In case you need to catch up, this is a continuation of the 2017 Year in Review Part 1 and Part 2!

MOMENTS

While the creative cake toppers and gorgeous locations are fun, the real reason that I love photography so much is its ability to capture a slice of time and hold it there forever.  Weddings are such truly special days, there’s always some amazing moments of love, laughter and genuine emotion to be recorded!  Below are some of my favorite moments from 2017.

FUNNEST BRIDAL PARTY

On a wedding day, there’s one group that we spend almost as much time as the bride and groom and that’s the wedding party.  Hand selected by the newlyweds to take part in their day, these ladies and gentlemen really add so much personality to the wedding day.  Here’s a few of the fun bridal parties that we enjoyed spending 2017 with!

Charron & Ethan were really laid back and fun so it’s no surprise that their bridal party had a sense of humor too.  Here’s some of their funny photos and an epic jump shot!

I’ve never seen a wedding flash mob before, but what a fun idea!  Stacey & Ryan were introduced into their reception at the Riverbanks Ndoki Lodge as many other couples do, but once they stepped into the door, a synchronized dance started up and the guests went wild!  I can only imagine how much planning must have gone into this introduction flash mob dance, but the result was definitely memorable!

I really enjoyed spending time with Melissa & Ryan’s bridal party.  We had a 3 hour gap between the wedding and reception so we got to have lots of photo fun at the SC State House.  Thanks for being an amazing group!

Kelly & Dan’s flower girl was so much fun!  She gave herself a front row seat to the wedding ceremony and cracked the guests up by really getting comfortable.  It was such a cute addition to the wedding day!

FIRST LOOK

The first look is a new tradition that I love because in a more intimate setting, the bride and groom meet together for the first time on the wedding day and I get to be right there to unobtrusively capture those first beautiful moments together.

You can see Hannah and James’ full wedding story here, but one of the highlights of the day for me was after the first look, James serenaded Hannah with a song that he wrote, sang and played about how much he was looking forward to her being his wife.  Oh, the feels!

I love Liz & Daniel’s first look at Senate’s End.  Such beautiful, real moments.

While Stacey wanted to keep her dress a surprise for her groom, we did a first look with Dad, which gives the bride and Dad a few moments to smile, hug, maybe even cry before he walks her down the aisle.  Awww!

GETTING READY

The getting ready photos are one of my favorite parts of the day (even though I love it all!) because there’s so much activity, anticipation and emotion.  

At Kim and Andy’s wedding one of the sweetest getting ready moments for me was Andy helping his Dad straighten his tie.  It’s a simple action but one that I found very moving.

Ashley’s getting ready photos were full of excitement and glamour!  I loved how involved her adorable flower girl was in the makeup and hair process!  Such great candid moments.

FAVORITE FIRST DANCES

Bri and William had their first dance on the back porch as Springdale House, but rather than the traditional slow dance, they broke out some of their own moves!

I may be a little bias because I remember these two in their early stages of dating but I also loved Kelly & Dan’s first dance on the back porch of the Springdale House (same as Bri and William).  It had emotion, laughter and of course beautiful light streaming across as the sun set behind them!

BEST SUNSETS

Speaking of sunsets, here’s a few of my favorite moments from that colorful, creamy, beautiful time of day!

With their wedding at Senate’s End, Liz and Daniel had a prime location to include the Columbia skyline and the iconic Adlah Flour in their sunset wedding portraits!  I love that soft pink light!

Stacey and Rocky had a stunning, colorful sunset for their wedding day at the Farm at Ridgeway!  I’m so glad we were able to capture these beautiful moments on the Farm!

MOST ROMANTIC PHOTOS

Sunset is perfect for romance and we took Kim and Andy out in the last bit of sunset glow at the Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens for their “just married” portraits.  I love the glow of the twinkling lights in the background as well as the rich colors of the foliage that show up this time of day!  

Rachel and Steven were so photogenic and I just adore these romantic, magazine worthy portraits that were able to capture as we snuck away from the crowds, just behind the garden at Wintergreen Woods.

Brittany & Ryan‘s sparkler lit exit at the SC State Museum just screams romance and Happily Ever After!  

FAVORITE BLACK AND WHITE IMAGES

Here’s a few of my favorite black and white images throughout the past year.  Black and white has the unique ability to strip away what we recognize as everyday life and really focus in on emotion, contrast and drama.

I adore this sweet moment before the wedding began of Stacey and her ring bearer watch in anticipation as the cars arrive!

This first kiss after the wedding ceremony between Ashley & Britton is simple but so full of the joy and excitement of a newlywed couple!

I loved that Kaitlyn and Alan took at short break from the reception, and gave me free reign to get creative with their nighttime portraits at the Springdale House.  I love the result!

There was so much beautiful emotion at Ashton & Joseph’s wedding at First Baptist of Columbia and 1208 Washington Place.  From Ashton’s dad walking her down the aisle, to sweet moments with her mom while getting ready, to that touching last dance where the newlyweds shared a private moment on a crowded dance floor.

I can’t say it enough, but I am so thankful to my 2017 brides and grooms for trusting us to capture their amazing wedding memories.  I hope you all the best in your first year as man and wife and I can’t wait to see the great things to come!

Are you getting married soon?  We’d love to hear more about your big day!  To set up a meeting or request a price sheet, just use the contact form below and we’ll be in touch with you soon!