Evan Surprises Brianna with his Proposal

Brianna & Even met and fell in love at Winthrop University. Now living in Charlotte, he’s a financial advisor, and she’s a flight instructor. This week they came to Charleston to run the city’s half-marathon race, and to celebrate 6 years together. Evan thought this would be the PERFECT time to ask Brianna to be his wife!!! 🙂
 
I was so excited when Evan called a few weeks ago to ask me to photograph this special occasion for the two of them. He told me all about their story and how much he adored Brianna. I was hooked! So we began secretly coming up with the perfect plan on how to pull this off without her finding out.
 
When the big day arrived, I went down to White Point Garden early to scout it out and get set up. We had picked one of the beautiful avenues of oaks as the spot for him to propose. Finding the perfect angle with the best light, I placed a marker so that he knew exactly where to stop and do his magic! Then I settled into “hiding in plain sight”, sitting on the curb, pretending I was a random tourist just resting and checking his map. Later, Brianna said, “You are so sneaky…I never even noticed you sitting there!!!”.
 
Once they arrived, Even led her down a couple paths to keep Brianna guessing. Then he took her into the alley where he dropped to one knee under the majestic cathedral of giant oak limbs towering above them, and asked Brianna for her hand in marriage! It was incredibly MAGICAL!!!
 
But the surprise didn’t end there! Evan had also secretly arranged for Brianna’s twin sister, Marissa, to fly in that afternoon and hide around the corner. After he proposed, he signaled for Marissa to come out from hiding and the look on Brianna’s face was absolutely PRICELESS!!!
 
Before the three of them went off to celebrate, we strolled around the park, and up some of the old historic alleys, capturing some beautiful engagement photos to commemorate this special time in their lives. CONGARULATIONS Evan & Brianna!!! We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together!

Regan & Thomas at Rainbow Row

Everyone please help me congratulate Regan!!!
Regan works for 3rd largest insurance firm in the world. She joined the team this summer and they are featuring her in their National Business Journal as an outstanding new-hire highlight. How cool is that?!?
I had the privilege’s of photographing some beautiful portraits of her for the article. Plus, since her and Thomas just moved to Charleston, we dragged him along for a few couples portraits as well! Because Regan can work from anywhere, they moved to Charleston when Thomas landed his dream job at The Citadel.
Regan and Thomas are the coolest couple you could ever hope to meet! We had so much fun exploring the historic alleys and beautiful backdrops around Rainbow Row.

CONGRATULATIONS

Regan…your firm is lucky to have you!!!

Ben Proposes to Paulina at the Holiday Festival of Lights

I had so much fun photographing Frank and Sommer’s wedding last year. The Kordonis’ and Peterman’s are such wonderful families! So when Ben called to ask if I would photograph his Surprise Proposal to Frank’s sister, Paulina, I was ECSTATIC!!!

Ben had come up with a really unique but challenging idea for his proposal. He wanted to do it at the James Island County Park Holiday Festival of Lights. There were two major obstacles against us…there is no light…and there is no privacy! However, I loved the idea and went out to the park on a scouting trip. Soon a plan began to take shape.

I reached out to my friend, Gary Coleman, who is a good friend and has been Santa’s private photographer at James Island County Park for 13 years. Since Santa doesn’t make appearances after Christmas Eve, Gary was free to come with me and help out. He was able to let the park staff know what was going on, and ask Laura, one of the kind staff members, to help us with “crowd control”.

Arriving early to set up, we mounted a flash on a Manfrotto Magic Arm on one side of the “Tunnel of Lights”, and a second flash on a light-stand in the forest on the other side. Both were dialed way down to 1/128th power so as not to over-ride the beautiful ambiance of the festival lighting. I hid a Nikon Z6II with a 24-70 f2.8 under the “mushroom” display, which I triggered with a WR-R10 remote control. And I hid back behind the “woodpecker” display with a Nikon D5 using a 70-200 f2.8. Both cameras were set to ISO 2500, f2.8, and 1/60th sec.

