southern wedding

Adrianne & Zach | Clemson, South Carolina Engagement

Can you really say you photographed during a Southern Summer unless there are rhododendrons in the images? Luckily- we had an abundance of them during Adrianne & Zach’s engagement session at the Clemson Botanical Gardens. These two told me about their wedding plans as we walked the pathways and were kind of enough to hop in a garden of Iris of ‘just the right photo.’ They ended up using it at their wedding, so safe to say they were happy with it. Stay tuned for their wedding.

Sarah & Brecken | Downtown Greenville Engagement Session

Sarah & Brecken met me in downtown Greenville for their fun, early fall engagement shoot. This was my first time meeting Brecken, but Sarah is my cousin! So, I've known her my entire life! It's always so much sweeter shooting family and it made it even more sweeter because they will be married -today- at Larkins on the River. I know this is going to be an amazing party with some wonderful people and I cannot wait to meet all of their friends and get it started. Happy to have you in the family, Brecken! And happy to see my sweet cousin growing into this wonderful woman. Happiest for you both!

Samantha & Grant | Easley Presbyterian Wedding, Easley, South Carolina

Samantha & Grant got married in the beginnings of spring at Easley Presbyterian Church and had their ceremony across the street at Easley's new reception center, South & West. This wedding was FUN for so many reasons! I was honored to second shoot Samantha's younger sister's wedding two years prior with Hannah Woodard Photo and was able to shoot Samantha's older sister's baby photos! (Twice!) The Lake family has been a favorite for a while. They throw the -best- parties and this wedding was no exception. Grant and his friends were a blast to hang out with and Samantha's girls treated us like friends. I ADORE her bridesmaid's dresses and the touches of significant throughout the day. Samantha's bouquet was adorned with the pins of her sorority sisters and her veil has been worn by her two sisters and her mother at her own wedding. Not to mention-this is the same church where her parents and two sisters got married. I'm so pleased to have been able to shoot this fun day and almost a year later still enjoy looking back at these photos. Thank you Sam & Grant! (And thank you, Sophie Hopkins, for helping me shoot this beautiful wedding!)

Jessie & Zeke | Table Rock Lodge Destination Wedding Photographer

Jessie and Zeke were married in a tiny cabin with a view of Table Rock in February of 2017. For them this was a destination wedding, but for me it was the backyard mountains I grew up in. Jessie found me on Instagram and I'm so happy she did. We clicked instantly through emails and I loved meeting up with her and her mom at The Village Grind in Greenville. This wedding was unusual for me because it was on a Monday! Something new, right?! New and fun! The wedding was made up of so many sweet touches-from dinosaurs in Jessie's bouquet-all of which her mom made, the many very cute cakes (Jessie made them HERSELF), the sign's around the venue her son's wrote, their personal vows, and on. I loved shooting this beautiful wedding and am so happy for Jessie and Zeke. It's been fun keeping in touch with them and seeing their first year of marriage together.  

Lauren & Rony | Gassaway Mansion Wedding, Greenville, South Carolina

Lauren and Rony were married on the coldest day in December at a Catholic Church off Augusta and then hightailed it to the Gassaway Mansion for one of the best parties I've been to. Their wedding was an intimate gathering of about forty people who ate a spread at the Mansion, danced late into the night, and wished the couple a farewell into the cold. I loved shooting this wedding for how beautifully intimate it was, how much love surrounded the couple, how much fun the guests had on the dance floor, and for the fun I had shooting all of it. Thank you, Lauren and Rony! This day was sweet. 

Kayla | Clemson Botanical Garden Bridals

Kayla's bridals were done at the Clemson Botanical Gardens a few weeks before her August wedding and I had the best time meeting her family when we did them! Kayla is so sweet and so willing to walk and stand and pose and try all the things we did during her session. I miss working with you already, Kayla! So happy for you and Josh.  

