James & Stacey Engagement Session Charleston, SC

Charleston is one of my favorite places to visit.  It is just a beautiful place.  I haven't been to The Battery since I was knee high to a grasshopper! If you didn't understand that, it means 'very young'.  White Point Gardens is right there in The Battery, it is an off leash park so its full of dogs which I am all for.  It also has huge beautiful hardwood trees that make a perfect canopy to lay under, play with your dog and of course take photographs.

We didn't stay at White Point Gardens, we started there and then walked a few blocks to another park and we did some street photography on the way.  It was one of my favorite sessions and James and Stacey were so great.  They met on Tinder... Yep second couple this year to have met on Tinder ::scratches head and starts considering that I should get on Tinder:: anyway, Stacey put James in the ever dreaded 'friend zone' for 3 months but then finally lets him out of it and they were engaged a year and a half later.  They brought their Boston Terrier with them named Loki who basically stole the session with her cuteness.

Please enjoy a few of my favorites!

John & Tiarra Wedding Pretty Place Greenville, and Arran Farm Events, Easley SC

Sunday was a full day.  I headed up to Greenville for a 10 hour wedding in the rain, wind and cold. When I arrived at the reception venue for the 'getting ready' photos, the family and friends of the bride and groom greeted me with so much warmth that I had forgotten how horrible the weather was outside!

The groomsmen were of course nothing but hysterical and super helpful.  Because of all of the rain, it was very muddy at Arran Farm Events which is where the wedding party got ready before heading to the ceremony location.  When I was ready to leave after a full day of wedding fun, I unfortunately got stuck in the mud because I'm hard headed and just have to have a rear wheel drive car (it's a mustang).... The groomsmen were quick to pull me out and I have to say, after spending 10 hours with these guys, I was not embarrassed at all to ask for their help!

The bridesmaids were just so friendly and made me feel so welcomed, I sat down and ate a little bit of lunch with them before taking their photos.  Afterwards, the bride and groom saw their parents separately, and thats when the tears of happiness began!  They then had their 'first look' which I love to do because it's just the bride, the groom and myself so it's super private and the emotions can run freely.

And off to the ceremony we went!! If you've never been to Pretty Place on the border of South Carolina and North Carolina, then you are missing something special.  When it's not raining with thick fog, it is so majestic and peaceful.  All you see are mountains and sky and you sit and thank God for such an amazing view!

Monica Bridal Session Hopelands Gardens Aiken SC

I met Monica through her sister Amber, and its been such a pleasure getting to know her.  Monica and Ellis's wedding is May 19th at T&S Farms in Batesburg, SC but Monica really wanted her bridal portraits done in Aiken at Hopelands Gardens and I am so glad she did!

I had never been to Hopelands Gardens and I am wondering why because it is such a beautiful area with so many beautiful paths and ponds with bridges and gazebos.  It just so happened to be prom night and so there were many stunning dresses and handsome tuxedos and two more beautiful brides.  It truly is a photographers heaven!

Monica makes a beautiful bride and the landscape of the gardens took this session to a whole new level.  The huge gorgeous hard woods made for the perfect scenery which casted such a serene light that made me never want to leave.  Here are a few of my favorites from this session!  

Jared & Lesley Graduation Portraits Columbia, SC

I had the absolute pleasure of meeting this couple for their graduation portraits at the Horseshoe at the USC campus on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon.  If you have never gone to the Horseshoe in downtown Columbia then you are missing out on a beautiful and quiet piece of tranquillity.  There is a large grassy area where students play frisbee with their friends or fetch with their dogs.  Around this area are historic buildings from when the campus first opened that are still used today and sprinkled throughout are little hideaways with a garden or bricks with an iron door that makes you feel like your in a secret garden.

Jared, Lesley and I started our session in one of these little hideaways.  This couple was so warm and welcoming and it felt like I knew them for years instead of just meeting them for the first time.  Our one hour session turned into a two hour session not only because of the fabulous location but because this couple was such a joy to work with!

Take a minute to check out some of my favorites from this session!!

Daniel & Sarah Wedding Isle of Palms, Charleston, SC

First wedding of the year and it couldn't have been at a more beautiful location!  Wild Dunes at the Isle of Palms in Charleston South Carolina was perfect for a beach front ceremony with Daniel and Sarah.  We arrived at the Boardwalk Inn at 3 and went up to see the bride and her maids get ready and then did a walk through of the venue to pick out the perfect spot for a "first look" for the bride and groom.

The ceremony was at 6:30 which was perfect for sunset photos with the ocean in the background.  Sarah was so beautiful walking down the aisle with her dad to meet back up with Daniel who was grinning from ear to ear.

The couple chose Charleston for their wedding because that is where they first met.  After a few short years they took a trip up to New York where Daniel proposed to Sarah in Central Park.  

This couple and their families were so great to work with!  They were so warm and inviting and so much fun!  Please enjoy a few of my favorites!

Stafford & Kaylyn Elopement Gaston, SC

Saturday April 1st was seriously a gorgeous day.  So much so that Stafford and Kaylyn decided to say their I do's and surprise the rest of their family!  When I arrived at Stafford's parent's house, the front porch was decorated with mason jars with pink, blue and white flowers in them going up the steps and white ribbon that wrapped around the bannisters.  It was such a pretty sight to see!  

The guests included Stafford's parents, the girlfriend of the best man and Kaylyn's uncle who also walked her down the "aisle".  The short and sweet ceremony was performed by Kaylyn's mother who did a wonderful job of delivering a sweet speech while holding back tears.

