Sarah & Andrew’s Wedding Rehearsal at Meadow Wood Acres

As a full-time professional wedding photographer for over 30 years, I’ve covered a LOT of weddings!!! However, every single one of them is still unique and different. For this reason, I like to attend the Wedding Rehearsal whenever possible. It’s not something we charge for. It’s just part of the customer service we provide.

The Wedding Rehearsal usually takes place at the wedding venue the day before the main event. So if it’s a location I haven’t been to in a while, I get to scout the area for pretty backgrounds and good locations I can use for photos. I also get to introduce myself to the venue staff and the wedding planner, which helps put them at ease. But most importantly, I get to meet the families and get to know the wedding party! I’ll make notes about who is who in the wedding party, what the parent’s names are, how old the ring bearer or flower girl is, and any unique events that will take place during the ceremony. All of this information allows me to anticipate key moments better, position myself in the right places at the right times, and just be better prepared to tell the story of their day. Plus just being present and introducing myself to key individuals helps them think of me as part of their “inner circle”, making them more comfortable with me on the wedding day. I’m always seeking genuine moments and natural emotions. Breaking the ice at the rehearsal allows that to happen more fluidly on the wedding day. Last but not least, it’s helpful to the bride and her wedding planner to have me there in case they have questions about the photo schedule.

The best part about attending the Wedding Rehearsal is that often times…like with Sarah & Andrew’s fabulous rehearsal at Meadow Wood Acres outside Lansing, Michigan…the couple will invite me to join them for the Rehearsal Dinner! YUMMM!!! 🙂

Muro Family at Wild Dunes Beach

I’ve been photographing the Muro Family at their annual vacations to Charleston for many years. But each year it seems there’s always someone missing. Whether a family member was studying abroad, traveling, or just sick…it we always seem to be missing someone. But this year, we actually had EVERYONE TOGETHER!!!

It was so much fun catching up with the Muro family. They always treat me like family. And photographing their beach portrait session is always a highlight of my summer!!!

Katie’s Senior Portraits

Katie and her family were down here on vacation from Ohio. And she wanted some senior portraits that were “different” from all her friends. So we met up downtown and walked around the French Quarter, capturing a variety of cool shots of her with some Charleston cityscapes. The following day, I met up with her and her family at Magnolia Plantation for a little more of the “plantation feel” in her photos. Katie is a big photo-buff. So it was fun capturing her with her camera, and sharing a few photography tips as we walked around the beautiful property.

CONGRATULATIONS Katie! We wish you all the best as you embark on this new chapter in your life!!!

Retirement Ceremony Honoring Major Alexandrea Richards, United States Air Force

It was an absolute honor to be the official photographer at Major Alexandrea Richards’ Retirement Ceremony.

With countless awards and commendations to her name, Major Richards has dedicated her life in service to her country! A beautiful ceremony, honoring her accomplishments, was held at The Charleston Club on Joint Base Charleston. She was surrounded by close colleagues, family, and friends. She will certainly be missed. But it’s time for her to begin a NEW chapter in her life!

CONGRATULATIONS Major Richards! And thank you for your service!!!

Kristin & Phil’s Wedding at The Estate at Sunset Farm

Photographing every wedding is ALWAYS special to me. But they are TRULY meaningful when it’s for family!!! This weekend I had the incredible honor of photographing my beautiful niece, Kristin, as she married her best friend, Phil, in a gorgeous ceremony at The Estate at Sunset Farm! Here are a few of my favorites from their amazing day. CONGRATULATIONS Kristin & Phil! We wish you all the happiness in the world as you begin your new journey together…

South Carolina Aquarium Boeing Learning Lab for Trident Construction

Last year I had the pleasure of photographing the International African American Museum for Seamon Whiteside. This year I got to photograph the beautifully renovated property right next to it for Trident Construction!

The multimillion-dollar renovation of the Charleston Maritime Center will usher in a new chapter for the building, part of which will serve as a waterfront marine-life educational hub, sponsored by Boeing, and managed by The S.C. Aquarium. The project broke ground in July 2023. Now, it’s complete and gearing up to welcome students. But Trident Construction had me scheduled to photograph the finished building today before students arrived.

Since the property has a prime view of Charleston Harbor and the rising sun, I arrived at dawn to catch the warm glow of early morning light skimming across the water. It was a beatiful, misty sunrise. I captured a variety of aerial angles with my DJI Mavic 3 drone. Then I switched to the Nikon Z9 for the remaining shots. About the time I was wrapping up the exterior photos, Sarah, Mariah, and the rest of the staff from the SC Aquarium arrived to show me around the interior. And Grace arrived from Trident Construction to guide me to some of the key elements of the design that they wanted to feature in the photos.

