Melissa and Hunter were married 17 years ago. They had been thinking for a long time about renewing their vows and decided to take a trip by themselves to somewhere new!
Melissa and Hunter live in Louisiana and had never been to South Carolina before. When Melissa’s friend showed her a photo from a wedding she went to at Pretty Place, Melissa became intrigued with the idea of visiting South Carolina. She came across my blog post about places to elope in South Carolina and emailed me about coming in October. She told me that they both love mountains and water, so I showed her some photos I’d taken at Lake Jocassee, and she loved it!
Lake Jocassee is accessible through Devils Fork State Park, one of my favorite state parks in South Carolina and the best combination of water and mountains you’ll get in this state. Some of the scenery in this park reminds me more of the west coast than South Carolina—it’s so hard to believe that this is the same state that gives us places like Charleston!
The day we met was a perfect fall evening. Melissa wore a white dress and Hunter wore a dress shirt with suspenders. A friend made them a bouquet and a boutonnière. Melissa makes cakes professionally, so she wanted a small cake to bring. She made a cookie cake because it would last better during the long car ride.
We took some photos in the shade at the beginning of the Oconee Bell Trail, but we didn’t get photos with the Oconee Bells because they only bloom in the spring. We did find an American Beauty Berry bush, which has lime-green leaves and bright purple berries in the fall. As the sun got lower, we moved towards small beachy area that faces the lake. We tried to chase the buzzards away, but a random dog showed up to do it for us. Aside from that, it was a pretty quiet evening, making a pretty intimate experience in nature.
I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect fall evening to show Melissa and Hunter how beautiful this side of South Carolina is. They’re already talking about when to come back to show this place to their boys! Enjoy some of my favorite photos from Melissa and Hunter’s vow renewal at Lake Jocassee!
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