After a nice dinner together, Ben & Paulina arrived at the Festival of Lights for what she thought was just part of their date night. Secretly staying in touch with Ben via text, he let me know when they were approaching the “Tunnel of Light” that we had selected as the spot to do his thing. Once I got the word, Laura helped me ask the crowd on my side of the tunnel to wait a moment for him to have a little privacy (and a clear shot from my cameras). Meanwhile, Gary, who was stationed at the far end of the tunnel, asked everyone on that end to wait a moment for them. By the time the tunnel was clear, there were probably 30 people all hiding behind me and holding their breath in anticipation of the big moment!

Ben rounded the corner exactly as planned, took to his knee, and asked Paulina to be his wife. Of course SHE SAID YES!!! And the crowd of people that had silently assembled all broke out in thunderous applause and loud cheers of encouragement for the happy couple! 🙂 Following this special moment, Gary and I took Ben & Paulina on a fun little mini-shoot throughout the Festival of Lights, before leaving them to enjoy their roasted marshmallows and celebrate this special moment in their lives.

CONGRATULATIONS Ben & Paulina! We wish you all the best as you begin this beautiful journey together…

Hunter & Sydney’s Surprise Proposal at White Point Garden

She was so surprised that she dropped her phone!!!

I had so much fun photographing Hunter’s surprise proposal to his beautiful girlfriend, Sydney! Hunter works on the nuclear subs in the Navy, and may be getting stationed in California soon. He and Sydney have been together for a year now, and are a match made in heaven! He knew in his heart this was the girl of his dreams. So he wanted to promise her his undying love before shipping out.

Hunter & Sydney had their first date at White Point Garden. So he and I arranged for him to propose in that beautiful park, underneath a giant oak tree, near the bench where they had their first kiss. It was a magical moment! And she was so surprised that she dropped her phone!!! 🙂

CONGRATULATIONS Hunter & Sydney! We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together!!!

Noah’s Surprise Proposal to Meredith

A few weeks ago I received a call from Noah. The voice on the other end of the phone was so kind and sincere. I was struck with how much he wanted to make everything absolutely perfect for his girlfriend of three years. Noah and I had a great time going back and forth and figuring out an awesome plan for his secret proposal to Meredith!
This morning, the Big Day finally arrived!!! Because Meredith loves all the beautiful trees in Charleston, we had settled on the proposal taking place under the cathedral of crape myrtles, draped in Spanish moss, lining one of the paths at Hampton Park. Everything turned out absolutely perfect! And SHE SAID YES!!!
The three of us then enjoyed a wonderful stroll around Hampton Park, photographing a variety of authentic engagement photos for them to remember this special day. I had so much fun getting to know them as we captured these images together! 🙂
CONGRATULATIONS Meredith & Noah! We wish you all the best as you begin this amazing new chapter of your lives…

Amber & Paul’s Wedding at The Cedar Room

It’s hard for me to believe it’s been 3 years since I photographed Paul’s surprise proposal to Amber: https://chrisandcami.com/pauls-secret-proposal-to-amber-at-white-point-garden/. I instantly fell in love with them that day. You just couldn’t possibly meet two of the nicest, kindest, most genuine people on the planet!

In spite of a worldwide pandemic thwarting their wedding plans (multiple times), Amber & Paul just rolled with the punches until FINALLY they could celebrate their love the way they always dreamed of! And what a beautiful wedding day it turned out to be!!!

Preparations for the big day started off at The Hampton Inn Downtown Charleston with Paul and the guys getting ready. Then it moved over to the Hotel Bennett where Amber and the girls were doing their magic. Once everyone was ready, Amber’s Dad got a First Look with her on the balcony, before Paul got his First Look of her in her amazing wedding gown in Marion Square. Then it was off to Hampton Park for photos with their amazing wedding party!

The ceremony was held in a private courtyard just outside of The Cedar Room, which is an amazing event space located at The Cigar Factory. It was an elegant, and sweet service, officiated by Ryan who is one of their friends. Afterwards, Amber & Ryan made it up to the rooftop for a private moment with the incredible view of Charleston harbor during twilight. Then it was back to The Cedar Room for an awesome evening of dancing and celebrating!!!

