Stephanie & Eric at the Cooper River Room

I absolutely fell in love with Stephanie & Eric when we met at Deep Water Vineyard on Wadmalaw Island for their engagement session: https://chrisandcami.com/stephanie-eric-at-deep-water-vineyard/. I knew then that this was a very special couple, and that their wedding was going to be AMAZING!!!

Last weekend the Big Day finally arrived…and it did notdisappoint! 🙂  When I met up with Stephanie and her girls getting ready for the main event, there was already an heir of excitement in their voices that couldn’t be contained. Laura and Cami went to photograph Eric and the guys getting ready, where apparently the men were in just as jovial a mood!

The ceremony took place on the lawn overlooking the Mt. Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Wark, with it’s gorgeous views of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, the lowcountry marsh, and the setting sun across the Cooper River. The reception was held in the beautiful Cooper River Room, located at the entrance to the park. Everything went off  splendidly. Even the uncharacteristically stifling heat of the afternoon could not squelch the energy or the mood. And it certainly didn’t put a dampener on the amazing love that Eric & Stephanie share for one another!!!

I would like to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone who helped make Stephanie & Eric’s wedding such an amazing celebration. In particular, thanks to my good friend and amazing photographer, Mike Soto, for recommending me to Stephanie…to our friend and amazing wedding planner, Christy Loftin, for officiating such a touching ceremony, and for all her hard work coordinating the day…to the amazing Jon Feist of Melodic Entertainment for rocking the reception all night long…and to Cami and Laura for all their help in capturing every moment of this special day for these two lovebirds!

To see the rest of Stephanie & Eric’s photos, visit: https://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/stephanieanderic.

CONGRATULATIONS Stephanie & Eric! We wish you all the best as you begin this amazing new adventure together!!!

Field Trip to Bulls Island

If you like birding, pristine hiking, beach combing, and a chance to get away from the mainland, then Bulls Island just might be for you!

On behalf of the Center for Birds of Prey, and in association with Coastal Expeditions, earlier this week I had the pleasure of photographing a fun field trip with a group of students from Cainhoy Elementary School. In spite of living in the Lowcountry, some of these kids had never seen the ocean. So, imagine the wonder and amazement in their eyes as we explored Bulls Island together, the crown jewel of the Cape Romain National Wildlife System!!!

Many thanks to Daniel at the Avian Conservation Center for getting me on this project, and Captain Nick from Coastal Expeditions who was our amazing tour guide for the day.

Siemon Whiteside Development Projects

Variety is the spice of life, as they say. That’s one of the reasons why I choose NOT to be pigeon-holed into one particular genre of photography. Instead of doing the same thing over and over again, day after day…for me each day is full of unique assignments and new challenges!

Recently I have really enjoyed working with Siemon Whiteside, photographing a number of their projects. SW is a leader of environmentally conscious, low-impact advancements in engineering and site design. They are known for how they blend civil engineering civil engineering and landscape architecture to create beautiful yet functional holistic environments.

From wide sweeping landscape shots, to tiny detail images, to aerial drone photos…capturing the essence of these projects always pushes the limits of my dexterity and creativity. I absolutely LOVE that!!!

Samantha and Todd’s Extended Engagement Session

Flying in all the way from Missouri, it was just wonderful to see our good friend Samantha again last weekend! It was also such a pleasure to finally meet her fiance, Todd. He’s an amazing guy! They are absolutely perfect together!!!

Recently graduating from Veterinarian School and Dental School, respectively, Samantha and Todd can finally turn their attention to wedding plans. It’s an absolute honor that they have selected Cami and I to capture this special time in their lives for them.

As part of that process, we hosted them here in Charleston for a really fun extended engagement session! The entire weekend could be described as part reunion (we haven’t seen Samantha for several years), part introduction (we had so much fun getting to know Todd), part vacation (Samantha and Todd were celebrating finally earning their degrees), part tourist trap (Cami and I made sure to take them to all the best tourist attractions and iconic restaurants in town), and of course part engagement session (we photographed beautiful portraits of them all around Charleston everywhere we went). As such, we had an absolute BLAST the entire weekend, while capturing more variety than any other engagement session we’ve ever photographed!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Samantha and Todd! We love you guys, and can’t wait to be there for you on your beautiful wedding day!!!

DHG Leadership Conference, Part Deux

The second part of the Dixon Hughes Goodman Leadership Conference was even more fun than the first! With all kinds of team-building activities, motivational speakers, and fun entertainment, everyone had an amazing time!!! Everything culminated in a fun party at TopGolf to celebrate another awesome conference.

DHG Leadership Conference

One of my favorite events to photograph each year is the Dixon Hughes Goodman Leadership Conference!

This year the program was held at the AC Hotel in Charlotte. It’s a really cool venue in the heart of the city, boasting a beautiful conference room, delicious food, and the highest rooftop bar in town!

The first day of the destination event was an absolute BLAST!!!

Nick Proposes to Hannah on Concord Street

Hannah was absolutely stunned…not that Nick proposed to her, but that SHE HAD NO CLUE!!! Shaking with excitement afterwards, she said:  “I was certain that if and when Nick decided to propose to me, I would somehow know it. He’s not good at hiding things from me! But I truly had NO IDEA he was proposing today!!!”

For months, Nick and I had been secretly planning all the details of his surprise proposal to Hannah. May 6th was her birthday. And May 8th was the anniversary of when they started dating. So he had planned a fun get-away trip to Charleston for the weekend to celebrate. Nick was so clever in using those other big occasions to conceal the REAL reason for the trip.  Now they have ANOTHER big day in May to celebrate!!!

