The Citadel Foundation Campaign Launch

Sometimes I get to photograph the COOLEST events!!!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing The Citadel Foundation’s annual Campaign Launch. It was an AMAZING evening! After cocktails on the lawn at Johnson Hagood Memorial Stadium football field, welcome speeches and toasts were made. A delicious dinner was followed by an incredible live band under the big white tent. Everyone partied and danced the night away!

(DJI Mavic 3 Pro, Nikon Z9 with Nikkor 24-120 f4 VR, Nikon Z9 with Nikkor 14-24 f4, 6 Speedlights)

Sam’s Senior Portraits at The Citadel

It was a pleasure photographing Sam’s Senior Portraits at The Citadel yesterday afternoon!

Sam is a fine young man who is following in his father’s footsteps. His dad attended The Citadel before him, and then had a long career with the Army. Sam is in his last year at the military college, and plans to go into the Army as well. He’s hoping to become a helicopter pilot!

CONGRATULATIONS on surviving your time at The Citadel…and best wishes for your future success!!!

Capers Hall for DWG Consulting

The Citadel has long been an iconic landmark here in Charleston. I’ve enjoyed photographing many graduations, senior portraits, weddings, events, and political debates at the military college campus.

Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of photographing one of the largest renovations the college has done in recent years. Plans to renovate Capers Hall, which is at the corner of the main entrance to the campus, have been in the works since 2017. And the construction has taken over two years. But now that it’s complete, the new facility looks AMAZING!!!

Many thanks to Cate with DWG Consulting Engineers for bringing me on board and trusting me to showcase this beautiful building for them.

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…

Senior Portraits at The Citadel

It was an absolute pleasure meeting and photographing Josh for his Senior Portraits at The Citadel. We even got a few shots with his mom, one of his advisors, and his best friend!

Josh chose to attend The Citadel because he received a partial tennis scholarship. He has remained on the tennis team all 4 years. Joshua earned gold stars all 4 years, serves on the honor council, and is the academic officer for 1st Battalion. He is in the Baker School of Business. In the fall, Joshua will begin working on his MBA at University of Tennessee.

CONGRATULATIONS Josh!!! We wish you all the best on achieving all your dreams.

The Citadel First Salute Ceremony

One thing I love about my job is that every day is different!

Yesterday I got to photograph the First Salute Ceremony at The Citadel. I was commissioned by Christian’s parents to capture the event for them. He chose his dad, who was a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marines, to give him his First Salute. It truly was a touching moment in this young man’s life. The emotions shared by father and son were palpable, as Christian’s dad told him how proud he was of him.

It was an absolute honor being a part of this special ceremony for this amazing family. I’ll never forget it!

Morgan & Ryan’s Wedding at The Citadel Beach Club

What a GORGEOUS day for a wedding!!!

I got to know Morgan & Ryan, and their adorable son, Wyatt, at their fabulous engagement shoot last year:  https://chrisandcami.com/morgan-ryans-engagement-session-at-hampton-park/.  So I was super excited to be covering their amazing wedding at The Citadel Beach Club!

With blue skies, puffy white clouds, a gentle ocean breeze, and perfect temperatures, you couldn’t have asked for a nicer day.  Surrounded by close family and friends, they tied the knot on the grand lawn with pelicans soaring overhead, and the southing sounds of the ocean in the distance.  A lively reception with great food, friendly fellowship, and crazy dancing followed inside the ballroom.  Bruce even sang a surprise solo to his beautiful daughter during the toasts!  But my favorite part was when Morgan, Ryan, and I snuck out to the beach for some sunset photos with a bottle of bubbly!  😉

Many thanks to Keri of Keri Seay Events for all her help keeping everything on track.  And a huge shout out to all the other vendors for making Morgan & Ryan’s day so special!

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

The Citadel Foundation at The Gaillard Auditorium

It was an honor photographing portraits for The Citadel Foundations Annual Sponsor Donor Dinner at The Gaillard Auditorium. With almost 600 cadets and their sponsors in attendants, it was a fantastic event!

* Shot with Nikon D5, Nikkor 24-70 f2.8, Sony XQD cards, Lenovo laptop, Darkroom software, DNP printer, Flashpoint transmitter and speedlights, Westcott umbrellas, Manfrotto stands, Savage backdrop *

Pamela & Mike’s Wedding at The Citadel

When Pam wrote to let me know she and Mike were getting married, the first thing she told me was that her cousin had recommended us. I was elated to learn that her cousin was Jan Truesdale, a longtime friend and favorite client of mine!!! So of course I was super honored and very excited to be a part of Pam and Mike’s special day!!!

Before heading to the church for the ceremony, I met up with Pam and her best friend, Ann, who was helping her get ready. We captured some fun shots of them leaving the house. And we stopped by the reception venue for a few beautiful bridal portraits of Pam in her stunning wedding gown! While the ladies were touching up their makeup one last time, I headed over to The Citadel, where I caught up with Mike for a few portraits of him and his ushers. Guests began arriving and taking their seats inside. And I was so excited that my good friend, Jennings King, was one of them! Aside from being Mike’s niece, Jennings is a fabulous photographer in her own right!

