Charlestowne Landing Bridal Portrait

Waiting…

That’s the one thing I can’t stand about photographing Bridal Shoots!   🙂

I’ve been dying to share images from Catie’s beautiful Bridal Session last month. But of course her gorgeous wedding gown had to be kept a secret until the Big Day. Now that her and Justin tied the knot this weekend, I can finally show off how amazing Catie looked in her elegant and unique wedding dress.  The waiting is over!!!

I love this southern tradition of photographing Bridal Portraits about a month before the wedding. It’s quite likely that this is the most expensive garment a young lady will ever own in her life! Sure she’ll have a few shots of herself in the dress on her wedding day. But with the hustle and hurry of that stressful day, there just isn’t time to truly do it justice.  I always encourage my brides to schedule a Bridal Shoot to truly document how gorgeous they look in the gown of their choice.

These fun “fashion style” photo shoots are scheduled for a more relaxed time and place. Hair and make-up is fresh. It can be planned around the best light of the day (instead of being squeezed in wherever it fits among the zillions of other pictures to be taken on the wedding day). Due to time constraints, all the photos on wedding day are done at the wedding or reception venue. Bridal Sessions allow brides to pick a totally different location. Maybe it’s somewhere special to them (where they had their first date?). Maybe their wedding is downtown, but they want some photos at a plantation? A Bridal Shoot is a great time to be creative and come up with some cool and creative wedding photos that simply can’t be done on the wedding day due to the constraints of time and space.

Catie & Justin LOVE the many beautiful plantations around Charleston! After all, their wedding was held at the historic Boone Hall Plantation. However, leading up to the wedding, they also had photo shoots with me at Runnymede Plantation, Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, and finally these inspirational images from Charlestowne Landing.

Catie…you were absolutely STUNNING!!! What a pleasure it was to share this afternoon with you and your parents, capturing your amazing spirit, and documenting the spirit of your stunning wedding gown.

Amanda & Alicia’s Wedding at Medecine Wind Farms

What a joyful celebration of genuine love!!! It was truly an honor to be a part of Amanda & Alicia’s joyful wedding at Medecine Wind Farms last weekend! 🙂

Amanda & Alicia dated in high-school, though they lost touch afterwards when they went separate ways. But hearts drawn together by true love can’t stay apart for long! These two re-united several years later, and have been inseperable ever since.

According to her big brother, Alicia asked Amanda to marry her more than once. 😉 But the one that stuck was when she proposed in Azalea Park. This beautiful sanctuary in the heart of Summerville is a very special place to these two, where they always enjoy spending time together.

Amanda & Alicia’s gorgeous bohemian-themed wedding was held at the rustic Medecine Wind Farms, a picturesque venue just outside of Summerville. Friends and family surrounded the couple with joy and love, in one of the most heart-felt ceremonies I’ve had the privilege of photographing in a long time!

“May the longtime sun shine on you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide you on your way
Akal, Akal, infinity
Akal, Akal, no end”
      – Irish Blessing

CONGRATULATIONS Alicia & Amanda!

Olman’s Bridal Shoot

Now that Olman & Craig are married, I can FINALLY share some of her gorgeous Bridal Portraits from downtown Charleston!!!

Believe it or not, it was a dreary and drizzly afternoon. But since Olman & Craig had driven all the way from Atlanta to get these portraits, we had to work around it. Fortunately, I have a few tricks up my sleeve…favorite locations that are dry and covered…lighting techniques to mimic warm sunshine…and equipment that can withstand the weather. 🙂

Olman has such a positive spirit, her mom and best friend Maricar were great support, and we all actually had a BLAST creating these beautiful images together!

Olman & Craig at Charlestowne Landing

What a joy it has been to get to know Olman & Craig over this past year! We absolutely LOVE these guys!!!

Olman & Craig met through work, where they are execs at AT&T in Atlanta. They were looking to for a spot to have a nice destination wedding that had a beautiful courtyart surrounded by nature and greenery. They couldn’t have picked a more AMAZING location than Charlestowne Landing!

