Falls Park Engagement | Batare and Femi

Femi came to visit Batare in Greenville on Batare’s birthday. Before they went out to dinner at Halls, they took a walk through Falls Park. They stopped by the Carolina Foothills Garden Club Sanctuary, where Femi proposed!

Femi and Batare first met during a medical school trip in Dominica, and they couldn’t believe they’d never met before. They spent most of their lives in the same city, they were undergrads at the same school at the same time, and they’re both Nigerian. Once they started a relationship, they moved around together until they were placed in different cities for their residencies, about 6 hours apart. They still visited each other often and found a lot of places they love in both cities.

When Femi and I talked through the proposal plan, we decided to have the proposal in Falls Park. It was close to everything else in Greenville, and Femi could easily get Batare dressed up by telling her they had a dinner reservation at a nice restaurant. Femi made a reservation at Halls Chophouse, a place they both like. We ended up choosing the Carolina Foothills Garden Sanctuary because it’s a little bit more private than the rest of Falls Park, but the scenery is still really pretty.

We had some really pretty light since a lot of the trees had already lost their leaves. Since their session was so close to the winter solstice, golden hour was pretty early in the day, so most people were still at work and not hanging around downtown while we were taking photos.  Since Christmas was only a few days away, we got some photos with one of the big and beautiful Christmas trees downtown, and we heard the musicians playing Christmas music. Batare was so shocked in the first few minutes, but the shock became spontaneous laughing and hugging. You can just feel their happiness in these photos!

Check out some of my favorite photos from Femi and Batare’s engagement in downtown Greenville!

If you want photos like these, check out where to take engagement photos in downtown Greenville, where to elope in upstate South Carolina, and my info for engagement and elopement photos!

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. We love finding new outdoor places to visit, but we also love hanging out on the couch and watching Pixar.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Chimney Rock Engagement | Molly & Ethan

Right before Christmas, Molly and Ethan had come down from Indiana to explore different cities in North Carolina. After spending a couple days in Asheville, they headed towards Charlotte, and decided to stop at Chimney Rock State Park. They liked the idea of the big rock overlooking everything, and they don’t see a lot of mountains where they live.

Chimney Rock is a unique area—some scenes from Dirty Dancing were filmed around here, and Chimney Rock State Park itself was one of the filming locations for The Last of the Mohicans. To get to the overlook, there are about 500 stairs, but there’s also an elevator that goes 26 stories through a mountain. Since it was December, the tunnel leading to the mountain had red and green uplighting, giving a Grinch-looking effect, and the railings leading to the overlook were decorated with wreaths, bows, and garlands.

It was a cold morning, but it quickly warmed up because it was sunny and there was no wind. I knew I was the first car to park at the bottom, so I watched the parking lot from the overlook until I saw Molly and Ethan drive in. I took pictures at the top until Molly and Ethan got to the top, and then I pretended to just take photos of the scenery. They looked out over Lake Lure together to take in the view, and Ethan got down on one knee. He gave her a beautiful vintage-looking ring!

After taking some photos at the overlook, we headed down to the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge to get a change of scenery. Since it was a Tuesday morning in the winter, there was nobody at all in the park or at the Flowering Bridge, and we had both places all to ourselves! After we finished taking photos, Molly and Ethan got to spend the rest of the day celebrating their engagement!

Check out some of my favorite photos from Molly and Ethan’s engagement at Chimney Rock!

If you want photos like these, read more about Chimney Rock and my info for engagement and elopement photos!

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. We love finding new outdoor places to visit, but we also love hanging out on the couch and watching Pixar.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

South Carolina Mountain Engagement | Stephanie & John

John and Stephanie live in Houston, but decided to make a fall trip to the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. They’d never been to the Carolinas or Tennessee before. Stephanie remembered seeing Pretty Place Chapel on TikTok and decided that she wanted to see the sunrise there while she was in the area. She and John saw that it would be open for sunrise on the Monday that they would be there, and decided to go then.

