bolero, so everything went together really nicely.”
For the reception, Anna removed the bolero and added a pearl choker gifted by Alex. Jewelry was chosen with the help of her sister and mother, owner of Croghan's Jewel Box. “They helped me pick things that were sentimental in nature, but also classic to complement the dress,” she says. Beauty was handled by Meg McMillion, creating a look that felt timeless.
Alex wore his own tuxedo from Berlin’s with a red, white, and blue Brackish bowtie—a subtle nod to his service.
In keeping with Catholic tradition, the ceremony began at 2 p.m., and the celebration flowed seamlessly into cocktail hour in the center of the Ashley Hall campus. “We served traditional southern hors d’oeuvres on a long dining room type table, a nod to all of the cocktail parties my grandmother had growing up with that same set up,” Anna shares. Guests enjoyed three types of Oyster Rockefeller, She Crab Soup, fresh beignets, and signature drinks, including a coffee bar with hot Irish coffees and espresso martinis, a Bourbon bar (Alex’s favorite), and Aperol Spritzes (Anna’s favorite).
Under a vibrant tent, the evening continued with music by Az Izz Band, who set the mood for a packed dance floor. Dinner by Harvest—led by owner Lexie—featured roast beef, pasta spun fresh into a cheese wheel, and passed fancy grilled cheese. “I wanted my food to be unique and not standard,” Anna shared. “Lexie was anything but conventional in coming up with the food we served.” For dessert, a classic confection from Ashley Bakery complemented the evening, before late-night pralines were freshly made and passed ahead of the after-party.
The couple shared their first dance to "How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You," and some of Anna’s favorite memories were the spontaneous ones. “During the reception, Alex and I found ourselves in the middle of the dance floor dancing to ‘I Want to Dance with Somebody.’ It was impromptu and fun . . . it was so freeing to just be in that moment dancing together.”
In a playful twist, Anna staged a “fake” bouquet toss and instead jumped off the stage to hand the bouquet to her sister, who would soon be engaged herself. And when “Sweet Caroline” played, she brought both her sister Caroline and her best friend Caroline to the stage for a moment she described as “so sweet and special.”
After the reception, guests made their way to the Blind Tiger—the very place where Anna and Alex had their first date.
The couple later traveled to Saint Lucia for their honeymoon, beginning married life in a warm setting after their colorful winter celebration in Charleston.
