Pamela + Joshua’s wedding – June 5, 2010

Pam and Josh have my best “how they found me” story. In early March, 20o9 I was flying back from a reunion with my two best friends from high school. We had spent the weekend in Savannah and I was flying home via Atlanta. I’m was sitting in my seat–minding my own business when Pam and Josh sat down next to me. I can’t help but notice her gorgeous ring and she’s holding a couple of issues of Modern Bride. It was very convenient that I happened to be editing some of my recent weddings as I sat there. Josh saw the photos and started up a conversation. I gave them my business card and figured that was the end of that. Several months later, Pam emailed me to see if I remembered them (of course I did!) and she told me they were getting married on Fripp Island, SC where Josh had spent time growing up. So that’s the backstory for my first true destination wedding. I’ve done some more local overnighters but this was my first get on a plane and shoot wedding. Everything from the welcome dinner (a low country boil with live music) to the boys playing golf the morning of the wedding to the spotting of pelicans and deer and fortunately no alligators made for a really different experience for me. I spent the afternoon when I arrived on the island scouting locations to shoot on Saturday. Fripp is a neat combination of marshland and ocean front. I found this wonderful dock that looked like it went to nowhere and I knew I had to photograph someone there! It turned out to be Pam and it must have been over 90 degrees out by the time we got out there. Did I mention that SC in early June was hot, hot, hot and even more humid?? I had to put my cameras in the car for an hour before I could shoot because going into the steam heat from air-conditioning caused all my lenses to fog. Anyway, I could have shot at the marsh all day but I had other pictures to take and of course, Pam had a wedding to attend. The setting at the beach club was lovely and Pam’s attention to all the little details like the programs doubling as fans was a really nice touch. And a special shout out to Pam’s man of honor Matt. He did everything from steaming her wedding dress to making the trains run on time all day long!

So the guests are arriving and the sky is blue with just a few streaky white clouds until 6:25 when a front moved in and the skies turned gray. At 6:30 Pam walked down the aisle. There were a few drops but the rain held off and we were able to do beach photos, some of which ended up as my favorites from the day, even if they weren’t with a beautiful sunny sky like I had envisioned. It was a fun party with a lovely casual beach atmosphere and my only regret for the whole weekend is that I didn’t get more time to lay out by the pool (or on the beach) and read a book! Maybe next trip.

Some of the local vendors who made the day happen:

Kerry Hyatt at Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Flowers: Bittys Flower Shop

Officiate: Liam Collins

Band – Skate Rink Jukebox

Violinist: Na You Yang