John knew that this was where he wanted to propose to Stephanie. He showed a coworker some photos that had been tagged there on Instagram and they came across my photos of a couple who got engaged there a few weeks earlier. He went to my blog post about them, where I’d also linked all my info for visiting and having photos taken at Pretty Place. He sent me an email, we set up a time to talk, and we made the plan to go!

The windy road to Pretty Place from Greenville is one lane in each direction and goes up a mountain through the woods.  I always get nervous driving there for sunrise because so much of that drive is in the dark. But when I’m almost there, I’ll notice that the sky has turned from black to dark blue, and I’ll start to see reds and oranges coming through. It was cold when I got there, but I was relieved to see that there weren’t a lot of cars in the parking lot. I easily found a seat in the aisle that felt like the right distance from the cross. John had sent me a selfie they had taken that morning, so I knew who they were when I saw them.

Stephanie asked someone to take a photo of them in front of the cross on her phone. She went to take her phone back, but when she saw that John was on one knee, she gave her phone right back the person and went back to the cross. After Stephanie said yes and everyone cheered, John pointed me out to Stephanie, and both of them gave me a big hug.

After we took some photos around the chapel, we went down to Bald Rock and Wildcat Wayside, where there were almost no people. It was so quiet and peaceful! Bald Rock Heritage Preserve has a rock face that overlooks Table Rock Mountain. Even though there’s graffiti all over it, the view is still beautiful. We also took some photos at the stream by the parking lot, where a lot of red leaves were floating. After we finished taking photos, Stephanie and John went back up to Pretty Place to soak it all in, then went out to eat in Brevard.

Enjoy Stephanie and John’s fall engagement photos in the mountains of South Carolina!

If you’re looking for a photographer, read about my elopement and engagement photo services! If you like these locations, read what I have to say about Pretty Place and Mountain Bridge Wilderness!

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. We love finding new outdoor places to visit, but we also love hanging out on the couch and watching Pixar movies.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Proposal in Downtown Greenville, SC | Jordan & Noah

Jordan and Noah were engaged on a beautiful fall evening in downtown Greenville, South Carolina!

When I talked with Noah, he told me that they had moved here together from the Midwest after they met in college. He said they liked walking the Swamp Rabbit Trail together and he wanted to propose downtown. We talked about possible places to do it, since there are so many beautiful places in downtown Greenville, and we ended up choosing the Carolina Foothills Garden Club Sanctuary. This is a shadier spot off in the woods, just out of sight from the Liberty Bridge, but super easy to stumble upon. There are stone staircases and a small waterfall. The bonus is that the sun comes through the trees to the back, making for some glowy lighting, I went there a few days beforehand and sent Noah a video so he could see where I would be and where I’d want him to stand. As soon as I got into view, Noah got down on one knee. It was a much more private spot than the Liberty Bridge or the Reedy River Falls, but there were still a few people on the stairs who cheered them on.

Noah had told Jordan that they were going to try the restaurant Limoncello for the first time, then go to one of their favorite spots: Jack and Diane’s piano bar. The reservation for Limoncello was later than what Noah actually told her, but he gave enough time for photos and for sharing the news with their family and friends. By making a dinner reservation, he also was able to get Jordan to wear something she would want to wear in photos.

Enjoy some of my favorite photos of Jordan and Noah on this beautiful November evening in Falls Park!

If you’re looking for engagement photos in Greenville, check out some of my favorite places to take photos in downtown Greenville, and check out the details for engagement photos. If you’re thinking about eloping, read about some of my favorite places to elope in upstate South Carolina and about the elopement experience!

Ready for the best day ever?

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. We love finding new outdoor places to visit, but we also love hanging out on the couch and watching Pixar.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Engagement at Caesars Head | Amber and Logan

Amber and Logan were engaged on a beautiful fall evening at one of my favorite places in South Carolina: Caesars Head State Park!

