Dannielle & Andrew at the Isle of Palms Exchange Club

I was so honored when my friend and amazing photographer, Kim, recommended me to Andrew’s parents (who are friends with her parents) when they were inquiring about a wedding photographer for their son and future daughter-in-law.

Shortly after we all connected, I felt like Dannielle, Andrew, and I were a perfect fit. Later, when Danielle wrote me this note, I KNEW we were going to have a great time working together: “My fiance, Andrew Wallace, and I have looked through your blog and website and love the photos you and your wife take. Quite impressive. We are so happy you are available on our wedding day!”

Although they were both born and raised in California, this amazing couple met each other while living and working in Washington D.C. I mean, what are the chances of THAT?!? They then relocated to Greensboro, where Dannielle is doing important research in the long term effects of tobacco use, and Andrew is specializing in infectious diseases. They spend quite a bit of time visiting Charleston, which is where Andrew’s parents live now. Luckily for me, this is how their wedding came to be held here at the picturesque Isle of Palms Exchange Club!  🙂

After getting to know them, and photographing their engagement photos, which you can find at: https://chrisandcami.com/danielle-andrew-are-engaged/, I could tell they were a match made in heaven!

Their wedding day was a beautiful affair, intimate and relaxed, surrounded by their closest friends and family! The ceremony was held on the dock, with dolphin peacefully swimming below us, seagulls floating effortlessly in the breeze above us, and Dannielle’s dad performing a heartfelt ceremony. The weather was absolutely perfect as well, culminating in a dramatic sunset, scattering vibrant colors across the sky behind the beautiful couple. A fun-filled reception followed on the deck of the Exchange Club.  A candle-light sit-down dinner was held inside, with a special menu picked by the couple to represent the meaningful places where they have lived.

Many thanks to Taylor at Experiencing Holy City for keeping everything on track and organized.  And a huge shout-out to all the other vendors for making this day so perfect!

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

Lea & Frank on The Carolina Girl Yacht

I love photographing all weddings. But it’s always EXTRA special to photograph a close friend’s wedding. Last week I had the pleasure of capturing the amazing wedding celebration of our long-time friend and neighbor, Frank, and his beautiful fiancé, Lea!

I met Frank many years ago at a wedding where he was the videographer and I was the photographer. His background in the TV industry has made him an incredible story-teller. Our shared passion for capturing the love between two people was the start of a wonderful friendship. Finding out he lived just 4 doors down from Cami and I made it even easier for us to grab coffee, go to lunch, or just stop by for a chat. Frank is an AMAZING guy…and we couldn’t be happier for him and Lea!

Although I haven’t known Lea nearly as long, it’s been such a blessing to watch their relationship grow and blossom. Lea has a kindness and gentleness about her that speaks volumes to her character. The way she treats Frank with love and respect, and the way she “gets” his corny jokes, lets me know know they are a match made in heaven.  🙂  Lea is also an amazing mother to her son Josiah!

Lea & Frank planned an intimate celebration on a gorgeous summer evening aboard The Carolina Girl Yacht. Arriving early, they shared a very special First Look in the picturesque park near the dock. After portraits with family and friends, we boarded the yacht for a fantastic cruise around Charleston Harbor. Close family and friends witnessed a touching ceremony…with a few funny movie quotes thrown in for good humor. The couple then shared their First Dance before sunset portraits on the bow. Afterwards, Frank & Lea joined guests in the main cabin for dinner. The delightful evening continued on the top deck with dancing and mingling as we enjoyed the gentle ocean breezes until the captain brought us back to the dock.

Many thanks to Camille, Sarah Beth, and Captain Trent for going above and beyond. And a special thanks to Captain Bob for making a guest-star appearance to make sure all was ship-shape before our departure!

It was an absolute honor to photograph Lea & Frank’s surprise proposal earlier this year: https://chrisandcami.com/lea-frank-are-engaged/. And it was an even deeper honor to be there for them to capture all these special moments of their wedding day!

Anna & Jimmy’s Wedding at Sacred Heart Catholic Church

Jimmy is an awesome bagpiper, and a respected member of law enforcement in Charleston. I’ve had the privilege of bumping into him many times over the years as he’s played his pipes for tons of weddings and events that I’ve photographed. It was a great honor that he and Anna asked me to photograph their wedding!!!

Jimmy & Anna have known each other for over 20 years. Like many of us in life, they were good friends that drifted apart and lost track of each other. But they found their way back to each other when they re-connected through Facebook in 2014. They have been inseparable ever since! They fell in love and were married at the courthouse in June of 2019. But with the pandemic of 2020, their big wedding celebration had to wait until last weekend!

With preparations starting off at the Indigo Hotel in Mt. Pleasant, the sun was out and spirits were high! Anna looked absolutely stunning in her wedding gown. And Jimmy was quite dapper in his bowtie. Guests were shuttled to Sacred Heart Catholic Church on an old restored 1960s buss, which was REALLY cool!!! A beautiful ceremony was led by Father Jack, or “Uncle Jack” as he preferred. Jimmy’s Uncle came all the way from New York to perform the ceremony! After the service and formal portraits in the church, Jimmy & Anna stopped at the Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Park with me for some beautiful portraits before sunset. Then it was back to the Indigo Hotel for an awesome reception!!!