Melissa & Luke | Table Rock Lodge Wedding

I've known Melissa since I was in middle school, so getting her email inquiring about my availability on her wedding date had me so excited! I met her and Luke over coffee and we began planning out their vision for the big day. They spend a lot of time in the outdoors and they was a big part of their wedding day. The ceremony was behind the Table Rock Lodge overlooking the mountain with the reception and dancing inside. I always think of Melissa and Luke as being a mix of free spirits and old souls. They listen to older music, they like a good bit of tie dye, and you can find them hiking most every other weekend. Their wedding day was made more personal by bringing in a lot of those details and things they love. Have a look below at their big day! Below you can find a link to their engagement photos done at the Pink Beds on the Pisgah Ridge.

   

To view their wedding photos - https://giniaworrellphotography.squarespace.com/blog/2016/11/8/melissa-luke-fall-engagement-session-in-the-pisgah-national-forest

Courtney & Tommy | Easley Presbyterian Church/Clemson University

I've known Courtney for more years than I can even remember! We go way back into our teen years and maybe even before then since we grew up just two streets away from each other. She was someone on year book staff in High School that I looked up to and I have photos of us exploring Table Rock and from fun nights when she was a student at Clemson University. It's amazing how life can come full circle sometimes. In 2012 Courtney and I both attended a wedding for a very dear friend of ours at the Madren Center on Clemson University's campus. This is the same wedding where Courtney finally introduced me to her boyfriend, Tommy! Fast-forward four years and Courtney & Tommy are having their wedding reception at the Madren Center of Clemson University. When Courtney introduced me to Tommy four years ago I never would have envisioned I would be fortunate enough to be documenting their big day in that very same location!! 

The entire day was a dream. The flowers were stunning, the dress was a classic, the food Southern, and Courtney & Tommy were both glowing with excitement and love. We began shooting in Easley at the Easley Presbyterian Church before moving to Clemson University for a few shots and then off to the Madren Center for the party of all parties. If you want to throw a good party, just invite a large group of Clemson alumni, the Clemson mascot, and you're good. The reception was amazing! The Madren Center has lake side views with nice gardens, so the guests were able to enjoy some garden games along with dancing and dining before a bubble send off for the bride and groom.

Courtney & Tommy, I cannot thank you enough for the honor it was to photograph your wedding. My heart was so full and continues to be full from the memories I have of your big day. I felt so included by each family member and guest and you both will forever be in my heart.

Thank you, Sophie Hopkins, for assisting me this day!  

Emily & David | Spring Engagement | Easley, South Carolina

When Emily approached me about shooting her wedding I about scream/cried because I'd been waiting for this moment for YEARS! She and I were stand partners in our high school's orchestra class and have been long friends ever since. Emily and David are the sweetest and we had a BLAST shooting this 'Up!' inspired engagement shoot on David's family's land in Easley. There's nothing like hopping on the back of a mule with all of your equipment and a dozen balloons and having an enormous amount of land to choose from to shoot! Best part was I wasn't trespassing, or going to have to explain why I was standing in someone's yard shooting photos! Ha! Emily & David, I had such a wonderful time and every day we pass is a day closer to your beautiful wedding! I cannot wait for October!    

Shelley & Matthew | Camp McCall, Sunset, South Carolina

I met Shelley and Matthew at a small coffee shop in Easley over a year ago. We had some good coffee and laughs over remembering some yearbook staff days at EHS and got to business talking about their upcoming spring wedding. When Matthew began explaining their wedding venue I was very curious and excited at the thought of shooting their day at a boy's summer camp up in the mountains behind Pickens. The wedding day was everything I had pictured it to be! Quaint little chapel on the top of a mountain; filled to the brim with friends and family supporting Shelley and Matthew as they took this big jump into the future. They finished the night dancing in the mess hall and with a fun sparkler send off. Thank you so much for having me be with you on your big day, Mr & Mrs Trotter! It was a delight! Thank you, Sophie Hopkins, for being my second on this wedding! Some of her photos are below!