For Hannah & Bradley’s engagement session, we explored some of their favorite spots around Columbia. We started the rainy morning at the Riverfront park, where they like to go for relaxing Saturdays. Then we headed to Five Points for the mural, the fountain, and Publico. The Publico people were so welcoming and fun! They helped us celebrate with two hollowed out pineapples filled with their house margaritas! What a way to end a session!
Megan & Will tied the knot at Senate's End in Columbia, SC on a rainy January evening. This amazing couple braved the rain for their first look and pictures, and oh man did it pay off! These two encapsulate one of the best things about marriage: your plans don't always work out but you have your partner to help you make the best of it, adapt, and remind you that the only part of the plan that really matters is that you're together. Gold, succulents, and so many wonderful personal details certainly warmed up this winter wedding. Megan & Will, thank you for inviting me in and being total badass adventurers every step of the way!
Wedding days are crazy busy. I ask my clients to put aside any details they'd like photographed so I can get them done without having to run around to every member of the wedding party like a scavenger hunt. Don't get me wrong, I love a good scavenger hunt, but there's probably something better going on that I could be photographing. One detail that many couples forget is a copy of their invitation. Look at these pretty paper products from Basic Invite! Why would they not be included in the detail shots?!
Wow, what to say about this one? Megan found this spot while hiking with friends and sent me pictures asking if I thought it would work. Um, yes I think I can work with a mountain top in Asheville. We met in Asheville at 6am, drove the Blue Ridge Parkway before anyone other than the raccoons were on it, and hiked as the sun came up. It may sound cheesy to call this magical, but y'all. This. Was. Magical. Without further ado, here is The Most Gorgeous Bridal Session Ever TM.
Casey & Matthew said "I do" at Pendleton's historic Woodburn House. The house itself is a museum with that classic southern wrap-around porch and gorgeous sprawling grounds. Their sassy bridal party and welcoming family members made this day a perfect celebration full of fun and sweetness. Congratulations, you two!
Will proposed to Megan by having her do a scavenger hunt through downtown Columbia, hitting many of their favorite date spots. What better location for their engagement photos? We wandered down Main St. exploring, getting to know each other, and stopping wherever we saw something interesting. I love these types of shoots where I get to ask a lot of questions, listen to their story, and help couples relax and enjoy this sweet time.
Laura's bridal session blew my mind. She braved the outdoors, adventuring with me wherever we found inspiration. Over and over she told me how much she felt like a woodland fairy princess. Read more about this session on my featured post on the Basic Invite blog!
In Columbia, South Carolina during Winter or Spring, you can expect the weather to act a little unexpectedly. Nicole's bridals, in her strapless dress, were the day before a snow! It may be hard to believe that Columbia got snow, and it may not look like it here, but snow it did! Nicole rocked these bridals, channeling some real top model vibes.
Nicole and Travis said "I do" overlooking the water in Columbia, SC. Stoneridge provided the perfect venue with a gorgeous ceremony spot in front of the river, and an indoor reception space for a haven from the South Carolina humidity. Their entire day was a celebration full of family and friends who knew how to bring the party!
Casey's bridals were an absolute fairytale. We spent a very warm evening exploring the Woodburn house where she would say "I do" a few short weeks later. Woodburn house is a historic house in upstate South Carolina that operates as a museum during the week. The architecture, the preserved details inside, the wild woods outside all were open to us for some truly gorgeous portraits.
Rebecca's bridal session was the perfect fall day. The leaves had changed to gorgeous golds and fiery reds, but in true South Carolina fashion it was warm enough to be out in a sleeveless gown. Nature perfectly complimented the maroon and gold of Rebecca & Cameron's wedding later in the year, like everything around her was echoing their love.
They ran around, played, explored, and just had fun. Just silly let-loose fun. They had the kind of fun that's infectious, the kind that gets everyone to be themselves a little more, the kind that gets everyone laughing for seemingly no reason, the kind that shows off "We're best friends, and we're so excited for the future together."
Every person in the bridal party gave a speech at the reception, and when it was the bride and groom's turn to give thank-you speeches, they were met with bursting responses mid-speech of "We love you!" from several guests. Speaking of their wonderful friends, this group knew how to party! It didn't matter how hot it was, it didn't matter how long they had been there, these guests filled the dance floor all night with glow sticks and so much joy.
You know it's a genuine and deep love by how they look at each other. Whether they were nervous, comfortable, excited, or just laughing with ease, these two looked at each other in that special way that said they know each other deeply and love each other all the more. Only that type of look can say that so well. Get ready to see a lot of it. Oh, and their pomeranian. Get ready to see that adorable fluff in a bow-tie.
She took off running to land wrapped in his arms. Kaitlyn summed it up on her Instagram like this, "Every tear, every night spent wishing you were wrapped in their arms, every holiday that doesn't feel quite right because they're gone, every struggle, it's all washed away in that moment when you know he's home...He's really, finally home."
