Pnina Tornai

A Charleston Classic

It was a gorgeous day in Charleston, South Carolina on October 28, 2017. The Cedar Room, an old cigar factory turned-event-space, with it’s industrial but soft and romantic vibes, was the ideal backdrop for Peter and Heathe- Zema to say their I do’s. Dressed in a vintage-inspired Pnina Tornai gown, Heather was a bridal vision for her intimate wedding.

When Heather and Peter decided to actually have a wedding and a reception, as opposed to a more informal option, Heather knew that she was going to do this thing her way. For Heather, that meant going to the best bridal salon, Kleinfeld Bridal, and finding her wedding gown amongst their vast selection. While Heather had never really dreamt of her ideal wedding gown, she knew that she wanted a gown with lace sleeves and wanted to steer clear of ball gowns.

Once Heather arrived at the bridal store with her shopping companions, she couldn’t help but gravitate towards one designer’s gowns. While browsing through the Pnina Tornai Boutique at Kleinfeld Bridal, Heather fell in love with the lace embroidery on the gowns she saw and selected a few to try on. Though the first and second gowns were not to Heather’s taste, when she slipped into the third gown, everything seemed to click!

“The moment I put it on I knew it was the one,” Heather reminisces, “It was perfect!”

Heather had instantly fallen in love with an A-line Pnina Tornai gown with illusion bodice, back and sleeves, lace embroidery, and a silk organza skirt. For Heather, it simply did not get any better than this gown. It had the breathtaking illusion lace sleeves that she had been looking for, giving the gown a vintage feel. The silhouette and fit of the gown highlighted her figure wonderfully. Lastly, it was comfortable and elegant without being too over the top. Heather couldn’t have asked for a more fitting gown for her timeless and classic wedding.

To top everything off, Heather got to spend time with the designer of her wedding gown, Pnina Tornai, and the Pnina Tornai boutique manager Ally McGown. A fun and rare memory that Heather will never forget.

To pull her whole wedding look together, Heather wore a long and dreamy cathedral length veil. Along with that, she wore an antique ring from an old Charleston family, heirloom earrings borrowed from her fiancé’s best woman, her Aunt Mary’s pearl necklace, and a romantic floral headpiece that she intends to pass down to her future children. Almost everything had sentimental value for Heather, and she wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Under soft and luminescent Edison lights, Heather and Peter declared their love for one another, ready to begin the next chapter in their lives. The ceremony, the reception, and of course, the gown, was all done their way, and I can imagine their happily ever after will be no different.

Written by: Jazmine Keels

Photography by: Stephen Atohi