They met and started their relationship when they were both living in Utah. They took the leap and moved across the country together when Logan accepted a job in Greenville. They love exploring the outdoors together, and Logan said that Caesars Head was on his mind for a while. From the photos he’d seen, he thought the overlook would be the perfect place to propose. He came across my photos of Melanie and Karl’s engagement there and knew that this would have to be the place.

Logan told Amber that he made a reservation at a nice restaurant that was really far out. He did make a reservation at Topsoil, which he and Amber dressed nicely for, but he told her it was farther away than it really was. Instead of bringing her to the restaurant in Travelers Rest, he continued up the windy road for a while until he reached Caesars Head. He brought her to the overlook, where he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him, using his grandma’s engagement ring.

This was a classic, slightly chilly fall evening. There were leaves all around them on the ground. We were lucky to not have many people around on this Friday evening, so we were able to use a lot more of the space on the overlook. We went down the narrow staircase and took photos in Devils Kitchen, which has a cave-like feel to it. We took some around the woods and on the walkway until the sun started to go down. I think the overlook at Caesars Head is one of the best places to see the sunset, and it made for a fantastic place to soak in the feeling of saying yes to forever.

Check out some of my favorite photos from Amber and Logan’s engagement at Caesars Head State Park!

If you’re looking for a photographer in the Greenville area, read more about Caesars Head State Park and check out my info for elopement and engagement photos!

Ready for the best day ever?

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. We love finding new outdoor places to visit, but we also love hanging out on the couch and watching Pixar.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Engagement at Pretty Place | Barbara and Christian

Barbara and Christian were taking a fall trip from Florida with their families through Pigeon Forge and Asheville. Barbara had seen photos online of Pretty Place and wanted to come see it for herself. Christian knew when he saw the photos that Barbara would love to get engaged there, so he and I coordinated a plan. We watched the visitation schedule closely to coordinate with their open hours and the dates Christian and Barbara’s families would be nearby. Eventually, we saw that it would be open for sunrise on a day when they could be in the area, and we planned for that.

For the whole week leading up to the proposal, right up until I got in the car, the forecast said there was a high chance of rain. Pretty Place Chapel is covered, but I still brought my umbrellas for the shots we took outside of the chapel. There was rain on the drive up, but it had totally stopped by the time we got to the chapel. I wasn’t sure if the chance of rain, or the fact that it was a weekday, would keep some people away, but when I saw parked cars along the road before I could see the chapel at all, I knew the answer. It looked like a whole church service! When I reached the chapel, the fog was so intense that it just looked like a white sheet behind the cross. Within just a few minutes, that fog turned into low clouds that hung around the mountains, just in time for a beautiful sunrise to come through! The sunrise and clouds over the mountains behind the cross literally looked like the pictures people share on Facebook and Instagram on Easter Sunday, except it wasn’t a picture. As people came and went through the chapel, I moved down the seats in the aisle until I reached an aisle seat on the second row.

Christian and Barbara stood in line down the aisle to have their photo taken while I took photos of the people before them to get the lighting right. When Christian’s mom took a photo of them on her phone, Christian got down on one knee. Barbara was so excited! So many people started cheering and taking their picture, and Christian pointed to me as the one to look at. I waved my arms and people started to back off. When we moved out of the chapel, Barbara said, “Oh, I forgot to say yes!”

We moved away from all the people in the chapel and off to the side. There is a tiny overlook over the mountains that had a small line forming, so while we waited in line, I took some photos of Christian and Barbara with the trees. The foliage was some of the best I’ve seen in South Carolina so far, and we went further into the woods to just get some photos with the trees.

What a way to start a fall morning! Check out some of my favorite photos of Barbara and Christian’s engagement at Pretty Place Chapel! For more information about visiting Pretty Place, check out this post!