Their ceremony was held in the gorgeous courtyard at Founder’s Hall in this beautiful historic plantation. But we took advantage of other scenic locations around the grounds as well! In spite of the threatening weather, the ceremony went off without a hitch. Plus Olman & Craig bravely indulged my “creative geekiness” for a few dramatic shots in the misty sprinkle afterwards. 🙂

Many thanks to everyone who helped make their wedding such a huge success! And a special thank you to Jessica for referring these two beautiful soul-mates to us! What a special priviledge it was to capture all the excitement of their wedding day!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Olman & Craig! May your life hereafter be filled with happiness and delight.

Caroline & Matt & Turf Valley Resort

When I photographed Matt’s Secret Proposal to Caroline 6 months ago (https://chrisandcami.com/caroline-matts-secret-wedding-proposal/), it was one of the most humble moments of my 20+ year career! I could tell there was something truly special about these two…a connection on another dimension…spiritual, pure, perfect. It was even more humbling a few weeks later when they asked if Cami & I would be willing to photograph their Destination Wedding at an amazing resort near Washington D.C.!!!

Last week the big day finally arrived!  The wedding and reception were held at the gorgeous Turf Valley Resort. The location was beautiful, the weather was beautiful, and Caroline was ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!! One of my favorite shots of the day was Matt’s beaming smile when he saw her for the first time, walking down the aisle beside her father, ready to become his wife.

Photographing Caroline & Matt’s portraits after the wedding was like working with a pair of professional models. 🙂 Everywhere we went, they struck these amazing poses, with his dress blues setting off her elegant gown, and their contagious “we just got married” smiles warming our hearts. We had so much fun during our mini-shoot, complete with golf cart ride!

Entering the reception hall, I could tell we were in for the party of the century! There was a palpable electricity in the air. From the second Caroline & Matt stepped into the room to thunderous applause, to the very last dance, the room was filled with emotion, energy, and excitement!  They were showered with love from friends and family all night long.

CONGRATULATIONS Matt & Caroline! The blessing of meeting couples like you, and the joy of sharing in your lives, is the true reason why we LOVE what we do. We wish for you a life together full of the greatest joy imaginable!!!

Darcy & David at Runnymede Plantation

Cami & I are so happy for Darcy & David!!!

Darcy has been a great friend and tennis partner for many years. When we finally met David last year, and saw the way these two looked at each other, we knew the stars had lined up just right. Soon after, David asked Darcy to be his wife! 🙂

A few days ago we met up at the GORGEOUS Runnymede Plantation for their Engagement Session. They even brought Izzie, their beautiful black lab who we’ve photographed in the past. Izzie has clearly approved of David…and so do we! HA!

CONGRATULATIONS David & Darcy!!! We can’t wait to photograph your beautiful wedding…

Ashley & Kent’s Engagement Session at White Point Garden

Just over a month to go before Ashley & Kent tie the knot…YAY!!! 🙂

Ashley & Kent were referrals from the amazing Whitney & Logan (and mom, Theresa), who are all-time favorites in our book! After having so much fun with Ashley & Kent at their engagement session, I think they are diving strait into that same book. I absolutely LOVE these two…their fun energy, their quirky humor, and their fullness of life!

I can’t wait for their Big Day to get here!!!

Caroline & Matt’s Secret Wedding Proposal

“I am stationed at the Navy Nuclear Power School in Goose Creek. I will be graduating on March 20th, and I plan on proposing to my girlfriend downtown later that afternoon.”

WOW!!! Matt wrote this to me back on February 5th! I think it is SO COOL when guys make such special plans, so far in advance, to capture all the excitement of their marriage proposal. It really takes a special kind of guy to recognize the importance of the occasion, and to want to preserve it for his future fiance to be able to remember it through beautiful photographs!

Matt & I became great pen-pals over the ensueing weeks, as we discussed locations, times, and logistics…finally settling on a great game plan. After graduation, he and his family, along with Caroline, would have lunch downtown at Cru Cafe. He and Caroline would then take a nice stroll down to The Battery while his parents went on a carriage tour. Once they got to White Point Garden, we had a special spot all picked out, where he would take a knee and ask Caroline to be his wife!

