Emily Bandyk met H.B. Hull when they were both in college at Wake Forest University. “The Pittsburgh Pirates were playing and we struck up a conversation about Andrew McCutchen and family roots in the Steel City,” remembers Emily. After graduating, H.B. moved to Washington, DC, while Emily completed her own studies then moved to New York. “We had a long distance relationship for four years” says Emily. “But we knew we would spend our lives together. H.B. was my best friend.”
H.B. popped the question while visiting Emily’s family home on Amelia Island in August 2018. He took her to Talbot Island State Park’s famous Boneyard Beach, just as the sun was setting, amidst its twisted trees and driftwood. “It was a surreal moment,” smiles Emily. “We’d waited so long to finally be together. It was the happiest I’ve ever been.”
Emily’s parents, Elizabeth and Mark, moved to Amelia Island after Emily graduated from college and built a home on the south end. “This place feels like home to me,” said Emily. “We wanted to have our wedding here to share the island with our family and friends.”
The couple chose The Golf Club of Amelia Island for its classic interior and picturesque surroundings. Emily and her mom hired what they affectionately call “The Dream Team,” which included Katrina Moughton, the Golf Club’s wedding planner, Brooke Raulerson of Revelation Design, The Beauty Bar, and Pam Bell Photography.
“Katrina Moughton, catering sales director with The Golf Club of Amelia Island, and our wedding planner, Natalie Voytac of Details Event Design, are the best on the island. Brooke Raulerson of Revelation Design made my garden-style vision come to life,” says Emily. “Every detail was taken care of. Our wedding was perfect.”
Emily and H.B. were married on June 22, 2019 at Amelia Plantation Chapel, officiated by their friend, George Barr. “We wanted a very personal, faith-based ceremony” says Emily. “Our wedding party was made up of family members, and that made it really special. The Amelia Plantation Chapel is lovely; it’s such an intimate space, we felt completely connected to all of our guests.”
Emily and H.B.’s wedding weekend began on Friday night, with a rehearsal dinner at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, hosted by H.B.’s parents, Alise and David, which included a musical homage to the couple, written and sung by the Hulls as a “welcome to the family” tribute.
“This was a very special time for me,” shares Emily. “I wore the tiara that my mother and grandmother had worn at their weddings. I’ll never forget putting the tiara on that morning with both of them with me.” H.B. also provided two family heirlooms—an engagement and wedding ring that once belonged to his great grandmother. It was a special time for both families, who were celebrating the lives of relatives, H.B.’s grandmother and Emily’s grandfather, who had passed away earlier in the year.
After the ceremony, the families and their guests headed to The Golf Club of Amelia Island for cocktail hour and cake cutting. “Emily requested a signature drink for cocktail hour—a grapefruit spritzer fountain with a fresh berry bar—along with an ice sculpture loaded with bottomless local shrimp,” says Elizabeth. “Our guests loved it!”
“The floral arrangements by Brooke and Revelation Design were a highlight,” says Emily. “My airy, cascading bouquet was exactly what I wanted.” Brooke also created a dramatic 8-foot tall entrance arrangement of Holland peonies, orchids, garden roses, and cascading berries and vines for the reception.
The Golf Club of Amelia Island provided a gourmet seated dinner with Emily’s and H.B.’s favorite dishes, and after dinner the guests danced the night away to the Crescendo Amelia Big Band. “We were excited to book Crescendo Amelia—they were amazing. The dance floor was packed all night long. We didn’t want it to end!” The night culminated with a Rolls Royce getaway car, and a smashing sparkler send off.
The day after the wedding, Elizabeth and Mark hosted many of the guests at their home, while Emily and H.B. left for their Mediterranean honeymoon. “We reflected over and over about what a perfect wedding it was,” smiles Elizabeth. “It was the most joyful, beautiful event. We have so much to celebrate and so much to be thankful for.”
When Emily looks back on her wedding day, she sees a chain of events that brought her and H.B. to the place they are now. “We celebrate every single day of our lives together,” says Emily. “We are blessed beyond belief.”