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Table Rock Engagement | Hannah and Brandon

Brandon wanted to propose to Hannah while they were visiting family and friends in upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina. He came across my blog post on where to take engagement photos and decided that Table Rock State Park had the scenery he was looking for. It’s one of my favorite places in the upstate to take photos because you can get mountains, a lake, and some small waterfalls without hiking at all. He specifically mentioned wanting to propose at the pier on Lake Oolenoy with the mountains in the background—perfection!

Before driving down from Ohio, Brandon told Hannah that he wanted to have couple’s photos taken with a photographer who did his friend’s photos, and they shopped for outfits together. Since the family was in on the plan, Brandon made sure someone offered to do Hannah’s nails before the session.

Even though the rain snuck up on us in the forecast, it stopped raining at the park right when Brandon and Hannah arrived, and didn’t start back up again. We didn’t hardly see any other people, probably because the rain had kept them away. We met at the Table Rock trailhead and took some photos at the little waterfalls near the beginning of the trail. After that, we drove to the park headquarters, where we would get the view of the mountains over Lake Oolenoy. Brandon’s friend had set up a beautiful picnic on the pier while we were on the trail, then left the park. Of course Hannah said yes when Brandon proposed, and she couldn’t believe how beautiful the ring was.

After we took photos for a little longer, I went home, and Brandon and Hannah had some alone time in the last 30 minutes or so before the park closed. This was the best summer evening we could have possibly asked for!

Enjoy some of my photos of Hannah and Brandon’s engagement at Table Rock State Park!

If you’re looking for a photographer in upstate South Carolina, read about my engagement and elopement services, and check out some of the other photos I’ve taken around Table Rock!

Ready for the best day ever?

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Pretty Place Engagement | Emily and Andres

Andres originally asked me about coming on a Saturday morning to Pretty Place to propose to Emily. He said that she showed it to him on TikTok, and he knew that had to be the place where he would propose. When I mentioned some of the logistics, like that you can only see two weeks in advance if it’s closed to the public for a wedding, he asked me how to pivot to make sure this would work. He eventually planned a trip a couple months later, involving going to Pretty Place at sunrise on a weekday. This was the day after summer solstice, so it was an early morning for us! Since he reserved the chapel for an hour, he could guarantee it’d be open while they were in the area, and that they wouldn’t have an audience during this special moment. I eventually typed up everything we discussed into a blog post, which you can read here if you’re interested in visiting or having photos there.

Andres told Emily that he had a conference in Greenville, and she sometimes comes with him when he travels for work. That was also how he convinced her to dress nicely that day. I got to the chapel about 20 minutes before Andres and Emily, but right after Andres’s parents, who were waiting in the parking lot until after the proposal. Since the chapel was reserved, the bathroom inside was unlocked for us. I hid in there with the door closed until I heard them pass by. They went down to the cross to take a selfie, and I came out from the bathroom when Andrea got on one knee.

For about two days before their engagement, it rained pretty consistently in Greenville, going back and forth between thunderstorms, pouring rain, and just barely raining. Luckily, the clouds came in and out that morning, so Emily and Andres would still get to see the view, but they also got some cool photos with the clouds. We took a few photos with the umbrellas in my car, and the staff at Camp Greenville left us some towels to use.

Check out some of my favorite photos from Emily and Andres’s rainy morning engagement at Pretty Place Chapel!

If you’re looking for a photographer in Greenville, read about my engagement and elopement services, and read more about Pretty Place!

If you’re planning to visit Pretty Place, I also recommend stopping at Bald Rock, Wildcat Wayside, and Caesars Head State Park along the way! Here are some photos from there!

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Clemson Engagement | Sidney and Hayden

On Memorial Day weekend, Sidney and Hayden made a long weekend trip to Clemson University, where their story together began.