It was nice to see Sara Cavallon again, who coordinated everything at the church. I also enjoyed teaming up once more with my friend Robbin Knight as second-shooter. And Nicole with Direct My Days did an awesome job as their Day Of Coordinator. Also, many thanks to Carmella’s Bakery, Paper Dolls, Atlantic Executive Limousine, Lowcountry Valet, JW Wedding and Event, Blacktree Music Group, and all the other vendors and staff that helped make this day a huge success for Anna & Jimmy!

CONGRATULATIONS Anna & Jimmy! We wish you all the best as you continue loving life, loving each other, and loving this new journey you have begin…

Daisy & Anthony’s Beaufort Wedding

Anthony’s mom, Christine, is an amazing photographer! We’ve been friends with her and Tony for quite a while, especially since they love to travel as much as we do. It was an INCREDIBLE honor when they asked us to photograph their son’s wedding!!!

Daisy and Anthony picked a gorgeous fall day to tie the knot in beautiful Beaufort, South Carolina! Preparations for the day began at a historic Air B&B. Daisy was absolutely STUNNING in her fairy-tale wedding gown! And Anthony was quite dapper in his suit and bowtie!!! I especially loved the heartfelt emotions as Daisy shared a private first look with her Dad and then with Anthony.

Next it was off to the eclectic Old Bay Marketplace Loft & Rooftop for the ceremony and reception. Aside from a brief sprinkle right as the processional began, the weather turned out fantastic! They were able to have their ceremony outside on the rooftop as planned, with the reception following indoors. But of course in between the two, we couldn’t resist running across the street for some really cool sunset photos along the waterfront first!!! 🙂

CONGRATULATIONS Daisy & Anthony!!! We wish you all the best as you begin this new journey together…

Nina & Brendan at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

Way back in May of 2020, I fell in love with Nina & Brendan during his heartfelt secret proposal to her: https://chrisandcami.com/brendans-surprises-nina-with-a-proposal/. I could tell this was indeed TRUE LOVE!!!  So you can imagine my incredible excitement when these two lovebirds asked me to photograph their wedding! Having been there with them at the beginning of this journey when she said “Yes”, it was an absolute pleasure to be with them at this special celebration when they each said “I Do”. 🙂

Nina & Brendan were married in a beautiful ceremony at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. The intricate half-dome ceiling in this place is nothing short of spectacular. But it paled in comparison to how absolutely stunning Nina was in her elegant wedding gown! Normally a rugged and weathered hard-working man, I have to say Brendan was looking incredibly sharp in his pressed gray suite as well. 🙂

After exchanging vows, Nina & Brendan celebrated with all their family and friends during a fantastic reception at the Historic Rice Mill. While sail boats bobbed in the background, this beautiful old restored waterfront venue gave us some wonderful backdrops for portraits of the newlyweds…the sun slowly sinking into the Ashley River in the distance. Inside, however, the energy and excitement was electric! Between a lovely solo sung by Brendan’s father for their first dance, hilarious toasts that had everyone doubled over in laughter, and a dance floor that simply wouldn’t quit…this turned out to be the celebration of the century!

CONGRATULATIONS to Nina & Brendan! We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together!!!

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…

Samantha & Todd’s Arkensas Wedding

It was an absolute pleasure to photograph Todd & Samantha’s wedding in Eureka Springs, Arkansas!
We met Samantha when she was brave enough to go on a mission trip with us to Tanzania, back in 2011. She had never met any of us. But she bravely jumped on a plane from Fayetteville and met up with us for the overnight flight to Africa. We fell in love with her the instant we met her! She is full of spice and everything nice. A lifelong friendship was born that trip!!!
Samantha later met Todd while she was in vet school. She brought him to Charleston for a visit, and we fell in love with him as well! Todd is a true gentleman, a good and kind human being, and absolutely perfect for Samantha. Thus it was a great honor for us to be invited to capture all the beautiful moments of their special day!
Even though their original plans were thwarted by the pandemic, Samantha and Todd were finally able to have their wedding celebration at the Blue Springs Heritage Center in Eureka Springs like they had originally dreamed of doing. Their reception was held at the famous Crescent Hotel.
Samantha and Todd are such a beautiful couple and we couldn’t be happier for them! We wish you both all the happiness in the world as you begin this new journey together!!!

 

 

 

 

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…

Hannah & Tyler’s Oregon Wedding

A couple years ago, I had the great privilege of photographing Dan & Linda’s oldest son’s wedding. Last week, it was an absolute honor to photograph their youngest son’s wedding!

When the big day finally arrived, it was absolutely gorgeous. And Hannah was simply stunning in her wedding gown! Because she and Tyler love hiking and exploring the great outdoors, we had arranged for the wedding party photos to be done at Smith Rock State Park. What a dramatic way to start their day!

Hannah & Tyler’s amazing wedding was held at Dee Bar Ranch in Powell Butte, just outside Bend, OR. Family and friends had gathered from far and wide to help these two celebrate their marriage vows with a heartfelt ceremony in the great outdoors, which they love so much. Even Hannah’s brother, who was in the middle of hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail, took a break and rented a car to drive all the way home for the event!

CONGRATULATIONS Hannah & Tyler!!! You two are so perfect for each other! It was such a pleasure being a part of your special day and capturing all these beautiful memories for you. Cami and I wish you both all the happiness in the world as you begin this new journey together!!!