Tags: Engagement, Proposal, Waterfront Park
LOVE: Jeff & Megan – Isle of Palms, S.C.
April 7, 2012It was 6:30 on a morning that promised clouds instead of sunrise, but Jeff and Megan braved the gray with me at Isle of Palms for one of the sweetest love sessions I’ve ever shot. Married for five years and just off a cruise in the tropics, this Maine couple had planned their route through Charleston just for this special anniversary shoot.
Jeff and Megan have an easy relationship, comfortable – as if they’ve known one another all their lives – but boy does he still know how to make her blush, and she loves being made to blush. I was so honored to witness their love as the sun rose red and slitted through the cloud-cover that filtered bright light pure.
Tags: Anniversary, Couple, Engagement, Isle of Palms, Jeff & Megan, Love, Sunrise
Engagement: Matt & Kelly
February 6, 2012I think God must have decided somewhere early on that Matt and Kelly were meant for one another – God and most of their friends and coworkers. Matt’s friends told him he had to see this pretty girl; her friends practically forced her to go meet him. As Matt was leaving Kelly’s office on the day they met, her coworker slipped him Kelly’s number, but Matt called honorably the next day to ask her for it directly. Over the course of several years and several break-ups, their hearts became deeply entwined until neither could imagine life without the other. Matt proposed over Thanksgiving last year, with all their family gathered around.
Matt and Kelly blew me away with their spring-themed session, shot on a cool January day. Matt’s quiet, solid strength offers the perfect stay for Kelly’s brightly passionate approach to life. I love how he sees her – and how she just keeps falling back in love with him. They have a fun romance, a sweet, hopeful love that has grown deep through the seasons of their relationship. The intimacy that they share in the littlest things made this simple shoot an absolute joy.
Venue: Isle of Palms County Park
Gladiolas: Tiger Lily
Hair: Casey at Canvas Hair Color & Design
Cake & Confections: Whole Foods Bakery
White Dress, Boots, & Turquoise Necklace: Francesca
Black Dress, Blue Throw, Matt’s Hat, Kelly’s Hat: Target
Matt’s Shoes: Converse
Pink Necklace: Old Navy
UPDATE: Less than 24 hours after this reveal, Matt and Kelly have been published at Grey Likes Weddings! You have to have an amazing love for this kind of breathtaking. Believe me, Matt and Kelly have it.
Tags: Beach, Engagement, Isle of Palms, Matt and Kelly, Picnic
Preview: Matt & Kelly, Engaged
January 22, 2012We had our first official shoot of 2012 yesterday, an “early spring” shoot in January that one can only get away with in Charleston. We were shooting just as a cold front was coming in, so we had a very cold wind pushing through the shoot, but we got just enough sun to add a little gorgeous light to these images. Kelly picked her details perfectly, and we even had a sweet picnic – I cannot wait to share more of this gorgeous session!
Tags: Engagement, Isle of Palms, Preview
Engagement: Evan & Anne
September 14, 2011Anne (who is Anne with an “ie” when we pronounce her name) graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with a major in Fashion Design, and her fantastic eye for detail lent a lovely modern vintage twist to this shoot. Her dress was an Anthropologie find – she bought it special for the shoot – and Evan, a quintessential Southern gentleman, did GOOD on Anne’s 1940′s vintage engagement ring. It’s so HER!
I loved watching them together. Anne adores her guy, and Evan – well, he put it this way when I asked how he knew Anne was the one: “I couldn’t see living without her.” They have a tender love, a sweet relationship built in quiet conversations and gentle touch. They’re getting married in Old Town Savannah, but they’re beach people too, and not in the “let’s go play in the surf” way, but in the “there’s no other place in the world I’d rather hang to rest than at the sea” way.
Location: Folly Beach, S.C.