Hayden was originally planning to propose on Saturday, but since there was a high chance of rain and the forecast for Friday was perfect, we decided to make the proposal a day earlier. A walk through the South Carolina Botanical Gardens included a surprise proposal at the pier over the duck pond. Hayden’s brother took photos with a Polaroid and I pretended to take photos of the turtles in the pond until the proposal actually happened. The other people walking and the ducks happened to clear out right when it happened, but we heard the ducks quacking loudly after the proposal, like they had known to keep quiet and then started cheering with us. We worked our way around the garden until we reached the entrance, where the palmetto trees are. We went down to the geology museum so we could get a few photos in the desert garden too!

Legend has it that any couple who walks hand-in-hand through President’s Park is destined to be together forever, so we had to go take some pictures there. From there, we took a few photos around the central part of campus, like Sikes Hall and the Reflection Pond, as the sun went down. One thing I love about Clemson couples is that we have so many stories to share as we walk around campus. It’d been a long time since I had a Clemson couple whose time at Clemson overlapped with mine, so they remembered things like Clemson House and the time there was a duck in the Reflection Pond.

Check out some of my favorite photos from Sidney and Hayden’s Clemson engagement photos in the South Carolina Botanical Gardens!

If you’re thinking of having engagement or wedding photos in the South Carolina Botanical Gardens, read more about the gardens here, and read about my elopement and engagement services!

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Harry Potter Engagement at Lake Lure | Alivia and Blake

A Harry Potter engagement session? Count me in!

Alivia and Blake made a day trip to Chimney Rock, North Carolina and stopped at the Flowering Bridge. When Alivia wasn’t looking, Blake tossed an envelope into a bush, then pointed it out to her. It was sealed with the Hogwarts wax seal and addressed to Alivia with the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge as the address—in Harry Potter, the letter is always addressed to wherever the person is at that moment. After Alivia read the letter Blake got on one knee and presented Alivia with his grandmother’s ring in a Marauder’s Map ring box.

The Flowering Bridge is a beautiful place in any season, but it hits differently in the spring when the weather is perfect and all the pinks and whites are out. Although it looks small when you drive by it, you can spend a lot of time in there taking photos with all the beautiful plants and displays. While there’s no Harry Potter references at the Flowering Bridge, it has a lot of bricks painted to look like classic books and a few artifacts, like Dorothy’s ruby slippers on yellow-painted bricks. The spot that Blake and I originally had in mind for the proposal had different decor this time that I didn’t think for the vibe he was going for, but since I got there early, I had time to pick a new spot. Lake Lure had been drained over the last several weeks and barely looked like a body of water, so having that in the background was out of the question too. I ended up choosing one of the archways that leads to the Peter Rabbit area. One of the mountains is right behind it, and the trees behind the arch had pink blooms. I texted a picture to Blake with a description of where it was and a stick figure drawing of where he should stand.

Enjoy some of my favorite photos of Alivia and Blake’s Harry Potter engagement at the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge!

Check out some of my other work at Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, and read about my elopement and engagement services!

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Downtown Greenville Engagement | Maddi and Ryan

Maddi and Ryan’s engagement session was unique for two reasons. One was that the couple planned the proposal together instead of one person. The other is that since this session was on the shortest day of the year, most of these photos were taken at night.

When Maddi and Ryan met, they connected over the fact that both of them had moved to Greenville from the northeast, and started talking about where to find good pizza. After about 2 years, they started talking about getting married. One thing they both knew was that they BOTH wanted to plan how they got engaged—not just one of them surprising the other. They knew they wanted to get engaged around Christmas with a Christmas tree.

Not only does winter solstice coincide with when Christmas lights are out, it also coordinated with Maddi’s love for the color black. She had a black teardrop ring with black nails that day. The proposal happened in front of an indoor Christmas tree, then we finished the session with the outdoor Christmas tree in the dark.  In between, we took some photos with other Christmas decorations and in Falls Park. When I heard that Maddi had a Medusa tattoo on her arm, I knew we had to get some photos with the Medusa tree! We also wanted some photos with poinsettias, partly because we all love poinsettias, and partly because the poinsettia is named for a South Carolina diplomat whose name is all over Greenville, including the hotel where the proposal happened.

