Anna and Christian at The Citadel Beach Club

Anna went to Charleston Southern University and now works with Coastal Kids Dentistry.  Christian is currently stationed with the Army on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.  They went to the same high-school, but didn’t really hang out together at first because they were both dating different people.  When those relationships ended, they started hanging out in group of singles where Anna & Christian made a real connection with each other.  They started dating…and the rest is history!

Christian’s family is originally from Pittsburg.  But they moved to Summerville years ago, which is where Anna and Christian ended up meeting at school.  Anna’s family is full of educators.  Her mom is a math teacher.  And her  grandfather is a retired Citadel professor in the Education department.  Plus Anna’s dad is a Citadel alumni.  So it was quite fitting that they had their ceremony at the beautiful Citadel Beach Club!

It was a gorgeous summer day, albeit a little hot outside.  But that didn’t stop everyone from coming out and celebrating the love Anna & Christian have for each other!  Anna was absolutely stunning in her cathedral-length wedding gown, complete with long flowing veil.  Christian was smartly decked out in his blue suit and bowtie.  The ceremony was heart-felt.  And the reception afterwards was a joyful celebration like no other!!!

Many thanks to Anna’s mom for all her hard work and planning, to  Jessica at Lowcountry Weddings for keeping everything organized, to Pastor Eric for the touching ceremony, Chris at Country & Lace for the floral arrangements, Flavours of Charleston for the delicious food, Mikey Lee for rocking the awesome tunes all night long, and all the other vendors who helped make Anna & Christian’s day a huge success!

CONTRATULATIONS Anna & Christian!!!  We wish you all the best as you begin this beautiful new journey together…

Becca & Matt at Pineland Place

After photographing their GORGEOUS wedding at the historic Wentworth Mansion last year, I was so excited to cover Becca & Matt’s delayed reception at Pineland Place last weekend!  They had purposely planned their reception as a laid back “summer celebration” with all their friends, while keeping their winter wedding small and intimate with just immediate family.

Check out their amazing wedding photos at https://chrisandcami.com/becca-matts-wentworth-mansion-wedding/, and their beautiful surprise proposal at https://chrisandcami.com/matts-middleton-place-proposal-to-becca/.

Becca & Matt hosted their reception at Pineland Place in Moncks Corner, which is a fantastic venue on their family’s farm.  The space has a “rustic barn” feel to it, with lots of the original wood interior, salvaged doors, and other decorations coming from the original farm.  Without the anxiety of a formal wedding ceremony, the whole event had a very relaxed and joyful atmosphere to it.  Highlights of the day included a lively photo shoot with close friends and family, Becca & Matt’s “Grand Entrance”, a touching welcome by Matt’s dad (Chris), delicious tacos for dinner, their cake cutting, a duet with Matt’s dad and sister (Jenny) singing “Sunrise Sunset”, a caricature artist doing his magic, a tarot card reader, and of course tons of dancing and mingling.  Everyone had such a great time just hanging out and having fun!  Eventually Becca & Matt shared a private last dance before heading out under showers of flower petals, through a line-up of their loved ones, sending them off into the night.

CONGRATULATIONS Becca & Matt!  We are so excited for you two as you continue your beautiful journey together…

Guin Family at The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island

It’s been a couple years since I’ve had the pleasure of photographing the Guin Family. But they made such an impression on me last time.  So I was super excited when Catherine reached out to let me know they were coming back to Kiawah Island this summer! 🙂

We met up at The Sanctuary Hotel on a GORGEOUS summer evening. Everyone looked amazing in their complimenting blue outfits. I was so bummed that their oldest son and his family couldn’t make it this year. But the rest of us had a BLAST and captured some fun family memories to commemorate this year’s family vacation!

The best part was, this was the 10-year anniversary of when Joe proposed to Catherine right on the same boardwalk in front of the hotel.  CONGRATULATIONS you two!!!

Aiken Eye Care

It was time for our annual eye checkup. So Cami and I headed over to our FAVORITE eye doctor, Dr. Lori, at Aiken Eye Care. We love her so much, that when she moved her practice from Charleston to Aiken, we decided to stick with her instead of finding someone new.

While we were there, we did some new marketing photos and headshots for Dr. Lori and her team!

Amanda & Bryan at Summerall Chapel

Amanda & Bryan are the sweetest people you could ever hope to meet!

Bryan graduated from The Citadel back in ’96. He and Amanda now live in Ohio. When they decided to get married, all he wanted was to be able to return to The Citadel and marry the girl of his dreams in the iconic Summerall Chapel! So Amanda planned a beautiful destination wedding to Charleston with just a few close friends and family. Bryan and Amanda each have kids. Which made it extra special as their blended family came together and made the long trip in support of this amazing couple!

Amanda and her girls got ready in the adjacent Mark Clark building before being picked up by a Rolls Royce to drive her around the quad to the wedding. Bryan got ready at Summerall Chapel, where he was able to greet guests and welcome everyone. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful, including a special sand-ceremony at the alter, and a spectacular sword arch at the end. Afterwards, Amanda had arranged for a private photo session in Bryan’s old barracks! How cool is that?!? We then returned to their families back at the church for group photos. And finally, we headed over to Hampton Park where the newlyweds could enjoy a few minutes together before joining everyone for dinner.