This was by far the sweetest and most special ceremony that I have ever been apart of and I thank the family for allowing me the privilege of capturing these wonderful memories!

Ryan & Joanna Engagement Session Columbia, SC

April Fools Day was a beautiful day.  I met up with Ryan and Joanna at the Amphitheater at The Riverwalk in Columbia,  Joanna picked this location because her parents took her to many shows as a child so it is very special to her.  One thing to know about this couple is their love for broadway plays, and quirky comedies.  They were inspired by The Offices' Jim and Pam and wanted to reenact a magazine cover and a scene of theirs and it turned out to be so much fun!

I can't wait to work with this couple again in October where there wedding will take place at The Mitchell House and Garden's in Lexington, SC.

Enjoy a few of my favorites from their shoot!

5 Reasons to do Bridal Portraits

The Bridal Portrait is a Southern staple, it is traditional and some times not suited for the modern day bride that likes to think outside of the box, such as myself.  No, I'm not married, I've never been married nor am I close to getting married; however, up until recently I haven't really advertised for it or even offered it.  If a bride wants a bridal session then sure I'll do it but I don't really push for doing one because I just didn't see the necessity of them.

I recently read an article by a fellow photographer about bridal portraits and it completely changed how I viewed them. 

1. Tradition

Yes this is important.  People like to be traditional.  It's what their mother did, and their mother's mother and so on and so forth.  Also, displaying a bridal portrait at the wedding reception is still prevalent, especially here in the south.  You can even give them as a gift to your parents, grandparents and even the groom.  It's a gift that will be remembered long after the wedding.

2. Getting Comfortable

This is great not only for you but for your photographer as well!  You as the bride, will get comfortable in front of the camera and your photographer will know which poses work best for you.  It's a very relaxed atmosphere so you can explore new and different poses in front of the camera and how to interact with your photographer.  So on your wedding day, you can make the most of the little time that is given on a crazy and emotional day!

3.  Locations, Locations, Locations

Having your bridal portraits taken before your wedding gives you so much more flexibility.  Theres more time for one thing, but also more locations!  You don't have to stick with your wedding day venue for this, you can go to other places.  On your wedding day your photographer will be limited with a certain amount of time and location after the ceremony to take photos.  Doing bridal portraits before your wedding, if you choose to do these at your venue, enables you to take full advantage of your wedding venue and have more diversity in your photos.

4. Putting it all together

Dress: check; Shoes: check; Accessories: check; Hair and makeup: check

Why not go ahead and put it all together?  Doing bridal portraits lets you, the bride, have a little sneak peek to see what works together and what doesn't, sort of like a trial run.  Bridal portraits will also give you that bridal confidence that will make you shine even brighter on your actual wedding day!

5. That Dress!

You spent a lot of money on a dress that you only wear once.... Why not do bridal portraits so you can at least wear it twice!  If you don't want to do them before the wedding you can always do them after in a "trash the dress" session!

John & Tiarra Engagement Session Clover, South Carolina

John and Tiarra's story started with Tinder, of all places!  Their first date was to a comedy club in Greenville, SC and then to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.  They then, took a walk on a bridge over looking a lake and everything took off from there!

Three to four months later, John met Tiarra's son Jordan who immediately started calling him 'daddy'.  Six months later, John took Tiarra back to the same bridge where they had their first date and he proposed!  I just love that saying, 'when you know, you know' and it definitely applies to them.  

I am so excited to be apart of their special day which will take place in April.  The ceremony will take place at Pretty Place in Greenville, SC.  Then, we will head to the reception venue at Arran Farm in Easley, SC so stayed tuned for their wedding!! 

Aaron & Liz Shemcreek, Charleston, SC

Aaron and Liz met in high school and reunited a few years later while both serving in the military.  They were relocated to Charleston, SC where they fell in love with all the Palmetto trees.  So what do you do when you live in Charleston?  You get married at The Cottage on Shemcreek of course!

It was a mild December day in the south which is perfect for a sunset wedding on the river.  The bride and groom both got ready with friends and family at The Kings Street Inn on King Street in downtown Charleston.  The bride had both mom and step mom help her get ready while her bridesmaids watched.  At the same location, they did their "first look" which left the groom speechless.

After a few more photo ops, we were headed to The Cottage.  The colours chosen were forest green and light pink.  The bride came down the aisle to the instrumental version of Beauty and the Beast and it was just perfect!

This couple was so fantastic to work with and they had waited so long for this day!  Thank you Aaron and Liz Longo for giving me the privilege of capturing your special day!

Matt & Amy Engagement Session Gilbert, South Carolina

Matt and Amy's engagement session is probably one of my favorite sessions with a horrible story.  My go-to location are the peach orchards in Gilbert, SC.  They are stunning in the Spring, beautiful and shady in the Summer and hauntingly amazing in Winter.

Matt and Amy are from Charlotte, NC where the wedding will take place Spring of this year; but orchards and fields are scarce there in the city so they were in for a treat and volunteered to come to me for their engagement photos.  They followed behind me until we reached our destination and my stomach went into my throat...

My beautiful orchard was gone and in its place were large clumps of mutilated trees.  First I panicked, then I laughed...went back to panic and wanted to vomit but this couple thought that it was the funniest thing and wanted to stay right there and do their photos...so we did and it was a great decision!!  So thank you Matt and Amy for sticking it out with me!