Many thanks to Camilla @spellbound.events for all her hard work keeping everything on schedule and running smoothly!

And CONGRATULATIONS to Amber & Paul!!! We wish you both all the happiness in the world as you begin your new journey together…

Sally & Vincent Folly Beach Engagement

Sally & Vincent have been married for almost 10 years. But they never had a proper wedding celebration. So they decided to have a 10-year vow renewal and host a fun celebration on The Carolina Girl yacht! 🙂

We met up for some fun engagement photos at Folly Beach County Park. It turned out to be a GORGEOUS! We had so much fun getting to know each other and creating some beautiful images together. Vincent’s heritage is from Puerto Rico. Sally’s is from Venezuela. And they have two adorable girls, who joined us for a few family photos. What a beautiful family they have!

CONGRATULATIONS on making these special plans to celebrate your 1-year Anniversary, Sally & Vincent!!! I can’t wait to be there for you on your special day.
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Nick & Sarah’s Kiawah Island Engagement

Nick & Sarah are ENGAGED!!!

Early yesterday morning in a secluded stretch of beach, without another soul around, Nick asked Sarah to be his wife. She said YES!!! 🙂 Although they drifted apart after high-school, the two of them have known each other since grade-school. So when they re-connected several years later, it didn’t take long for the spark to re-ignite!

After his surprise proposal, Nick had another secret in his bag of tricks. When he and Sarah returned to the condo, Sarah’s family was there waiting!!! Nick had arranged for his family and her family to fly in to surprise Sarah and help them celebrate the exciting news!

After spending a fun day together as one big family, I met up with them at The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island to commemorate the occasion with some authentic engagement photos and a few family portraits! With permanent smiles on their faces from the day’s big events, Sarah & Nick were so much fun to work with!!!

Please help me CONGRATULATE this beautiful young couple as they begin their new journey together…
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Jillian & Jard’s California Wedding

It was such a privilege to be a part of Jillian and Jard’s beautiful wedding celebration in Anaheim, CA!!!

When they got engaged a couple years ago, their amazing Aunt Nancy asked me to be their photographer as her gift to them. Nancy and Jillian’s mom, Margie, grew up in the Congo and went to TASOK, as did my brothers and I. Being in a foreign country together, the bond between missionary families is strong! So much so, that we referred to our friend’s parents as “Aunt” and “Uncle”, even when there was no real relation. And that bond of being missionary kids together stays on long after leaving the country our parents served in. This is one of my favorite parts of being a “Third Culture Kid”! So it was with great honor that I gladly accepted the opportunity to photograph this joyful occasion for their family!!!

The wedding was originally planned for last year. But as we all know, last year came to a screeching halt! Jillian and Jard were still able to become man and wife on their original wedding date, albeit in a very small intimate ceremony. But fortunately, the venue, and all their vendors, were still available for June 13th of 2021, which was EXACTLY 1 year from their original date. So their wedding celebration was also their 1-year Anniversary!!! How cool is that?!?

It was such a pleasure to catch up with the Allans, the Chapmans, the Sharps, and others of the “Congo Community” at Jillian and Jard’s amazing wedding! And it was such an honor to be there for this AMAZING couple to capture this special time in their lives! CONGRATULATIONS to you both!!! We wish you all the happiness in the world as you begin your new journey together…

Kelsey and Alex are Engaged!!!

I’ve had so much fun over the last few weeks getting to know Alex via emails and phone calls.

We were working out the final plans for his surprise proposal at The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island to his beautiful girlfriend, Kelsey. I loved how every detail was so important to him. He truly wanted this to be a special moment for Kelsey.

The funny thing is, that truly magical and spontaneous moment hit him when he and Kelsey were putting up Christmas decorations in their new house. With holiday music in the background, fond childhood memories flowing through their heads, a that feeling of being “in the moment” surrounding them…he knew the timing was right! So just a few days before their trip to Kiawah, Alex asked Kelsey to be his bride…and she said “YES”!!! 🙂

The best part was, they still wanted to have their engagement photos with me on the beautiful sandy beach in front of The Ocean Course, just like Alex had originally planned. So it worked out PERFECTLY! We had so much fun together, and came away with some beautiful memories of this special time in their lives.  They are such an amazing couple!!!