Check out some of my favorite photos from Maddi and Ryan’s Christmas engagement session in downtown Greenville!

If you’re looking for a photographer in Greenville, read about my engagement and elopement services, and check out some of the other photos I’ve taken around downtown Greenville!

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Falls Park Proposal | Jen and Joe

Joe wanted to move closer to family, so he looked into Greenville, South Carolina. As soon as he saw that he could have a downtown apartment within walking distance of a waterfall, he knew he had to check the place out for himself. Fast forward, and that waterfall became the place where he got engaged to someone he met at his downtown apartment building!

When Joe got the phone call from the jeweler to tell him the ring was ready, he knew he had to act quickly. Thanksgiving was only a few days away, and he wanted to be able to celebrate their engagement while they were with Jen's family for the holiday. Joe reached out to me the day after the ring came in, which was also the day before he wanted to propose. I showed him a proposal photo in Falls Park a few months earlier, and he said that spot looked perfect. Joe and Jen planned for an early dinner at Jianna, one of their favorite restaurants in downtown Greenville, but stopped at Falls Park along the way. I was sitting on the bench a few yards away, so I didn't hear what Joe said as he stood there with his arm around Jen, but I know that Jen said "yes" after Joe got down on one knee!

There was a street performer playing along with Frank Sinatra songs, so we had a romantic jazzy soundtrack on this fall day in downtown Greenville. We took some photos in front of the waterfall, but we also took some in front of the Medusa Tree and further into the woods, towards the Governor's School, where there aren't as many people. We ended in front of the street with a red maple that was lit up with Christmas lights!

Enjoy some of my favorite photos of Jen and Joe's proposal in Falls Park!

If you’re looking for a photographer in Greenville, read about my engagement and elopement services, and check out some of the other photos I’ve taken around downtown Greenville!

Ready for the best day ever?

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Rock Quarry Garden Engagement | Ashlee and John

Ashlee and John are engaged! If you love dogs, gardens, or roses, you’ll love this proposal!

When I talked with John about his proposal plan, he knew he wanted to make it a picnic in a beautiful place with their dogs. They like to have picnics together in pretty places all over the upstate with their dogs, Pepper and Randy. He chose Rock Quarry Garden, one of their favorite places to have a picnic. This beautiful little garden is hidden between two streets in downtown Greenville, with a staircase on each side to lead you down into it.

It was a beautiful Friday evening in September, and John had told Ashlee they were going to a nice dinner with Pepper and Randy. Instead, they parked at Rock Quarry Garden and walked into it. Their family had set up a beautiful picnic there, complete with champagne, roses, rose petals, pictures of them, and a bottle of personalized M&Ms! There was a card addressed to Ashlee, signed with both dogs’ paw prints, asking if they could be siblings. When Ashlee finished reading the card, she turned around and saw John on one knee with the ring! Ashley wasn’t expecting this at all, and Randy looked so surprised in the photos!

We took pictures around Rock Quarry Garden until the sun was gone. There was a small waterfall at one side and a beautiful stone bridge at the other, with plenty of colorful plants in between. There was a statue of a little girl with a dog who looked a lot like Pepper, so we had to take photos with that too. After we packed everything up, John took Ashlee to a surprise dinner with their families!

Check out some of my favorite photos of Ashlee and John’s engagement at Rock Quarry Garden!

If you’re looking for a photographer in Greenville, read more about my engagement and elopement services!

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Greenville, SC Proposal | Destiny and Pat

Destiny thought the family dinner and portrait session were to celebrate her birthday a day early. What she didn’t know was that I’d met with her mom, her sister, and her boyfriend a few weeks earlier to plan a proposal.