I arrived early and got everything staged for their arrival. Entering the park right on cue, everything went down absolutely perfect! Oh, and as if you can’t tell by the photos, Caroline said “YES”!!!  🙂

CONGRATULATIONS Caroline & Matt! In the brief moments we shared together, I could tell you are two souls who are beautifully and wonderfully made PERFECT for each other. We wish for you all the love and happiness that you deserve!!!

Tony & Courtney’s Proposal

It was the end of a long day. I’d already had a full schedule of assignments. But when my friend Robbin asked me to help Tony out, a friend of our mutual friend, Trevor, how could I resist. After all, he was planning to propose to his girlfriend!!!

I absolutely love photographing secret wedding proposals. It’s fun to hide and play “sniper”. But more importantly, it’s such a joy to witness this beautiful once-in-a-lifetime event in a couple’s lives!

Tony & I had grand plans for his proposal at White Point Garden, also known as Battery Park. But not knowing what was in store, Courtney was not playing along! She just didn’t understand why he had to stop and see his “client” before dinner? And why did he have to park so far away, forcing them to walk through the park? But in the end, it worked out PERFECT!!!

Even though they’ve known each other for 7 years, Courtney was completely surprised! For the record, she did say “yes”. 🙂 Well done, Tony…you are THE MAN! Congratulations to you both…

Chase & Courtney’s Carriage Ride Proposal

Valentine’s Day is special to a lot of couples. But this year, it was EXTRA special to Chase & Courtney!!!

A few weeks ago, Chase contacted us to let us know his intentions to propose to his girlfriend. Although they are from North Carolina, Courtney LOVEs the history and charm of Charleston! So Chase thought it would be extra special to bring her down for the weekend, and propose on a carriage tour. He arranged for me to be on the same tour, and I brought Cami so that we could pretend to be just another “tourist” couple in town.

Courtney had absolutely NO clue, and everything went as smoothly and perfectly as could be! It was so much fun being a part of their special day. CONGRATULATIONS Chase & Courtney!!!

New Wedding Wire Review

The holidays are always a favorite time of year for us. But this year’s was made even MORE special when we recieved this wonderful review from Kelli & Tom!

We’re in the running to be named for the prestigious Wedding Wire Couple’s Choice Award again this year…it’ll be our 6th in a row! Kelli & Tom’s kind review couldn’t have come at a better time…it might be just what we needed to make the cut. 🙂

Many thanks to Kelli & Tom…and to ALL our wonderful brides and grooms from 2014. We are so blessed to have THE BEST clients ever!!!

Alison & Kevin at Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian

Alison & Kevin had a GORGEOUS ceremony last Saturday!  The sky was blue, the temperature was perfect, and Alison & Kevin were a BLAST to hang out with!!!

I met up with them at Alhambra Hall where the wedding party was getting ready.  Kevin & Alison shared their “First Glance” shortly after that, giving us time to get some fun wedding party photos before heading to the church.  Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian has a beautiful historic sanctuary that I love photographing in.  We always obey each church’s protocol, even if it means no photography inside the sanctuary during the worship service.  But I was kindly allowed to polish the glass windows at the back to shoot through them from the foyer, and also mount my fisheye remote camera on the balcony for some unique shots.

After the ceremony, Alison & Kevin burst from the church to an excited gathering of friends and family clapping and blowing bubbles as they rode off on their horse-drawn carriage.  The reception followed at the always-popular Alhambra Hall.  It was an EXCITING party with lots of laughter, emotional toasts, crazy dancing, and a beautiful sunset for some of my favorite shots of the day.  Later, a full moon rose in time for me to grab a couple dramatic images before Alison & Kevin made their grand escape among waving multi-colored glow sticks.  What a FANTASTIC day!   To see the rest of their photos, head over to www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com.

Alison & Kevin, may the joyous glow of your love for each other never fade…