So Jason and I had been planning his surprise proposal for several weeks leading up to the big day for him. He even got his parents involved so that his dad could livestream the event to Ashley’s parents online via a cellphone. Jason’s mom was in charge of video. What was funny was watching Jason place his parents behind the large oak trees at the Battery in downtown Charleston so that he could have them in just the right location! He even had a band hiding nearby so that when he went down on one knee, the band members would know to start walking that way and playing some music! Jason went all out to make this a very special day for Ashley. Congratulations to the both of you! 🙂

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What a great time I had with Maureen and Josh a few weeks ago in downtown Charleston for their engagement session! I’m looking forward to their wedding next June which will be here in no time! It’s always fun to wander around downtown soaking up the historic sights and finding some great locations for portraits. Congratulations!

So I had the pleasure of meeting Derek and his family here in Charleston for a tour that was setup for them by the Jack and Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation. On this particular day they started off with an informative carriage tour from Palmetto Carriage Works in downtown Charleston. Then we headed over to White Point Gardens (The Battery as we local folks call it) for some fun family portraits under the big oak trees. After that we strolled down Rainbow Row and through various cobblestone streets. Derek and his family are from North Dakota so the heat and humidity in August was a little bit of adjustment for them but they did great and had a fun time. Towards the end of our photo shoot, they ended up at the Nathaniel Russell House for a home tour setup by my friends at the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. I had a wonderful time meeting the family and showing them a quick tour of my lovely city.

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So Andrew and I had been working on a plan for his girlfriend Alexis and the surprise proposal that he wanted to do for her. Now this was really cool because he had private Chef Shay McDonald come in and fix a fabulous meal. Except the story was that it was for his parents who then had a last minute situation that they had to attend and rush out of the house! No need to waste delicious food, so Andrew said that he and Alexis should stay and eat. My part was to show up and act like I was taking pics of the food and setup for a magazine that the chef was going to be in. So while I’m going around taking pics of the food and setups, Alexis didn’t really have any idea of what was coming up. Andrew then surprised her by going down on one knee and asking her to marry him which totally caught her off guard! haha! She lit up and had one of the best reactions ever! One of the funniest things that I heard her say which was directed to me when she said “and he was taking so many pictures of all of the food….” 🙂 After the surprise, the entire family came up to surprise her for what everyone else was in on. I’m so glad that everything worked out so well! Since we were already on Folly Beach, I just had to take the two of them down to the Morris Island Lighthouse for a beautiful sunset to cap off the evening! Congratulations to the two of you!!

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That moment that you realize the photographer is not there to just shoot images of the food, but instead your surprise proposal……..

Another beautiful day here in the lowcountry for a surprise proposal for Jesse & Summer down by the Morris Island Lighthouse on Folly Beach! Jesse was planning a vacation getaway several weeks ago and wanted to know about a great beach location for his upcoming proposal. I told him that I knew just the place! The Lighthouse Preserve is such a unique location that we have here in town and works for a perfect backdrop for such a special occasion. Jesse wanted to start off their week here in town with the big news and he caught Summer totally by surprise. I think at first she was a little confused as to what was going on, but then a huge smile came across her face as Jesse went down on one knee with a ring in his hand. 🙂 Congratulations to the two of you!

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Blue skies and perfect weather for a February surprise proposal at The Battery in downtown Charleston, SC. Mack had been planning on popping the big question several weeks in advance on his way into town. Of course when I found out that he’d be riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle to the shoot, I knew we’d have to do some awesome pics for his engagement session! Hannah was so surprised to find out what Mack had really planned for that special day! 🙂

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While Kyle and I had been planning his surprise proposal setup for a few weeks in advance,  you just never know how the weather will be here in Charleston for February. It was a bit chilly on the beach but the sun was shining and it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon! Stephanie really had no idea and just thought that they were going to a nice brunch in downtown Charleston, but first wanted to have a quick walk out on the beach while they were staying on the Isle of Palms. Little did she know how her afternoon “stroll” was really going to turn out…..haha! Congrats to the both of you!

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Bo and I had planned his special surprise proposal at Magnolia Gardens for a couple of weeks ahead of time. Of course a cold front moved in and it was a very chilly January morning earlier in the week. Rarely do I have to break out hand warmer packets to keep my fingers warm to operate the camera. I was just thankful that the rain had moved out from the day before when we were originally scheduled for this shoot. Now I’ve photographed a lot of proposals in the past, but this one had an extra “tense” moment to it. While Bo was on the famous white bridge down on one knee, I heard the ring fall out of his hand and start rolling down the walkway of the bridge. I was so scared that I was going to hear a “ker-plop” of something falling into the water! Luckily fate was on the side of Bo that day because he didn’t have to dive into the cold,  murky swamp water to try and save an engagement ring. Oh that would have been sooo cold on that day. (although I would have made sure to get some good images if it had…ha! ) Overall it was a beautiful day with a gorgeous couple in a historic plantation setting. How can you get better than that! 🙂 Congrats again to both of you!

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