It started storming right when I got to Larkin’s, where Destiny was having her birthday dinner. I stayed in the Wyche Pavilion, waiting for the rain to pass, but it never did. I texted Destiny’s mom and said that I would walk Destiny to the pavilion with my umbrellas. Destiny and I chatted a few minutes as I took some photos of her. I moved her into better lighting and sent her mom a quick text saying, “Ready.”

The next few portraits have someone in the background, who I didn’t edit out. Pat got closer and closer until he was right behind Destiny, and he got down on one knee. I told Destiny to stay where she was while I changed angles. I moved about 90 degrees and several steps backwards, took a few photos, and told her to face the other direction, where she finally saw Pat! After he shared a few words with her, he asked her to marry him, and she said yes as their families watched through the window from under the awning at Larkin’s. Natasia, who Destiny thought was just a random person taking shelter from the rain, played a few songs on violin that were special to Destiny and Pat, and they shared a slow dance in the pavilion.

The rain didn’t stop for more than a few minutes at a time, so we mostly stayed in the pavilion, but took some other portraits outside of it with my umbrellas. After six years together, Destiny and Pat were both so relieved that the day had finally come.

Check out some of my favorites from Destiny and Pat’s proposal in downtown Greenville!

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Falls Park Proposal | Miah and Stone

Miah and Stone have been together since MIDDLE SCHOOL, and now they’re engaged!

A few years after I did Stone’s high school senior portraits, Stone and I met up in downtown Greenville to make a plan for him to propose to Miah. We ended up choosing a spot right in front of the Reedy River Falls, below the Liberty Bridge. There were a ton of people walking around on that Saturday, so we decided to choose a weekday, and set the date for just two days later. The date was close enough for us to see the hourly weather forecast, which was about 80 degrees and partly cloudy—about as nice as you can ask for in July.

When I arrived to the spot we chose, I texted Stone to tell him there was another photo session happening in that spot, so he asked Miah if he could show her a different spot. By the time they came back around, most of the people had cleared away, so Stone walked her right to where the prettiest view was and asked her to marry him. I was sitting on a bench right there and got it all on camera!

We spent the next half hour or so walking through downtown Greenville and taking photos in our favorite spots. There was a performance of Othello happening not too far away, so we got to hear bits and pieces of that during the session. It was a beautiful evening and we couldn’t have asked for better weather in July.

Ready for the best day ever?

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Georgia Mountain Engagement | Madeline and Frankie

Madeline and Frankie were engaged above a waterfall in the mountains of northern Georgia! 

Madeline and Frankie had originally met when they were students at Furman University and lived near each other. They’ve been together for 5 years. One perfect spring day, they met up with their friends Drew and Christina for dinner at the Waterfall Club in northern Georgia, where they’d had photos taken before. After dinner, they decided to walk around on the golf course. As they reached the tee for Hole 2, which is at the top of the waterfall and overlooks the mountains, Drew offered to take a photo. Frankie said he wanted a photo of just Madeline in a pose he really liked, and when she was turned around, Frankie got down on one knee. Madeline couldn’t believe it was happening right then, and after they kissed, Frankie told her, “you have to say “yes” for it to be official.” And she did!

I was actually chilling in my car, which was parked right next to Hole 2 with the window open so I could get the perfect shot of the proposal without seeming too obvious. It was so quiet there and a car only passed by every few minutes, so I knew this would be the prettiest and the most peaceful place to get engaged! I coordinated with Drew leading up to the proposal so that Madeline wouldn’t see me texting Frankie. I told Drew where I thought we would get the best view and he made sure Madeline stood there. After Madeline said yes and found out I was there, we took a few more photos at the top of the waterfall before we drove down to the bottom. I barely had to pose Frankie and Madeline because they kept naturally getting into the best poses, and when I did give some posing suggestions, they knew right away what to do! 

Check out some of my favorite photos of Madeline and Frankie on this beautiful spring evening in the mountains of north Georgia! 

Ready for the best day ever?

