Grand Occasions in Myrtle Beach

When I photographed Amber & Collin's wedding at The Mills House (that's me with Amanda), I had no idea what a great connection I was going to make with her Mom. Elizabeth is the owner of Grand Occasions, an amazing event planning company based in Myrtle Beach. If you're looking for an excellent event planner, make sure and check them out! Check out the wonderful gallery of our images from Amber & Collin's wedding while you're there. :-)

Jamie & Trip in Lexington, SC

Jamie & Tripp's wedding FINALLY arrived last weekend! I'd been looking forward to their wedding for a LOOONG time. :-) Having photographed Jamie's sister's wedding, Brittany (to her hubby, Chas) I'd already gotten to know her and their family. (That's Jamie & Brittany hugging on the dance floor.) I've gotten to know her and Tripp even better since then through their fun Engagement Session and Jamie's gorgeous Bridal Session. So I already KNEW this wedding was going to be SO COOL! I wasn't wrong. I came away with such great shots that I could hardly narrow down my favorites for the blog!!! Here's a few of the ones I choose, so I hope you like them. I just love that first shot of Jamie, she's such a BEAUTIFUL bride. (OK, Tripp was a bit of a stud as well!) "The Kiss" after their exit from the sanctuary was like the one from that move The Princess Bride. In the group of girls crowding around Jamie immediately after the ceremony, her friend Ginger is on her right. I photographed Ginger's wedding to Ben several years ago, so it was neat to see them again. The ceremony was at Zion Lutheran Church in Lexington, SC...a beautiful sanctuary with an incredible stained glass window and these amazing red doors. Lexington Florist did a wonderful job with the bouquets and decorations. The reception was held at 403 North Lake, which was a really neat rustic venue with a lot of character. I managed to sneak Jamie & Tripp away from their friends right before the cake cutting to get some DRAMATIC shots of them with the sky all lit up from the sunset. After the cake cutting, Second Nature broke out the dance floor and the party simply EXPLODED all night long. For their "secret" get-away, Tripp had revived his old "Silver Bullet", his first car and the one he had back when he and Jamie first started dating. They told me they had "lots of memories" in that beast...hehehe. They had it hiding in the shadows behind the Limo so nobody knew it was there. As they made their grand escape, everyone went NUTS when the Limo pulled away to reveal their TRUE get-away car. It was an AWESOME way to end an equally awesome day. Click here to check out the rest of their photos. Jamie and Tripp, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Jamie, I told my Dad I only wish you had another single sister getting ready to plan a wedding! ;-)

Beach Shoot on Sullivan's Island

Here's one of my favorite shots from a beach shoot for the Betz Family on Sullivan's Island. They were vacationing down here with their extended family this summer. So we did a bunch of awesome group photos. When I saw these two walking toward the waves, I instinctively squeezed a couple frames off...never realizing I would love this shot so much. :-)

Pro Wedding Entertainment

I had a chance to do lunch this week with my FAVORITE DJ, Eddie "L" of Pro Wedding Entertainment. If you're planning a wedding, make sure you try and get him for your date! He's an amazing DJ, a good friend, and all around great guy.

Morgan & Greg at Stella Maris

Morgan & Greg's wedding day started out overcast and cloudy. But as their ceremony time at Stella Marris drew near, and the buzzing excitement began to build...like a well-orchestrated symphony the sun came out and brightened the rest of their day! Morgan & Greg were absolutely WONDERFUL to work with...so fun and relaxed. Flowers by Frankie did a fantastic job with the bouquets. Father McInerny's homily was refreshing and spirit-filled. The reception at Alhambra Hall was delightful, with Regal Catering providing a feast for all to enjoy and Morgan & Greg's friend Josh doing an awesome job spinning the tunes.

The day was especially meaningful to me because the relationship Cami and I have with her sister, Kelly, goes way back. So it was great to see her and Chad and their two beautiful children, Bohdi & Reagan, who were the adorable ring-bearer and flower-girl. I also photographed Robbie (the glue that held the other groomsman together-HA!) and his wife Kelli's wedding. AND I photographed the wedding of Morgan & Greg's friends, Paige & Perry's! So the whole day was a wonderful reunion of sorts for me. I feel so blessed to have met every one of these couples. And already I know I'm going to feel the same about Morgan & Greg. You two truly brightened MY day!!! Click Here to see the rest of their photos...