The ceremony was absolutely perfect!!! I love the intimacy of the sanctuary inside Summerall Chapel. With 75 close family and friends, gathered closely around Pam & Mike with love and support in their hearts, it felt even more intimate than usual. The processional began with five very special ladies, each carrying a white rose. Bagpiper Jack Farrell then entered and filled the halls with his magical notes. Pam was escorted down the aisle by her two brothers, who were beaming with pride. Reverend Bland led a heartfelt ceremony. And when it was all over, Pam & Mike sealed their vows with a kiss!!! 🙂

After a few gorgeous photos of Pam & Mike inside the historic chapel, we headed over to the new Swain Boating Center for the reception. This is a new event space in the corner of campus, overlooking the Ashley River. The décor was gorgeous, the food was delicious, the Fireball dance was hilarious, and the toasts were delightful. Everyone had so much fun fellowshipping, sharing stories, and celebrating the undying love that Pam and Mike have found in each other!!!

Many thanks to Caroline at Goldbug Events for all her help keeping everything running smoothly! And Kudos to all the great vendors for making Pam & Mike’s Big Day a huge success…Magnolia Bride for Pam’s wedding gown, Sarah at Dodeline Design for the invitations and seating chart, Vanity Salon for her makeup, Azure Salon for her hair, GTC Rentals for the transportation, Michael Varnadore for the ceremony music, Lee Edwards for the reception music, Flavours of Charleston for the food, Top Shelf for the bar, and The Cake Stand for the wedding cake. Pam did her own flowers and greenery…which were beautiful!

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

Patricia & Michael at Summerall Chapel

Last weekend Tricia & Mike tied the knot at Summerall Chapel on The Citadel!  Their reception followed at the Carolina Yacht Club in downtown Charleston.

Tricia is a 1st Grade teacher…and we all know I have a big heart for teachers since my parents were educational missionaries and still teach even now that they are retired!  Mike traveled a lot since his Dad was a contractor for the Army… Guam, Puerto Rico, and all over the US.  So we had a lot in common too.  But what really struck me about these two is just how much IN LOVE they are!  J   I could tell they were close during their engagement session.  But even on their wedding day, with all the secret letters and gifts going back and forth…Tricia & Mike are soul mates indeed!  I love the story of how Mike proposed.  After picking out her ring all on his own, he planned a really amazing proposal at Waterfront Park as they watched their first sunrise together, then arranged to meet ALL their family and friends that he had secretly invited to join them for breakfast afterwards.  Isn’t that cool?!?

Check out their fun Music Video at www.chrisandcami.com/blog.  Then head over to www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com to see the rest of their Online Gallery.

Tricia & Mike, I absolutely LOVED being a part of your special day.  Remember to CHOOSE to make each new day special for each other!!!

 

Julie & Howie’s Wedding at The Citadel Beach House

I can’t believe it’s been EXACTLY one year since Howie & Julie first filled out that contact form inquiring about our photography services for their wedding! A few months later I got to photograph their AMAZING e-session on Seabrook. It feels like this all happened just a few weeks ago! Where does time go?!? 🙂

I originally met Julie & Howie at a Johnson & Wales Alumni Event that I was photographing. We hit it off right away because we have a lot in common…we love dogs, the great outdoors, and hanging out with friends ALMOST as much as they do. Their cool website reads:

“It’s no wonder Julie and Howie fit together so well. They will often take off for a weekend with their dog Riley for mountain biking, hiking or camping on one of the many islands around Charleston. They enjoy taking friends out on the boat to experience the amazing sunsets that only Charleston can offer! And if Howie has any reason at all to fry a turkey, you can rest assured — he will! Truly two kids at heart, these two love to have a good time with good company!”

I had an UNFORGETTABLE time photographing Julie & Howie’s wedding. My favorite parts were Riley’s role as the ring bearer, the dramatic beach shoot, and the surprise fireworks display at the very end. After the slideshow, Click Here to see rest of the wedding photos. CONGRATULATIONS you guys!!!

Josette & Dante at The Citadel

I’ve been looking forward to Josette & Dante’s wedding for a long time! They are such a cool couple…truly into each other…yet so giving of each other to others. Read more about them and see their Engagement Portraits on their wedding website. They live in Charlotte now. But they absolutely LOVE the beauty and grandeur of Summerall Chapel on The Citadel campus, so they decided that’s where they wanted to tie the knot!

I met up with Josette and her entourage at the Holliday Alumni Center. She was STUNNING in her wedding gown! Once everyone was ready we headed over to the courtyard outside the chapel for photos. It was a beautiful day and the lighting was fantastic outside. After Josette left, Dante arrived with his posse. He was looking sharp and ready for some fun. After photos with the guys we all moved inside for the ceremony. I just love how regal the inside of the sanctuary looks in photos…I love shooting weddings here. Afterwards we headed back over to the Alumni Center for an UNBELIEVABLE reception!!!

I just had a great time capturing all the fun flavor of Josette & Dante’s wedding day. Click Here to check out the rest of the photos. CONGRATULATIONS you two!!!