One of the highlights of our summer is “Dinner & Photo” night with our good friends, Chris & Vicki Taylor Stein when they come to visit! Last night we had a delicious dinner at Coast, followed by a fun photo shoot as we meandered through Waterfront Park and the old French Quarter. We love these guys!!!
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Vacationing in Charleston from Bloomington, IL, is a smart thing to do in the middle of January! Although it was only 55-degrees when I met up with Matt & Liz and their kids, they said it was only 25-degrees back home!!! š
We had so much fun laughing and playing as we strolled along Rainbow Row and that historic downtown area of Charleston. We discovered lots of colorful backdrops. The kids were absolutely adorable. And we came away with some beautiful images of their family to commemorate this trip to Charleston!
Many thanks to Matt & Liz for allowing me to be a part of their family for the day…
Ashley & Ed are absolutely AMAZING together!!!
I’ve been secretly corresponding with Ed for several weeks as we planned (and re-planned, and planned again) all the details of his secret proposal to his beautiful girlfriend, Ashley! Never having been to Charleston, I was truly impressed with the amount of research and thought he put into his plans. Even when the weather threatened our plans, we just pivoted to a Plan B, then a Plan C, and even had to call an audible just minutes before!Ā š
Ultimately, everything worked out beautifully!!! Ashley was so surprised! It turned out to be such a special event. And the fact that Ashley had lived and worked in Charleston briefly during her younger years made it that much more special.
Ashley & Ed have been dating for a little over 2 years now. She said it took her a while to break down his barriers. But I think once he realized they were true soulmates, everything clicked into place! I am SO HAPPY these two found each other!!!Ā I had so much fun getting to know them during our time walking the streets of the old French Quarter, capturing their love for each other.
Ed & Ashley, we wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together…
Charleston Couples Photographer, Charleston Engagement Photographer, Charleston Portrait Photographer, Charleston Proposal Photographer, Charleston Secret Proposal Photographer, Charleston Surprise Proposal Photographer, Chris & Cami Photography, Nikkor, Nikon, Nikon Pro, Nikon USA, Off-Camera Flash, SB-5000, Speedlight, Waterfront Park
I thought it was so sweet when Kelly called to book a photo session as a surprise to her mom and her sisters!!!
Apparently “The Girls” try to take a trip somewhere interesting every year. Since they live in Michigan, they usually pick somewhere warm. This year, they picked Charleston. And I’m SO GLAD they did!Ā We had so much fun exploring Waterfront Park and the surrounding French Quarter together. Since I spent some of my college years in Michigan, it was great to catch up on familiar names and places. But most importantly, I just loved the “connection” these three sisters had with each other, and with their mother.
What an honor it was for me to preserve these beautiful family memories for them!!!
I had the pleasure of photographing Kenny’s brother’s wedding several years ago. We love their family to pieces!!! So you can imagine my excitement when Kenny and Hanna asked me to photograph their wedding too! š
A couple nights ago, on a beautiful summer evening, I met up with these two amazing people at Waterfront Park. We had a lovely time walking all over the French Quarter, Rainbow Row, and along the Charleston Harbor. It was fun chatting and catching up on their lives, capturing beautiful images of their relationship and their love for each other as we went!
VisitĀ https://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/hannaandkenny to see the rest of their engagement photos.
CONGRATULATIONS Hanna and Kenny! I can’t wait to be there for you both on your wedding day!!! š
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! šĀ 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 offĀ 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!!!
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!!!
Hannah was absolutely stunned…not that Nick proposed to her, but that SHE HAD NO CLUE!!! Shaking with excitement afterwards, she said:Ā “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.Ā 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:Ā Ā 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!!!
For over two months now, Logan and I have been secretly planning his surprise proposal to his sweetheart, Breanna!
These two beautiful souls started dating when they were just 15 years old. And when you find your soulmate, you hold onto them, right?!? That’s why Logan decided it was time to ask Breanna to spend the rest of her life with him!
After fretting about the weather all week with Hurricane Michael bearing down on us, the big day finally arrived. And WOW, did we end up with a gorgeous day after all!!! I arrived at our planned location early and hid myself out of sight. Right on cue, Logan expertly guided Breanna to the exact spot, dropped to bended knee, and asked for her hand in marriage. In my dark hiding place, I had to fight back the tears so that I could stay focused on capturing the big event!
In life, we are each given a handful of rare moments that take our breath away and fill our hearts with pure joy. This was one of those moments for me.
CONGRATULATIONS Breanna & Logan! We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together!!!
Some days the work of a photographer is a real challenge…fighting the light…fighting the wind…fighting the heat…struggling to make a connection with your client. But last night’s fun shoot with the Blandford Family was the EXACT OPPOSITE!!!
I met up with everyone at Waterfront Park just as the warm glow of “Golden Hour” started to wrap it’s pretty light over our beautiful world. The mid-day heat had dropped to a pleasant and cozy temperature. And there was a wonderful coastal breeze blowing off the water.
I had so much fun getting to know the Blandfords as we walked around the park and explored the old French Quarter. They are such a great family…full of energy and enthusiasm. I really enjoyed getting to know them as they shared about their lives. We came away with some delightful images for them to commemorate their trip to Charleston! š
When Amber & Paul were trying to figure out if they wanted to move to Charleston, one of the places they fell in love with was the picturesque Waterfront Park.
It was the PERFECT spot for Paul to ask Amber to be his wife!!! So he and I hatched a sneaky plan to entice Amber to the dock at the southern tip of the park, where he would pop the big question, and I would capture the amazing moment! š
Arriving at the spot early, I was delighted that the dock was empty, and the lighting was perfect! Spotting Paul as he and Amber walked hand-in-hand down the path towards me, my palms got sweaty and my heart quickened. Would she follow him to our planned spot? Would she spot me sitting there, pretending to read a map? Would a stray tourist walk in front of me and block “the shot”?
All my fears for for naught. Paul expertly guided her to our designated location. Everything worked out beautifully. And Amber said “YES”!!! š
CONGRATULATIONS Amber & Paul! You two are such an AMAZING couple! It was such an honor for me to be a part of this special day with you!!!
To see more of their images, visit:Ā Ā https://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/amberandpaul
P.S. Funny side story…my friends and amazing photographers, Valerie & Ed, showed up shortly after the proposal. They had just photographed another couple getting engaged on the other end of the park. Love is in the air! CONGRATULATIONS to their couple as well!!!
I’m SO EXCITED to share a few favorites from Dustin & Ashley’s Secret Proposal this evening!!!
Ashley & Dustin live in Nashville, where they met through mutual friends. Dustin is a manager at Lucchese Boots. Ashley practices law. In fact, she lived in Charleston for a bit while attending the Charleston School of Law. Which is why Dustin thought this would be the PERFECT place to propose!
He began scheming and planned a fun get-away for the two of them to visit the Holy City. She thought it was just a fun get-away so that she could show him all her favorite old haunts. But he had secretly asked her father’s permission to marry his daughter, had talked to all her closest friends to get ideas, had set up a fake Pinterest account so that he could see what kind of rings she liked, and had even contacted me about photographing it!
We spent weeks planning out every detail. Finally the big day arrived…and everything worked out perfect š
CONGRATULATIONS Ashley & Dustin! You are a very special couple. I’m so happy that each of you will soon get to marry your best friend!!!