Debby & Kevin's Day-After Session

Since Kevin & Debby are big College of Charleston fans, we decided to have their Day-After Photo Shoot on the deserted campus while students are out on summer break. It was a GORGEOUS day and the evening light just turned the campus into a magical backdrop!

Nester Family at The Battery

I can't believe it's been TWO YEARS since I photographed Jeff & Suzanna's wedding! They're still as young and full of life as they were on that special day! Last year on their first anniversary, Suzanna's parents (who are the neatest people you could ever hope to meet) started a tradition of traveling back here for a family reunion in Charleston. These are a few of my favorites from this year's session. Suzanna's dad told me before the shoot, "Make sure you get me a good one of my grandson". Doesn't that shy smile and fiery red hair just make you want to hug him to pieces!?! CONGRATULATIONS to Suzanna & Jeff...may life bring you abundant joy...

My New Niece

Something Cami and I were looking forward to during our trip to Ohio was a chance to see my new niece for the first time. My brother Brian and his wife Denise have a new baby girl. Katlyn is ten months old now and absolutely ADORABLE! (OK, I'm a little biased...HA!)

Visiting Ohio

Over 4th of July Weekend, Cami and I made a trip to visit friends and family back in Ohio.

Here's Cami braving the rain at the Centerville 4th of July Parade with her brother Todd, sister-in-law Judy, and niece Kristin. Kristin's brother, Andrew was out west with his boy scout troop so I didn't get to give him my usual schooling on Rock Band. HA! :-)

Here's Cami and I with my two younger (but taller...hmmm) brothers. That's Eric on the far right and Brian in the middle. My oldest brother, Dan, and his family live in Oregon. We're looking forward to visiting them another time.

Cami was brave enough to stand with her CRAZY cousins on Aunt Evie's side. I only wish I could be like you guys when I grow up!

Here she is with Aunt Evie...the sweetest person in the whole world. She's also Cami's godmother.

Since Cami's Birthday was later that week, "someone" (I won't say who because I know she loves her brother VERY much) decided to shower her with love.

My Uncle Charles and Aunt Mary have always been an inspiration to me. They epitomize that saying "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

One night we had dinner with my brother Eric and his wife Martha at their new home. Yup, my youngest brother now has a mortgage...isn't life great!?!

Happy Birthday, Cami

Well, the most beautiful girl in the world (anybody else like that Prince song?) just turned the big 4-0. She still looks like she's 24 and still has a heart of gold. ;-) So I guess age just can't hold her down! We flew to Ohio to be with family and friends, who were happy to help us celebrate. So I'll share pics from that trip later. Cami got a TON of birthday cards and they're spread out all over our kitchen bar. Thanks to everyone who called and wrote. Happy Birthday, Cami! I love you with all my heart!!!

Kiawah Island Beach Portraits

WOW! What a beautiful day for beach portraits on Kiawah Island. I had a wonderful time with the Haverstraws and the Betts who are down here vacationing from our old stomping grounds in Ohio. Their kids were ADORABLE and everyone was so easy-going and eager to have fun. :-)

Debby & Kevin at St. John's Cathedral

What can I say about Debby & Kevin....WOW! What a truly AWESOME wedding day for such a beautiful couple. Their spirit and enthusiasm was infectious. It's no wonder they're surrounded by such a loving group of family and friends. The day started out at the scenic Carolina Yacht Club, overlooking Charleston Harbor and The Battery. I LOVE the relationship between the ring bearer and grandma as she pins his boutonniere on in the first image! Jade Water Design did a beautiful job with all the floral arrangements. The ceremony was held at the majestic Cathedral of St. John The Baptist, which I've expressed before is one of my favorite sanctuaries in town...just delicious to work in. The photo of Debby "getting friendly" with "the boys" in the vestibule is SO cute! At the reception, Plane Jane kept the Carolina Yacht Club dance floor smokin'. And Cakes by Kasarda provided the artistic confection that satisfied our sweet tooth...mmm! As the evening came to an end, Debby & Kevin ran outside with me to create a few dramatic images in the soft evening light before they headed off to their wedding night. Everyone waved and cheered as they sailed away in this beautiful yacht with the huge "Just Married" banner waving in the cool evening breeze. Click Here to see the rest of their photos. Debby & Kevin...THANK YOU for asking me to be a part of your special day. You two were AWESOME!!!