CONGRATULATIONS Amanda & Bryan! We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together…

Dillon Family at Edisto Island

When Bernadett contacted me about photographing a “surprise” family portrait session for her parents, I knew I had to be a part of it! The last time the whole family had been together in a photo was at her sister’s wedding 10 years ago!!!

Their family was vacationing in a beautiful rental house a few minutes from the beach on Edisto Island. So I met up with them at their rental house, where Bernadett and Nicol had sprung the surprise to their parents earlier that day…much to their delight!

A few thunderstorms had passed through that afternoon…and more were predicted for later that evening. So the skies were full of character, with interesting cloud formations rolling through. But the light was beautiful! And the kids were amazing!!! Everyone was so much fun to work with. 🙂

Many thanks to Bernadett and Monica for organizing this fun gift for their parents.

Victoria’s Senior Portraits at Morris Island Lighthouse

Kristin and her family are some of our favorite people on the planet! It’s been such a pleasure photographing her adorable girls over the years. I can’t believe how fast time flies!!!

Cami and I had so much fun photographing Victoria’s high-school senior portraits the other day! We met up with Kristin and her daughter at the Morris Island Lighthouse on Folly Beach. It had been raining all day. But we caught a break when the weather moved off-shore and the skies cleared up, creating a perfect window for us to do our shoot!

Victoria was such a joy to work with! She’s heading off to join her sister, Savannah, at Clemson University. She loves animals and plans on studying Wildlife Biology.  Since we’re big animal lovers too, we think that’s awesome!

CONGRATULATIONS, Victoria!  We can’t wait to see what amazing accomplishments await you…

* Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 24-120 f4, SB-5000 speedlight, Sony XQD cards, DJI Mini 3 Pro, Manfrotto supports, ThinkTank bags *

MUSC Department of Surgery at The Gaillard

This is the best of the best!!!

It was such an honor photographing this graduation gala in honor of the 9 individuals who graduated from MUSC’s elite specialized surgery department. The event was held at the beautiful Gaillard Auditorium. The graduates and their families were invited to arrive a little early so that I could photograph their formal portraits. As guests began arriving, everyone enjoyed lively conversations and great cocktails in the foyer. We then transitioned to the ballroom for a delicious sit-down diner. And finally, we capped off the the evening with the official awards program.

I had an amazing time and met some incredible individuals that I’ll never forget!!!

* Nikon Z9 (x2), Nikkor Z 14-24 f4, Nikkor Z 24-70 f2.8, Nikkor Z 70-200 f2.8, Sony XQD cards, DJI Mini 3 Pro, Flashpoint speedlights (x8), Manfrotto supports, Westcott umbrellas, Savage backdrop, and ThinkTank bags *

Joye Law Firm Headshots

I had fun photographing photographing headshots at the Joye Law Firm today! We started out with some traditional “Rembrandt Lighting” on the white background. Then we switched to one of the earth-done walls in the lobby, where I used some “Butterfly Lighting” for a more glamorous look.

* Nikon Z9, Nikkor 70-200 Z f2.8, SB-5000 speedlights, Westcott modifiers, Manfrotto supports, Sony XQD cards, and Lenovo laptop *

Liza & Joe’s Destination Wedding in Madison

Joe is Cami’s second cousin. So, when Joe and Liza contacted us to ask if we would photograph their wedding, we were elated! We were excited to be going to Madison for a destination wedding. Cami spent several summers in that area while growing up, visiting her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Port Edwards.

It was a beautiful day for the wedding. We were happy that it took place inside the Goodman Community Center where Liza works, as it was a 90 degree day! The guys started getting ready on the top floor, while the ladies were in a room on the main floor. Joe looked very handsome in his suit. Liza looked stunning, with her amazing daughter, Lily helping with makeup. Liza’s wedding gown was absolutely elegant! After everyone was dressed to the nines, Liza & Joe had their first glance on a beautiful lawn across from the wedding venue…followed by family and wedding party photos.

The wedding was led by Joe’s mother, Susan, and included a touching hand binding ceremony. The flower girl, Emilia, drew lots of smiles as she walked down the aisle, throwing the flower petals up behind her back. After the ceremony, we captured some fun photos of Joe & Liza, their first shots as a married couple, while everyone else headed to the Brassworks Building for the cocktail hour and reception.

A warm welcome by Joe’s dad, Don, and a delicious meal awaited everyone at the reception. Lively chatter and fun festivities carried on throughout the night. Cake cutting, and touching toasts also ensued. Eventually, James, with the Juke Box Bandstand started jamming and the party kicked into high gear! Everyone was dancing and singing and having a BLAST!!! But finally it was time to bid Eliza & Joe a fond farewell.

Many thanks to all of the fine folks from the Goodman Community Center for all of their help in making the wedding a huge success. Also, a huge shout out to all the vendors who made this special day possible.

CONGRATULATIONS Liza & Joe!!! It was an absolute honor to capture all the beautiful memories of this special day for you. We wish you all the best as you begin this new journey together.

Pierce Sloan Kennedy & Early

It’s been a real privilege to work with the law firm of Pierce Sloan Kennedy & Early over the years. I first worked with them while photographing an article for Super Lawyers Magazine that they were featured in. We hit it off and I’ve enjoyed creating headshots and team photos for their attorneys ever since!

This morning I captured some new group shots for them with the Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 24-120 f4, and Sony XQD cards. The color and clarity of this new camera system just amazes me. And the high-resolution sensor will ensure they get a beautiful print of it, regardless of how big they enlarge it!