It was an absolute pleasure being a part of this amazing new project!!!

Cyrus Family on Kiawah Island

This was the 7th Year in a row that I’ve had the pleasure of photographing the Cyrus family during their annual vacation to Kiawah Island! Back when we started, little Emma wasn’t even born…and Mason was less than a year old. My have they grown!!! 🙂

We kept to our tradition of meeting at The Ocean Course at sunset. The skies had an etherial haze…apparently from the massive forest fires enveloping Canada this summer! But with the unseasonably mild temperatures, and beautiful warm light, we didn’t complain. It was so much fun to catch up with this beautiful family! We had a BLAST and came away with tons of great shots to commemorate another year…

Industrial Warehouses for Seamon Whiteside

Seamon Whiteside not only does the engineering for large apartment complexes, family communities, and multi-use facilities…they also provide their services for industrial warehouse spaces. It was so cool to photograph some of these MASSIVE buildings this weekend!!!

(Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 14-30, Nikkor Z 24-120, DJI Mavic 3 Pro)

The Beckett Apartments for Seamon Whiteside

It was a beautiful morning to photograph The Beckett for the engineering firm of Seamon Whiteside.

“Nestled in the heart of Bees Ferry, we invite you to find your hive – where community and comfort are built into every moment. Our luxury one and two bedroom apartments boast stunning features that make home feel like a retreat, from private balconies to quartz countertops. Our location combines the tranquility of its serene setting with the convenience of West Ashley. Experience the celebration of community at The Beckett – where each day goes smoothly and every moment is sweet.”

(Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 14-30, Nikkor Z 24-120, DJI Mavic 3 Pro)

River Landing Condos for Glick Boehm Architecture

It’s always sad to hear when families are having to sue the companies that built their home. On April 29, 2019, only one week before the trial of a lawsuit against the builders of River Landing Condos, The Post and Courier published an extensive article titled, “40 Charleston Area Condo and Apartment Buildings Involved in Lawsuits Over Defects”. The article by David Slade discusses alleged construction defects with multi-family buildings and lawsuits related to these alleged defects.

Fortunately, the team at Glick Boem Architecture knows how to do things right! And they have a ton of experience with fixing other’s mistakes. GBA was founded in 1981 as a multi-disciplinary firm specializing in Architecture, Planning and Interior Design. Providing professional services throughout the Southeast, the firm has received major national and local design awards, as well as extensive coverage in professional publications.

GBA wase brought in to fix the water damage, insulation deficiencies, and mold issues at the River Landing Apartments on Daniel Island. They in turn brought me in to photograph some before/after photos mid-way through the renovation process.  The difference is absolutely remarkable!!! Hopefully this massive undertaking makes these families whole again, allowing them to live the peaceful lives they dreamed their move to Daniel Island would be…

Tideline CPA Group for Rush Dixon Architects

I’ve had the pleasure of photographing projects for Rush Dixon Architects for several years now. Rush and Judy are the nicest people in the world. And they are always super organized…which makes my job easy! Their designs are always incredibly practical, unique, and interesting. I was particularly impressed with the way they worked the layout of the new building for Tideline around the beautiful giant live oak tree on the property!!!

Once Rush & Judy have reviewed the proofs, we’ll send their favorites off to our retouching team to remove those ugly powerlines!  🙂

(Nikon Z9, Nikkor 14-24Z, Nikkor 24-120Z, DJI Mavic 3 Pro)

Country Club of Charleston – 100 Year Anniversary Gala

What an AMAZING EVENT!!! This weekend I had the pleasure of photographing the Country Club of Charleston’s 100 Year Anniversary Gala!

The club is actually 125 years old. However, on the night of the big gala, it had been at its current location on the Wappoo Cut for exactly 100 years! My friend Fran has been working hard on the planning committee for over a year to organize this incredible party. Since the club would have opened at its current location in 1925, the committee decided to go with a “Roaring Twenties” theme. They spent 3 days completely changing EVERYTHING inside the club…right down to swapping out the chandeliers. They even created a speakeasy downstairs for the “after party”. The place looked incredible!!!

The guests looked fabulous as well! Everyone took the theme to heart and really dolled up in 1920s outfits, accessories, hair styles, and shoes. The food was fantastic. There was a full brass band, keeping the dance floor hopping. And the Speakeasy had a colorful piano player who took requests and got everyone to sing along.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Country Club of Charleston for 100 years of history! Here’s to another century of success…