It was an absolutely perfect afternoon in Charleston! With beautiful light, and gorgeous weather, I headed down to our predetermined location to get set up and hide before they arrived. To my horror, the normally deserted corner near Waterfront Park was packed with graduates out celebrating and having their portraits taken. Fortunately, everyone was super understanding when I told them what was about to happen on that historic street corner, and happily moved on to other beautiful backdrops for their photo shoots. With beating heart, I raced back to my spot just in time as Nick and Hannah rounded the corner!

To see the rest of their photos, visit:  https://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/nickandhannah.

I’m SO EXCITED for Nick & Hannah! We had so much fun during their authentic engagement session afterwards. They are an AMAZING couple, and absolutely perfect for each other!!!

Ally & Matt’s Celebration at Pawleys Plantation

Exactly one week ago today, Ally & Matt finally tied the knot!!!

I’d been looking forward to Ally & Matt’s wedding for a VERY long time! You see, I’d had the great honor of photographing Matt’s Secret Proposal to Ally way back in 2017: https://chrisandcami.com/ally-matts-surprise-proposal-at-magnolia-plantation/. Having been there at the beginning, when Ally said “Yes”, and Matt slipped her gorgeous engagement ring onto her finger, I was SUPER EXCITED to have been there at the end when Ally said “I Do”, while Matt placed her wedding band in its rightful place. 🙂

Matt & Ally’s wedding celebration was absolutely AMAZING!!! Ally and her bridesmaids got dolled up at her parent’s beautiful home in Myrtle Beach, while Matt and his groomsmen got their duds on at the Litchfield Golf and Beach Resort. It was a great honor for me to photograph their amazing wedding ceremony at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Garden City! It was a beautiful service, full of laughter and tears, attended by close friends and loving family. A joyful reception followed at Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club, where DJ Scott Reise cranked things up until we had a full-on mega party going!

I’d like to send out a huge thank you to Annie, Chantel, Peggy, Scott, and all the other amazing vendors who came to gether to make Ally and Matt’s big day so perfect. Many thanks also to my good friend Robbin, for helping me capture all the special moments of their beautiful day.  To see the rest of their photos, visit:  https://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/mattandally.

CONGRATULATIONS Ally & Matt!!! We wish you all the best as you begin your new and exciting journey together!

Playing Tourist

Today was an absolutely PERFECT day to be “Playing Tourist” in Charleston! I had the pleasure of working with my good friend, and amazing photographer, Gary Coleman, as we covered a fun incentive trip for one of his clients. The first part of my day included covering a sailboat trip out on the breezy and picturesque Charleston Harbor. The second part included a wonderful walking tour through the old historic district, led by the lovely Joyce Sauls.

Home on the Marsh

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of photographing this delightful home on the marsh, tucked away in the back of Brickyard Plantation, for our good friend and amazing real estate agent, Pat Broghammer.

Indeed, Pat isn’t just a friend, she’s also OUR agent! She helped us sell our previous home, and helped us find our current one. Plus we had the honor of photographing her daughter’s wedding! Check her out at www.iwanttoliveincharleston.com. We highly recommend her!!!

Horizons Unlimited – Virginia Travellers Meeting

The Horizons Unlimited Virginia 2019 event took place at the Holiday Lake 4-H Center near Appomattox from April 25th – April 28th. It was a record-setting event, with the largest turnout yet!

“Whether you’re a seasoned veteran with wisdom to share or a complete novice hungry for ideas and guidance, it doesn’t matter if you ride a motorcycle, a bicycle, or drive an expedition vehicle…
Horizons Unlimited meetings are for everyone who dreams of adventure along the road less travelled.

Some people value Horizons Unlimited events for what they learn from the unique line-up of presenters. Some people value the chance to discover new products and services at the trade stands. Some people value just kicking back with a beer among old friends and new.

Most people enjoy a little bit of everything, and everyone goes home fired-up for adventure with a smile on their face.”

Many thanks to Sue & Grant Johnson, for founding this amazing organization, to Steve Anderson for orchestrating the Virginia Travelers Meeting, to Steve’s merry band of organizers, including Linda Pearce, Jim Truesdell, Robert Stransky, Sharon Truesdell, Charlie Pearce, Lloyd Messner, and Annette Stout, to all the fabulous presenters including keynote speaker Sam Manicom, to Tom Asher for the off-road training, to all the camp staff, to the many fabulous volunteers, and of course to each and every awesome attendee!!!

Here are a few photos from this fantastic weekend for you to enjoy, tag, share, and download. Thank you so much to Sue and Grand for trusting me to be the event photographer again this year!!!

Monday After the Masters – 25th Anniversary

The golf, the partying, and the music, raged all weekend and late into Monday night as MAM celebrated it’s 25th Anniversary!

I was honored to have been invited by my good friend and amazing photographer, Matthew Glac, to be on his team of official photographers for the event. Joining Matthew, Gary Coleman, and Kevin Caldwell, we had a BLAST capturing all the celebrities and VIPs as they came together to raise funds for charity.

Here are just a few shots from the concert, hosted by Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim Sonefeld of Hootie and the Blowfish, and featuring dozens of musical guest appearances by the likes of Drew Copeland, Ira Dean, Shawn Drover, Colt Ford, Aaron Lews, Branford Marsalis, Edwin McCain, Preston Pohl, and Scott Stapp.