Dress & Belt: Anthropologie
Anne’s Shoes: Dolce Vita
Evan’s Shoes: Sperry Top Sider
Engagement Ring: 1940′s Vintage, from Small Pleasures in Savannah, GA
Bracelets: Anthropologie, Giles & Brother, Hand-Me-Down
Pinky Ring: Baby Ring
Heart Pin: Vintage
Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters, Costa Del Mar
Watches: Breitling, Luminox
Dahlia (silk): Michaels
Peonies (silk): AFloral.com
Champagne Glasses: Target
Tags: Beach, Engagement, Evan & Anne
Engagement: Aaron & Christian
June 9, 2011Aaron and Chris met last October in at a tailgate party in Knoxville, TN, and they hit it off right away. Their first date was a camping trip with the guys, at which Chris ended up being the only girl (the other girls had cancelled), and Aaron was the only guy she knew. It threw them close right away, and they knew almost immediately that they were meant to be together.
They moved to Charleston earlier this year, where Aaron is training with a branch of the military that I can’t remember at the moment. (I think it was Air Force, but I’m pretty sure if I get it wrong, I could get into trouble, and it could have been Navy, so I’m not committing, lest I offend!) Even through Aaron’s long-day tired, I could see how much this strong and steady guy adores his girl, whose irrepressible vibrancy must light up every room she enters. He apologized for not knowing how to smile for the camera, but boy did he EVER smile for her! I couldn’t help but be swept into their sweet romance. Here, have a look – see why I love them, and why they love each other!
Tags: Aaron, Afternoon, Christian, Engagement, River, White Dress
Engagement: Kent & Leeann
March 26, 2011I feel almost as though I grew up with Leeann, in spite of the fact that I didn’t meet her until my second year of college. She is one of the few friends I’ve ever had with whom I got to make memories together – from one crazy late night tromping around DC in the freezing cold to stringing popcorn for our dorm Christmas tree and singing along with Christmas music together. We listened to each other’s heartbreaks and hopes, and she was practically the maid of honor at my wedding almost six years ago. Getting to shoot her wedding was a dream come true for me, because I’ve been seeing this girl’s heart beauty for years, her quiet wisdom and her incorrigible optimism.
I kept wondering what EXACTLY the male race (Can I say that? The male “race?”) was missing when they kept overlooking her, but after meeting Kent, I suspect that God must have been saving her for one perfect guy who would love her the way she’d love him. Their engagement session is one of my favoritest memories ever with Leeann, getting to see her in love and see the one who loves her, watching them play together and just be, in that comfortable way that speaks of time and hope and years to come. I love how their love carries it all, as sweet as first love, as strong as friendship, as deep as romantic love can go.
We did their engagement shoot at Seaport Village in San Diego, after a delightful, intimate rehearsal dinner at Harbor House Restaurant.
Every once in a while, I ask my clients if they’re willing to pose a slightly-almost-scandalous shot, and this was just too funny to miss. They can always refuse, or even ask not to display the photos, but Kent and Leeann graciously gave me permission to show these off – will you get a look at the laugh on them!
Tags: Cinderella, Destination, Engagement, Harbor House Restaurant, Merry-Go-Round, San Diego, Seaport Village
Proposal: Matt & Marsae
January 22, 2011A job-hunting third-year medical student, Matt told Marsae (Mar-SAY) that he had been invited to Charleston for a second visit with one of the physicians at MUSC. They would be meeting at Fleet Landing, a restaurant near Waterfront Park, and he wanted to walk through the park with her on the way to the restaurant, revisit some favorite spots.
She had no idea that he had been working on a proposal for months.
Matt found my information at MyWedding.com and fell in love with my work. Obviously, not as much in love with it as he was in love with Marsae, but it was enough to land him in my inbox with one DOOZY of a photo op for me.
The story goes like this: Pete and the kids and I were playing at the park, waiting for Matt and Marsae to appear, creating my second role for the day. I’d begun as a doctor – “Was calling to see how the rounds went this morning,” he noted on the phone when he called to give me the 45-minute warning.