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Chimney Rock Proposal | Leah and Jacob

Leah and Jacob were engaged at Chimney Rock, right above the clouds on a perfect spring morning! 

They decided to spend the weekend in Asheville for Jacob’s birthday. Jacob drove up from Orlando and Leah flew in from Chicago. They were planning to check out Chimney Rock, which they heard was beautiful, and hike to Hickory Nut Falls. What Leah didn’t know was that Jacob’s friend Courtney, who is now an event planner, was actually the one planning the whole day, and that the timeline started with getting engaged! 

Jacob, Courtney, and I got on a Zoom call and looked at the maps, since none of us had ever been to Chimney Rock State Park. There was a windy 3-mile road from the entrance to the park to the base of the overlook. From there, we could either take an elevator or a 500-step staircase to the overlook. We decided to get there right when it opened for two reasons: the light would be better when the sun was lower in the sky, and it would be less likely to be crowded that early on a Saturday. I had no idea if we would have cell service, so I told Jacob what my car looked like and we came up with a plan for me to signal to him when I’d found the spot with good light and a good background. 

After driving through fog for a while, I started to see some blue skies. I texted Jacob when I was waiting at the entrance, and he texted me that his car was right behind mine. I booked it to the elevator—if I got in there before them, it would have to go back down and back up before they would be up there with me, which would buy me some time to pick out a spot. For a minute, I was the only person up there, which was pretty surreal. Then, it was just the three of us. I stood across the overlook from where the clouds covered the mountains, and Jacob walked over with Leah and got down on one knee. Of course, Leah said yes, and we took some pictures in that “we just got engaged” feeling!

We were all so amazed at how beautiful it was up there that day. The American flag was at half-staff, which made for some cool framing, but also served as shade when I had Leah and Jacob facing the sun. I went up to the Opera Box for a few photos to show them with the whole overlook. We had to come back to the spot where they actually got engaged because the clouds went away, showing the view we had come there for in the first place. By the time we finished up, it still wasn’t too warm or crowded, so Leah and Jacob could still do their hike. I caught a few photos of them telling their family and friends the news before they left! Since the engagement was so early in the day, they had plenty of time afterwards to celebrate being engaged.

Enjoy these photos of Leah and Jacob’s spring engagement in the mountains of North Carolina! 

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Pendleton, SC Proposal | Maggie and Spencer

Spencer and Maggie began dating when they were seniors in high school.  When Spencer went to Clemson, he had a pretty busy baseball schedule, so it was easier for Maggie to visit him. They loved getting brunch together at the Village Café in downtown Pendleton. 

Maggie and Spencer came to Clemson for baseball opening weekend. Spencer told Maggie that they would be meeting friends for brunch in Pendleton before they left on Sunday, so she would have to wear something nice. They parked their car and walked across the green in front of the 1826 Bistro, right across from the Village Café. Spencer got down on one knee, and of course Maggie said yes! Luckily, I didn’t look too suspicious sitting on the bench right in front of the green, and I got photos of the whole thing!

When I talked to Spencer beforehand, he said that he and Maggie knew they wanted to get married, but that she didn’t know anything about his plan to propose, so she was totally surprised when he did. He said Maggie hadn’t told him what she wanted in an engagement ring, but he knew what she would like. He was right because Maggie said the ring was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen! 

I asked them if they wanted to take a few other photos somewhere else in the area and suggested the South Carolina Botanical Gardens. We get some blooming trees in late February, so I figured something had to be in bloom in the gardens. Maggie said they used to take walks through there when she would come visit. The first bit of color we found was a tree with pink buds on it. I suggested taking a photo of Maggie’s ring on one of the buds, and she liked the idea because pink is her favorite color. We walked a little further and found a tree with some white blossoms too. 

Check out a few of my favorites from Maggie and Spencer’s engagement! 

If you’re looking for a photographer in the Clemson area, read more about my elopement experience and engagement experience!

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all 48 of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources