Clemson Engagement | Alex & Ian
Alex and Ian were engaged at Clemson University!
They are both Clemson alumni and live together in Boston now, but they were visiting Alex’s family at their lake house at Lake Keowee for the 4th of July. Alex and Ian were on their way to dinner and stopped to walk in President’s Park. Ian stopped at the rotunda and got down on one knee. The legend says that a couple who walks hand-in-hand through President’s Park will be together forever, so it’s almost as big of a step as the proposal itself! Apparently Ian had forgotten about the legend until Alex asked him if that was why he chose that spot. Alex said she was completely caught off guard, and when Ian pointed me out to her, she gave me a big hug!
Even though it was one of the hottest and most humid days we’ve had in a long time, summer at Clemson has its perks. There were barely any people, so nobody was watching when Ian proposed, and we could stand in the street without worrying about cars. The flowers in front of Old Main are purple and bright orange in the summer, which is my favorite because it’s the closest to Clemson’s colors. Since it hadn’t rained in more than a week, the Reflection Pond was super clear and reflective, making for some really cool photos. After we finished taking photos, Ian and Alex went to dinner, where Alex didn’t know that her friends and family would be waiting for her!
Enjoy some of my favorites from Alex and Ian’s engagement session at Clemson!
If you’re looking for a photographer in Clemson, check out some of my favorite places to take photos at Clemson, then read about my engagement and elopement photo 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. 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!
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Clemson Elopement | Jenna & Chris
Jenna and Chris decided to elope in South Carolina Botanical Gardens on Star Wars Day, May the 4th.
They knew they liked the idea of eloping in a garden because they like spring scenery and colors. After looking through some pictures on my blog, they determined that they could see themselves getting married in the South Carolina Botanical Gardens. When we had our Zoom call, I walked them through what the scenery might look like at that time of year and some possible places to have their ceremony.
It started pouring rain right before we arrived, but we all had clear umbrellas. Jenna and Chris chose the pavilion at the duck pond for their ceremony, which is covered. The rain also drove away all the people who came to the gardens to take prom photos, so we almost had the garden to ourselves, and didn't hear much besides the rain and waterfalls.
There were so many wonderful smells in the garden, from the herbs to the flowers. We couldn't pinpoint what smelled like bubblegum and what smelled like fruity candy. Jenna and Chris heard that smell is an important trigger for wedding day memories, so Jenna picked out a cologne for Chris, and Chris picked out a perfume for Jenna. They also picked out each other's rings. Chris's was galaxy-inspired and can glow in the dark if it's had enough sun exposure!
Since Jenna and Chris like ice cream more than they like cake, they decided to get a bowl of "wedding ice cream" to share. We stopped at Andee's Ice Cream in downtown Clemson, where everyone was so excited to see newlyweds buying ice cream together. They shared a bowl of ice cream outside the shop before we headed to Lake Hartwell for sunset.
"Clemson sunset" was a big buzzword while I was a student because orange is a special color to the community and we like to see it in the sky. Lake Hartwell is one of the best places to see a Clemson sunset, and even though it was so rainy when we met up, we had the most beautiful orange sky over the lake!
They haven't lived in South Carolina for very long, but they knew they wanted to elope in a garden. This was their first time visiting Clemson and the South Carolina Botanical Gardens, and they're already planning a trip back to see more of it! I hope you enjoy my photos of Jenna and Chris's elopement at Clemson!
If you want a Clemson elopement too, check out where to elope at Clemson and ideas for what to do in Clemson on your elopement day!
Shoutout to everyone who helped make Jenna and Chris’s elopement day so wonderful!
Locations: South Carolina Botanical Gardens and Lake Hartwell
Officiant: Debbie Eliopulous
Hair and makeup: Meg and Jake with Cotton Rouge and Company
Dress: Evelyn's Bridal
Ice cream: Andee's Ice Cream
Photography: Christine Scott Photography
Ready for your 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
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Clemson Engagement | Jenna & Luke
Luke and Jenna aren’t just any Clemson Tigers. They were THE Clemson Tigers. As in they were the ones in the Tiger and Cub costumes at the football games.
I always love working with Clemson couples. My husband and I met while we were Clemson freshmen and we got married there, and over the years, I’ve enjoyed hearing other Clemson couples’ stories about how they met and what memories they share there together. Luke said that he wanted to propose along the dikes at Lake Hartwell because he and Jenna used to go running there together. Even though I’d been to the rowing center many times as a student, I apparently had never actually been to the dikes. It’s a bit of a steep walk from the parking lot, but there’s a beautiful view of Lake Hartwell on the other side. When I found the spot that I thought would work best for spacing and lighting, I texted Luke a photo, and then pretended I was just taking pictures of the pretty lake on a nice day.
The day that Luke proposed was a beautiful spring day, the day before Easter. He told Jenna that they would meet one of his former professors at Clemson for lunch, and since it was a nice day, they could walk along the dikes. He stopped at the spot I’d sent him a picture of and proposed! Jenna was so caught off guard, and even though she said “yes,” she also kept saying “I’m so confused!” Luke said that he had schemed with Jenna’s sister to figure out what kind of ring Jenna would like, and Jenna couldn’t get over how beautiful it was.
After we took some photos at the lake, we went down to the football stadium. They both mentioned wanting photos with the cub statue at the back of the stadium. We also got some photos at Tiger Walk, which was still pretty new, and gave us a cool view of the back of the stadium. There happened to be some purple flowers next to Tiger Walk that made for a great spot to take photos of all of their rings.
Enjoy some of my favorites from Jenna and Luke’s engagement session at Clemson!
If you’re looking for a photographer in Clemson, check out some of my favorite places to take photos at Clemson, then read about my engagement and elopement photo 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. 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
More Photos from Clemson University
South Carolina Botanical Gardens | Clemson, SC
I have to write a whole blog post about this place because it’s one of my favorite places, both to take pictures and just to walk around. There’s so much here that I can’t just show one or two photos to show you what it has to offer. I’ll also show you some photos taken throughout the year so you can get a better idea of what the scenery will look like at the time of your session or your elopement.
The South Carolina Botanical Gardens is at the Clemson University campus. Clemson, my alma mater, was founded as Clemson Agricultural College, and so much of the university’s culture is still rooted in agriculture. I mean, their signature ice cream and blue cheese comes from cows raised by the students—check out the ‘55 Exchange when you visit! All around Clemson’s campus, you’ll see a variety of plants that change colors at different times. It’s not unusual to see a class stopping at a tree and taking notes. It’s no wonder that a school like this would have such a wonderfully diverse botanical garden. Every time I go, a different spot stands out to me because of how the plants change through the year. I have my pre-designated spots to stop at, but I usually find different spots along the way that look pretty.
Venues at South Carolina Botanical Gardens
For larger gatherings, there are a number of venues within the Botanical Gardens to rent, including the gazebo on the duck pond, the carriage house, and the gazebo at the Xeriscape Garden. For elopements, these rental fees would still apply to ensure that two events don’t interfere with each other.
Gazebo on the Duck Pond
The entrance to the garden features Palmetto trees, South Carolina’s state tree. You can also find some throughout the Maritime Garden, which I’ll highlight later, but you don’t see them much in the upstate.
Take a left at the entrance and you’ll find the main parking lot, which brings you to the caboose garden. There’s an amphitheater here, a bell, and some cool overhangs. PS: this caboose is a much safer alternative to taking pictures on railroad tracks!
The Duck Pond has a beautiful Japanese-style pier. And ducks, but they tend to not cooperate for taking photos.
The Xeriscape Garden, near the Duck Pond, has a white gazebo, which would be a beautiful setting for an intimate wedding.
If you turn right after the main entrance instead of left, you’ll find an easily overlooked part of the garden, which includes exhibits like the Desert Garden, Jurassic Garden, and ones that represent the state of South Carolina, like the Maritime Garden, Prairie Garden, and the Carnivorous Garden. The Desert Garden is one of my favorite parts because you probably won’t find plants like this in many places east of the Mississippi River.
One thing I love about the South Carolina Botanical Gardens is that I don’t have to get there at the peak times in the spring or fall to find seasonal color. Different plants show their colors at different times, so a March session and an April session will both look like the ultimate spring session, but will probably have different places featured. This session was at the end of February, but we found one pink tree and one white tree to use.
This session was in mid-March, when most of the trees here turn white and a few are pink. What I consider “peak” is usually the end of March through the second week of April, but look how much color we got when we weren’t even in that window!
This bridal portrait session was late May in the same year—we still had a spring feel with the flowers, but also the full green trees of summer.
This session was in the summer, when all the plants are in full swing—especially the desert garden. That glowy light on the willow tree is everything I want to illustrate a summer evening!
For this fall session, we missed peak foliage by less than a week, and most of the trees were bare by the time we got there. We looked around and some orange and yellow caught our eye, so we used those spots as much as we could. I believe this was the last day of November and these 4 spots were all the color that was left. We usually don’t have much fall color before the beginning of November, but I’ve had some photos with yellow trees in the first week of December before.
This elopement was on New Year’s Eve. There were some coniferous trees that still gave us some green that time of year, but there’s enough scenery for us to still have a beautiful setting for our photos, even without flowers.
No matter the time of year, the South Carolina Botanical Gardens is a picturesque place for your wedding, your engagement photos, or just a nice walk! Check out some more of my work from the gardens!
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
South Carolina Botanical Gardens Engagement | Ashley and David
David and Ashley met through mutual friends on World of Warcraft. They began talking more during the pandemic and eventually started seeing each other in person. After working on a cruise line for several years, Ashley decided to move to South Carolina, where David lived. David proposed to Ashley at Caesars Head State Park, one of my favorite places in the whole state! He used her mom’s engagement ring, which I think is so beautiful and sentimental.
After spending so many years seeing the world, Ashley has enjoyed exploring South Carolina with David. When Ashley and I were talking about places to take engagement photos, she specifically mentioned how she loved the South Carolina Botanical Gardens in Clemson. This is one of my favorite places to take photos because everything changes throughout the year, so it pretty much looks different every time I go and I’m always finding new spots to use. This was in early summer, so there was so much green and plenty of color! It was hot at the beginning of the session, but as the sun got lower, the golden hour light looked so beautiful coming through the tree leaves. Between all the green trees, colorful flowers, and the plants in the desert garden, we had the best scenery and light for summer engagement photos. Ashley had a red scarf that coordinated with David’s red shirt, which made for some cool veil-like photos and contrasted beautifully with the green cacti and succulents in the desert garden!
I had an awesome time with Ashley and David on this summer evening and can’t wait to be part of their wedding this December! Enjoy some of my favorite photos from their summery engagement session 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?
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
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
Miss Clemson University 2023 | Hannah
A few weeks ago, I photographed the Miss Clemson University pageant for the 7th year. Hannah was crowned after a super impressive and unique violin performance to Dueling Banjoes and an evening gown presentation worthy of the evening gown award!
Since the pageant was so late in the school year, the semester was over by the time we had her portraits, which is great because the campus was so empty and quiet. I could have her stand in the road in front of the stadium without blocking traffic, and there weren’t a lot of people in the background. This was my first portrait session at Clemson since the stadium’s new scoreboard was finished, and that thing is HUGE! After taking photos here for so many years, I had to find some new angles to show off the scenery here. We were lucky to have a PERFECT spring evening, even though it usually gets hot by this time of year.
The gown that Hannah used for this session was a Sherri Hill gown, sponsored by Dressing Dreams. The purple was fitting for Clemson, and a skirt that big looked amazing on the steps of Sikes Hall! She wore a much shorter orange dress for some of our other photos, and we were so lucky to have the fountains in the Reflection Pond turned on that day, even if they weren’t as high as they normally are.
Here are a few of my favorite photos from Hannah’s portraits as Miss Clemson University! I had such a fun time with her and I hope you love the photos!
Like What You See?
If you want photos like these around Clemson, book a portrait session or read more about the Miss Clemson University pageant!
Davis | Miss Clemson University 2022
Davis was crowned Miss Clemson University 2022! She represented Zeta Tau Alpha in the pageant. She won the talent award by singing Vita de la Rosa by Sandi Patty (in English and Spanish), and she won the evening gown award. She is a political science and communications major and competed in Miss South Carolina this year!
Davis’s portrait session was on a perfect April day, just a few days after the pageant. She came with her aunt, who did an amazing job on her hair and makeup. Davis borrowed an evening gown from Dressing Dreams just for this session. She decided to go all out since she didn’t need to worry about walking around in it for hours at a time, like she would for a pageant. It was somewhere between blush pink and Clemson orange and one of the biggest dresses I’ve ever worked with. I thought it looked especially regal on the steps of Sikes Hall! We walked around to some of our favorite places on campus, sharing stories about our time as Clemson students. Even though there was a ton of construction around the stadium, we still got some pretty photos with the rest of campus and some flowers that were in bloom. This year, the crown was less like the Miss South Carolina crowns and more like a tiara—complete with orange rhinestone accents!
I can’t wait to follow Davis’s journey representing the best school ever. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the photos from her session!
For more information about the Miss Clemson University pageant, click here. If you want photos like these at Clemson, click below.
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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
Clemson Bridal Portraits in South Carolina Botanical Gardens | Brittany
Brittany and I met at a wedding expo in February of 2020. It was only a few weeks after she got engaged, and a few weeks before the world turned upside-down, which made it hard to set dates for anything in stone. We eventually scheduled her bridal portraits a week after her Clemson graduation portraits. She totally lucked out on the weather—about 70 degrees and partly cloudy both days!
We started Brittany’s bridal portraits at the South Carolina Botanical Gardens, which is technically part of Clemson’s campus. I love doing sessions here because it’s such a rabbit hole—there are obvious places that are pretty, but there are little pockets of hidden gems everywhere. Since Clemson has so many different majors involving plants and wildlife, it’s no surprise that there’s so much diversity in the garden and it changes so much throughout the year. On this beautiful day in May, the gardens didn’t have the pink and white blooms that it had when I did a session here in March, but there were some colorful flowers that weren’t there before, and a lot more green overall. The garden was so quiet and peaceful, with the occasional splash in the pond or rustle through the bushes. We caught the scents of different blossoms as we walked down the trail, including something that smelled like bubblegum!
I loved that Brittany’s veil complemented her ruffly dress so well, and bridal headbands are some of my favorite accessories! She found her dress at The Castle in Spartanburg. She said she loved having another opportunity to wear everything—she loved feeling like a bride and she could know a few weeks before the wedding day how her whole ensemble felt. She was so smiley the whole session!
Brittany also wanted to have some of her bridal portraits at Clemson’s main campus, since it’s become such a special place to her and held a significant role in her relationship with her now-husband. She wanted some pictures with Tillman Hall/Old Main, since she’s an education major and that’s where most of her classes are. We spent a good amount of time at Sikes Hall, which both of us love. I thought she looked like Cinderella in some of the photos we took on the steps at Sikes!
I’m so happy to have met Brittany and I’ve loved getting to know her at both her graduation session and her bridal portraits. Check out a few of my favorites that I’ve been dying to share!
Are you thinking about having photos done at Clemson? Click here to check out some of my favorite galleries from Clemson, including wedding, engagement, graduation, and pageant photos! To schedule a session, fill out my contact form to tell me all about it!
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Miss Clemson University Portraits | Ashley
Ashley took home the title of Miss Clemson University 2021! She represented the Rally Cat dance team in the competition.
I was excited to take photos for the Miss Clemson University for the fifth year. This was the first year that the pageant was virtual, which made for a different atmosphere than usual. The contestants didn’t have anyone there to cheer them on, but anyone could watch from wherever. It was pre-recorded, so Ashley got to tell her family that she won before they all watched the live stream. Each contestant submitted a video of their talent, which enabled them to incorporate a few more creative factors into their talent portion. Ashley danced to Something in the Water by Carrie Underwood, and filmed the dance right in front of the Reflection Pond. She took home the talent award in addition to the crown.
Ashley’s Miss Clemson University portrait session was on a beautiful day in mid-April with her three roommates, which made for a fun time. Her red evening gown was stunning against the white blooms and the steps of Sikes Hall. Since she represented the Rally Cats in the competition, we did some pictures by the stadium in her Rally Cat uniform. I have always loved dance action shots, and Ashley had a few really fun ideas. She perfectly coordinated her jewelry with each outfit, and I especially loved her tiger earrings that she wore with her orange top and white pants!
Check out some of my favorite photos from Ashley’s session! You can also see the video of the pageant here, with Ashley’s gorgeous dance solo at the Reflection Pond.
For more information on photos for the Miss Clemson University pageant, click here. For more information about portrait sessions, click below.
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Clemson Elopement | Katie and Matt
Katie and Matt knew they wanted their wedding day to be unique and intimate. A year and a half after I did Katie’s Clemson graduation portraits, she told me they were planning to elope and asked if I could do their wedding photos. Since so much of Matt and Katie’s story takes place around Clemson, it felt like a perfect fit for them. They said they shared a lot of memories at the amphitheater, so we made a plan for them to get married there on New Year’s Eve.
Katie, Matt, and I met up at the amphitheater with my friend Rebecca of A Different Officiant. Since it was New Year’s Eve, there weren’t hardly any people around, and only the bells of the clock tower broke the silence around them. Even though there was a high chance of rain for the whole day, none came down while we were together! We went through so much of campus that day, even through some of the botanical gardens. Since there were no guests, Katie and Matt could spend their wedding day wherever. They popped a bottle of champagne together on Bowman Field, which made for plenty of laughs as it sprayed everywhere. They even cut their wedding cake right in front of Death Valley!
Katie and Matt spent years walking this campus with no idea that they were passing by the place where they would someday get married. This was such a fun day that was totally centered around them and their story. Check out some of my favorite photos from Katie and Matt’s wedding!
Special thanks to Rebecca Inman of A Different Officiant for making it possible for Katie and Matt to get married in a place that was so special to them. Their cake came from Sugar Mama’s Cakes and Desserts in Seneca.
Ready for your 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 Greenville is that it’s everything you DON’T think about when you picture South Carolina, but it’s still picturesque. Whether you’re into mountains, waterfalls, lakes, 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!
Elopement Planning Resources
Clemson Graduation Photos | Class of 2020
I’ve had lots of graduation sessions at Clemson in the last few years, but the class of 2020 will forever stand out to me. My first 2020 graduate was moved earlier to avoid having to cancel later, and the next two were pushed back indefinitely. Since they didn’t have a graduation ceremony, this session in their graduation regalia is extra special for them. This post will be updated throughout 2020 as more seniors come back to the place they called home for the past few years.
Caroline
Caroline’s session was in March, on an empty campus with the first few spring trees. Within a few days, campus closed to the public. She celebrated graduation at home with her family. She graduated with a degree in marketing. Don’t you love her tiger earrings and her tiger outfit?
Anna Kate
We planned for a session for when the tree blooms were at their peak, but the world had other plans. We ended up getting some beautiful weather for her session in June! The garden in front of Tillman had the purple and orange plants that they usually have in the summer, which added some school spirit to her photos. Anna Kate’s parents were there, since she didn’t have a graduation ceremony for them to attend. Her dad, who also graduated from the school of business, turned her ring during our session.
Jacky
Jacky and her family were in town for the weekend in November for her graduation, which was postponed from May. That means she got much nicer weather, her diploma frame, and the last of this year’s foliage!
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Clemson Proposal | AC and Ben
This proposal has been in the works for 2 months now. Ben originally wanted to propose to AC on the day of the Clemson spring game. The pandemic came, the game was cancelled, and we heard people were being escorted off campus. We reconvened a few weeks later and set a new date. Ben organized a weekend trip to the mountains and would pass through Clemson on the way back.
Ben always knew he wanted to propose at the spot where they first met—outside of Core Campus, near the stadium. It was a quiet day on campus with only a few people passing through. He pulled up to their special spot and they walked down the steps. After they talked briefly about how that was where they met, Ben pulled something out of his backpack and got down on one knee. AC said she was completely caught off guard, but in the next few minutes, she found out that there was a lot more to this plan than she realized. Ben had gotten coordinating face masks off of Etsy just for these photos. He brought his Clemson ring in his backpack because she knew he didn’t normally wear it and he wanted to have it for the photos. AC’s family would be waiting for her at their lake house. Her friends had even suggested getting their nails done together a few days earlier!
We took some pictures around campus, and even though we got tired and sweaty, there was so much joy. As I walked behind them and took pictures, I kept overhearing AC:
“WE’RE ENGAGED!”
“They knew?”
“She did?”
“WE’RE GETTING MARRIED!”
Check out some of my favorite photos from this special day!
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Miss Clemson University 2020 Portraits | Mattie
One of the things I love about being the photographer for the Miss Clemson University pageant is seeing how each contestant represents the school in her own way. There are women representing sororities, teams, and all sorts of campus organizations. Not only that, but it’s a more relaxed pageant environment for the people who have never competed before, and each competitor is being cheered on by the other members of the organization she represents. This year, the talent portion included dancing, singing, piano, chemistry, painting, sign language, and a monologue. Mattie came out on top of the talent portion with a jazz dance to River Deep, Montain High by Céline Dion, and took home the crown that night!
Mattie represented the Clemson tour guides when she was crowned Miss Clemson University. Yes, you could have a campus tour with Miss Clemson University! She is also a member of Alpha Delta Pi and is one of the Rally Cat dancers. She is a communications major and an intern with the Pearce Center. Mattie had competed in pageants when she was younger and decided to give this one a shot. Now, she represents Clemson and all the people who make it the wonderful place it is!
Mattie’s session was on a perfect spring day with a handful of trees turning pink or white. She wore an electric purple evening gown from Mackenzie Jade, an orange jumpsuit, and her Rally Cat uniform during the session—all equally amazing for representing Clemson. We made our way through campus, from Daniel Hall to the outside of Death Valley, and even got a few photos with the Clemson mural that was painted downtown last year. We ended the night watching a stunning sunset from Library Bridge, and we snuck in a few cool photos of her crown with it!
Check out some of the photos from my fun evening with Mattie!
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Where should you take engagement photos at Clemson?
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I shoot a lot at Clemson. It makes sense, considering I graduated from there and my husband and I had our proposal, engagement session, and wedding there! I’ve shot there in every season and can tell you what trees to look for in January, April, and November. Want pictures inside Death Valley? I know when it’s open to the public. If you want a ring shot in purple and orange flowers, I know where and when to do that. If there’s a building on campus that’s special to you, there’s a good chance I’ve taken pictures of someone there before. While I have a general outline that I follow with all the essentials—Tillman, Sikes, Reflection Pond, Carillon Bell, and outside of Death Valley—every session is unique and there are different parts of campus that mean something to different people. Here are some of my favorite places on campus that you might not have thought about.
Daniel Hall
I spent so much time in this building as an undergrad and considered it one of the ugliest buildings on campus. I had no desire to have my graduation pictures there. At some point, though, I realized how much I love the ivy and the lattice outside one of the entrances.
Downtown Clemson
The place where you probably hung out on Friday nights and watched a lot of away games together on Saturdays.
Botanical Gardens
This one gets its own post so you can see all the beautiful places in it and how it looks at different seasons! One thing I love about Clemson is how well you can see the hard work of the staff and students who study plants. I always find something new when I visit the Botanical Gardens! I was born in Arizona and I have a soft spot for cacti and succulents, so we’re lucky to have a spot with them here in South Carolina. Also, how gorgeous is this pier?
President’s Park
This one may seem obvious because of the legend behind it, but do you know what else makes this the perfect place for a proposal? Since it’s one of the only places on campus with an outdoor covered area, you can still plan to be there whether or not it’s raining. Here are some pictures from proposals I shot on a sunny and an on-and-off rainy day. Also, the bushes bloom so beautifully there in April!
Places Outside Death Valley
As much as I love the days when the stadium is open to the public, it’s only at certain times, so I have to get creative with what to do at the other times. The porch of Stadium Suites gives you the whole stadium in the background and I love the view you can get from outside some of the gates!
Lake Hartwell
Since Lake Hartwell is not part of the main campus, it’s easy to forget about. If it’s cold outside, nobody will be at the lake, making for a more intimate and peaceful session. The reason I love the rowing center is because of the paw on the docks, but the lake is accessible from some of the off-campus apartment complexes as well.
Lee Hall
I was surprised nobody had ever asked me for a session here because I think this building is so cool! I thought it’d be even cooler if we went after the sun went down and creatively used some flashes.
Sunflowers
I haven’t seen this in a long time and I’m not sure if they even have it here still, but the Student Organic Farm had a few rows of sunflowers that are nice and tall. You can even color coordinate with them like Tori and Michael did!
Sikes Hall
It’s not exactly overlooked, but it’s one of my favorite places on campus to take pictures. Not only do I love the steps and pillars here, it becomes one of my favorite backgrounds when it gets cold. When the tree in front of Tillman loses its leaves, you get Sikes and Tillman in the same picture.
Ready for your Clemson engagement photos?
I’m Christine (Scott) Gow. I graduated from Clemson in 2015, where I was active in the photography club. I met my husband for the first time in Schilletter Dining Hall and he proposed to me on top of Clemson House. We were married at the Madren Center in 2017 with plenty of purple and orange to go around!
Taking photos for Clemson couples has a special place in my heart, but I also love showing other people around this special place. I love the Clemson family, the school’s commitment to sustainability, and how much the horticulture and architecture shine across campus.
I’d love to be part of your story at Clemson!
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South Carolina Botanical Gardens and Clemson University Engagement | Presley and Logan
April
This engagement session is for an extra special couple. When Dan and I were at Clemson, we were part of Alpha Phi Omega, or APO, the service fraternity. Dan’s assigned little was a pledge named Logan, who quickly became one of our closest friends. Eventually, Logan was assigned a little, a pledge named Presley. Logan and Presley quickly became friends and eventually became a couple later that year.
APO formal is traditionally when each new member presents their big with a paddle they’ve decorated and each big presents their newly-initiated little with a stitched letter shirt. Presley was unable to attend formal in April, so she and her little planned to do the exchange a few days later. Her little, Hannah, suggested it might be fun to wear dresses and do the exchange somewhere pretty on campus and take some pictures. Presley wanted to come up with another plan when the forecast said it would rain, but Hannah convinced her that they could go to President’s Park and take cover under the rotunda if they needed to. As another APO brother took their pictures of them on his phone in front of the rotunda, he told Presley to turn around. She turned around and thought he was telling her to get out of the way of someone’s pictures, not realizing that the person with the camera was me with my hood on and that I was actually there to take pictures of her. He told Presley to turn around again, where she saw Logan, who had told her he was at work. He got down on one knee with the ring and Presley said yes!
November
Fast forward to a few minutes after Clemson beat South Carolina for the sixth year straight. It was the last day of November, but none of us were cold. Presley and Logan had chosen outfits that fit the location perfectly as it transitioned from fall to winter. We met up in the South Carolina Botanical Gardens for the first part of their session. We had JUST missed the peak foliage, but there was still plenty of fall color for us to find in the gardens. I loved the way the leaves on the ground added to the whole atmosphere. The new pier at the duck pond is so pretty and we had to get some pictures with it! I picked up all sorts of things that had fallen on the ground to set up for their ring shots. We then did a quick run through the main campus until the sun went down. After the sun went down, we headed over to Lee Hall to see what we could do with those huge glass windows at night.
Check out some of my favorites from this beautiful day!
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Clemson University Engagement | Ann and Joe
I first met Ann on the night of Miss Clemson University in 2017. It was my first time as the pageant photographer and Ann was one of the pageant co-directors. A few months later, I did Ann’s graduation portraits around campus. As we were talking that day, we found out that she and I are both from Virginia and her sister-in-law now teaches at my high school!
Ann and Joe met while they were students at Clemson. While they were at a brewery in Virginia (about 45 minutes from where I grew up), Joe proposed in front of a beautiful view of the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains. Isn’t the band on her ring so pretty?
Since Clemson is where so much of Ann and Joe’s story takes place, it only made sense for them to have their engagement photos there! We met on the first weekend in November, right when the leaves started to change. We started at Lake Hartwell, which was silent on this cool fall morning, making this part of the session so peaceful and intimate. We progressed to the Esso Club, a popular spot in downtown Clemson, especially to watch away games. They were in town for the weekend to see a home game, meaning that if we did the session the next day, we could go into the stadium. We hit all the iconic parts of campus and got some pretty yellow trees around Sikes Hall and President’s Park. I will always love an engagement ring with two Clemson rings, especially with Ann’s gorgeous engagement ring and some of the first leaves from this fall.
Check out some of my favorite photos of Ann and Joe from this gorgeous fall morning around Clemson! We’re so lucky to have such a gorgeous campus to use for commemorating our stories.
Clemson Proposal and Engagement | Tracy and Lawrence
Every once in a while, my friend Tracy will ask me about doing a session with her. She was Miss Clemson University, then she graduated from Clemson twice, and we’ve done a few just for fun. This time, it was Lawrence reaching out, telling me he was planning to propose to Tracy and he wanted me to be there.
Tracy and Lawrence had come back to South Carolina for a wedding. Lawrence caught the garter. They headed to Clemson for Sunday brunch and took a walk around campus. They walked through President’s Park, where the superstition says you’ll be together forever if you walk through there holding hands. The two of them walked hand-in-hand down the path until Lawrence stopped and got down on one knee. I wasn’t actually close enough to hear him pop the question, but I saw a long hug and a kiss. After Lawrence told Tracy to turn around to see me in the bushes (not being sketchy at all), I pointed out the tape I had put on the ground for Lawrence to stop. We went inside so they could be in the air conditioning and share the news with their parents.
Lawrence had perfectly coordinated his outfit to complement the dress Tracy had packed, knowing there would be an engagement session that day. Since it’s summer, we had the campus almost to ourselves. We went back to President’s Park so I could take pictures of them actually walking through it, since I was behind a bush until the end of the first walk. We came back through all the places where I’d done Tracy’s pictures for Miss Clemson University and her graduation years before. The fountains were on at the reflection pond, which always makes the pictures there look cooler.
These two made a 95-degree session at 11 AM so worth it! Check out some of my favorites!
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