Help me in saying CONGRATULATIONS to Alex & Kelsey…

Charleston Aerial Photographer, Charleston Couples Photographer, Charleston Drone Photographer, Charleston Engagement Photographer, Charleston Portrait Photographer, Charleston Proposal Photographer, Charleston Secret Proposal Photographer, Charleston Surprise Proposal Photographer, Chris & Cami Photography, D500, D850, DJI, Kiawah Aerial Photographer, Kiawah Drone Photographer, Kiawah Engagement Photographer, Kiawah Island, Kiawah Portrait Photographer, Kiawah Proposal Photographer, Kiawah Secret Proposal, Kiawah Surprise Proposal, Mavic Pro, Nikkor, Nikon, Nikon Pro, Nikon USA, Off-Camera Flash, Ryder Cup Bar, SB-5000, She Said Yes, Speedlight, The Atlantic Room, The Ocean Course

Alex’ Secret Proposal to Bumi at The Ocean Course

I have a confession to make! Alex and I have been secretly going behind his girlfriend’s back to plan his surprise proposal at The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island. 🙂

Alex loves tennis. And he’s really good at it! He plays in some amazing USTA open tournaments around the country. When he found out he’d be playing in one on Kiawah Island this weekend, he asked his girlfriend to come with him and make a fun vacation out of it. In fact, he thought it would be the perfect place to ask Bumi to marry him!!!

I was absolutely delighted that he called me to ask if I would do the honors of photographing this special occasion for them. It was an absolutely GORGEOUS fall day. Alex and Bumi couldn’t have been more amazing to work with. And getting to know them during our time together, I can tell they are absolutely PERFECT for each other!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Alex & Bumi! We wish you all the happiness in the world as you begin your new journey together…

Charleston Aerial Photographer, Charleston Couples Photographer, Charleston Drone Photographer, Charleston Engagement Photographer, Charleston Portrait Photographer, Charleston Proposal Photographer, Charleston Secret Proposal Photographer, Charleston Surprise Proposal Photographer, Chris & Cami Photography, D500, D850, DJI, Kiawah Aerial Photographer, Kiawah Drone Photographer, Kiawah Engagement Photographer, Kiawah Island, Kiawah Portrait Photographer, Kiawah Proposal Photographer, Kiawah Secret Proposal, Kiawah Surprise Proposal, Mavic Pro, Nikkor, Nikon, Nikon Pro, Nikon USA, Off-Camera Flash, Ryder Cup Bar, SB-5000, She Said Yes, Speedlight, The Atlantic Room, The Ocean Course

Ashley & Ed’s Surprise Proposal in the Historic French Quarter

Ashley & Ed are absolutely AMAZING together!!!

I’ve been secretly corresponding with Ed for several weeks as we planned (and re-planned, and planned again) all the details of his secret proposal to his beautiful girlfriend, Ashley! Never having been to Charleston, I was truly impressed with the amount of research and thought he put into his plans. Even when the weather threatened our plans, we just pivoted to a Plan B, then a Plan C, and even had to call an audible just minutes before!  🙂

Ultimately, everything worked out beautifully!!! Ashley was so surprised! It turned out to be such a special event. And the fact that Ashley had lived and worked in Charleston briefly during her younger years made it that much more special.

Ashley & Ed have been dating for a little over 2 years now. She said it took her a while to break down his barriers. But I think once he realized they were true soulmates, everything clicked into place! I am SO HAPPY these two found each other!!!  I had so much fun getting to know them during our time walking the streets of the old French Quarter, capturing their love for each other.

Ed & Ashley, we wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together…

Charleston Couples Photographer, Charleston Engagement Photographer, Charleston Portrait Photographer, Charleston Proposal Photographer, Charleston Secret Proposal Photographer, Charleston Surprise Proposal Photographer, Chris & Cami Photography, Nikkor, Nikon, Nikon Pro, Nikon USA, Off-Camera Flash, SB-5000, Speedlight, Waterfront Park