Once they reached the park, I became a Mom-photographer, chasing my daughter down with the camera. Only Matt knew that I was secretly photographing him and Marsae.
I gave slow chase after they passed me, expecting him to take his time with things, but before I was totally where I wanted to be, just like a guy who knew what he wanted (and boy did he!), his hand went for his pocket, and he was down on his knee with Marsae going into beautiful shock, completely surprised.
I’m not sure she quite believed him, even staring at that gorgeous ring, because he turned and pointed me out to her, explaining how he had hired me to capture the whole scene, giving me two of my absolute favorite client pictures ever:
And then the ring was on her finger, and I they were hugging and kissing and laughing, and Marsae was squealing and shrieking happy all over the place, apologizing for being in shock, telling Matt how much she loved him, and people? I have HONESTLY never seen a more romantic moment in real life. Seriously. At least, I can’t think of one. And I’ve been shooting weddings and engagements for six years!
Matt and Marsae make SUCH a beautiful couple, don’t you think? And will you get a look at that ring? That image on the right here? Yeah. That’s what I’m talkin’ about! That one image sums up the entire event. I think I’m almost as in love with them as they are with each other!
I ran my preview a little differently for this session, because I could. not. pick. just one shot for a preview. And when you get engaged, you want to share it with the world – not just your love, but the whole moment, the whole crazy story. Matt spent months planning this for Marsae, and she spent an awful long time hoping for it. She’d given up hope when he didn’t propose at Christmas – and her response was more than he could have hoped. I’ve never seen a guy smile so big!
After the initial surprise wore off, we spent 30-40 minutes in the park as the reality set in, as these two took this one step closer to becoming one.
This proposal was partially featured at Southern Weddings and featured in full at A Lowcountry Wedding.
Tags: Charleston, Engagement, Marsae, Proposal, Surprise, Waterfront Park
Engagement: Todd & Ashleigh
September 13, 2010It was love at first sight for these two and their first-sight love has deepened into a beautiful companionship. They discovered the sea together, when Ashleigh bought Todd a surfing lesson for his birthday. He comes to the sea to think now, to find himself, and so does she – though she doesn’t surf so much. Todd keeps a droll sense of humor behind his initial reserve, and Ashleigh brings such lighthearted fun to the relationship. They both shared with me how each makes the other better.
They came, they ran, they danced, he swept her off her feet, she drew out his real in front of the camera – they became the only two people on earth for an hour or so, and I got to watch it happen – and now, so do you. Turn on some romantic music, grab a hand, and enjoy!
Tags: Ashleigh, Beach, Charleston, Early Afternoon, Engagement, Isle of Palms, Pier, Sea, Todd
Engagement: Brad & Lauren
August 28, 2010
Brad and Lauren are two of my favorite people in Charleston. They run Elite Family Chiropractic, which is a Maximized Living practice. Brad is really, REALLY good at what he does – my back will testify. I could not do what I do without my weekly visits to EFC. Lauren always has a smile for us when we come in – and even claims that she loves my kids. We really like her for that.
Even when I know people in a friend capacity, I discover a whole new level to them when I get them under my camera. I keep saying there’s a trust that gets built between photographer and subject, and I walk away from many of my sessions feeling so, SO honored that people so incredibly cool would let me watch them be themselves with one another. This shoot is one of my favorites for that; going through to prep it today, I’m just remembering the crazy sweet fun we had, Brad, Lauren, and their little dog Daisy.
Daisy is the cutest dog ever. And she is just like a toddler; she’s so determined to be a person too!
She definitely has Brad and Lauren wrapped around her little finger… er… paw. That.
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This is one of Pete’s favorite sessions of mine – he says you can feel the wind in these. This was the shoot I did that made him realize that he really wanted me to make a business out of my photography.
Tags: Beach, Brad, Daisy, Desaturated, Dog, Engagement, Isle of Palms, Lauren, Maximized Living, Sea
