Elope at Pretty Place Chapel
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
More From Clemson
Elopement in Greenville, South Carolina
Pretty Place Chapel
For information about eloping at Pretty Place Chapel, this blog post is for you!
December 2024 update: Pretty Place is closed until further notice as they recover from the damage from Hurricane Helene. They expect to reopen to visitors by the end of January 2025. Check their website before planning a visit here, or check out some other beautiful places in South Carolina with mountains!
Fred W. Symmes Chapel at YMCA Camp Greenville, more commonly known as Pretty Place, is one of the locations I get asked for the most. This is an open-air chapel at the edge of a cliff overlooking the mountains, right on the North Carolina border. People from all over the country see pictures and videos of this place on Pinterest and TikTok and ask me to take their engagement photos, wedding photos, and proposal photos there. However, it’s also one of the most complex locations to plan for, which is why a lot of people end up changing their plans to a completely different location. Pretty Place lives up to its name though, and if you can work it out, your photos will be stunning. Here are a few things to keep in mind for taking engagement photos at Pretty Place!
Please read the entire post because there are lots of important details here about planning your visit!
Check the visitation schedule. This is a very popular wedding venue, so the chapel will be closed to the public when there’s a wedding. The schedule on the Camp Greenville website lets you see up to 2 weeks in advance when the chapel is open. If it’s closed on the day you’ll be in the area, here are some other places with mountains in South Carolina.
You can pay to reserve it, and here are 4 reasons why I recommend it:
The visitation schedule is only available two weeks in advance. It’s not unusual for the chapel to be booked for weddings for an entire weekend, especially in the fall, so you don’t want to make a whole trip here just to find out that it won’t be open at all while you’re in the area. This is especially helpful if you live far away and the chapel is one of the main reasons why you’re visiting.
The only people present are the people you’ve invited. This eliminates the possibility of the chapel being packed while you’re there. Believe me, I’ve seen my share of loud and chaotic sunrises at Pretty Place, with lots of cameras and applause for proposals, and I don’t want that for any couple. If you reserve the chapel, you’ll get the peace and quiet that you’re looking for.
Reserving the chapel ensures communication between you and the staff so that they can update you with any emergencies that might affect your plans.
When you reserve the chapel, they open up the bathroom and a getting-ready area. Otherwise, they’ll only have port-a-potties available, and there’s not really anywhere else nearby where you can find an actual bathroom.
Bonus: if there’s nobody in the chapel, I can use external flashes without bothering anyone, which helps highlight you without losing the colors behind you.
If there were people in the chapel, I wouldn’t be able to stand this far back without getting other people covering the couple. People WILL try to take photos of you if it’s not obvious that you already have a photographer. There’s no flash here, just the lighting in the cross area.
If you reserve Pretty Place for an engagement, you will have a 1-hour block at the chapel, which will include your time for setting up and cleaning up. Like many venues, it might cost more to rent it on a weekend or during peak season, so consider the winter or a weekday for your engagement. And definitely aim for sunrise if you can, but I’ll talk more about that later.
Consider a weekday. Most weddings happen on weekends, and during the fall and spring, the chapel is sometimes booked for the whole weekend. The chapel has a lot of visitors during public hours, but there tend to be fewer on weekdays. If you’re coming from out of town and you’re NOT planning to reserve the chapel, I recommend being in the area for at least one full weekday (Monday through Thursday) since you can only see the visitation schedule 2 weeks in advance.
Be prepared for crowds if you don’t reserve the chapel. If the chapel opens at 6 AM and sunrise is at 7:30, some people get there at 6 AM to make sure they get a parking space. The cross is the main feature of the location, so if you’re standing in front of the cross to take photos, all eyes are on you. You may even see another couple eloping or proposing. I’ve had multiple proposals where there were enough people to look like there was a whole church service when it was really just people who were there for the sunrise. For more ideas on how to avoid crowds, check out this post.
Sunrise has the best lighting. The sun will rise behind the cross and over the mountains, but you probably won’t see the sunset since it’ll be on the other side of the woods. Since the chapel is covered, it’s darker under there than it will be in the background. At sunrise, there’s lighting at the front of the chapel that highlights you, the cross, and the verse above it. This helps you AND the background behind you show up in photos without using flash.
Account for motion sickness. It’s a windy road and there’s not really anywhere to pull over.
Check out some of the other beautiful spots along the way. Right off the side of 276 are Caesars Head State Park, Bald Rock Heritage Preserve, and Wildcat Wayside. Caesars Head offers some of the more difficult hiking trails in the state, but there’s also a 4-mile round trip trail to see Raven Cliff Falls, the highest waterfall in the state. Pictured below is the overlook at Caesars Head, which you can read more about here, but here are some other places with mountains in South Carolina!
It’s pretty remote. For a wedding, you’ll need to accommodate for the amount of time it takes to drive here from wherever you’re getting ready and wherever you’re having your reception. For a reception venue, Victoria Valley Vineyards is probably the closest at about 25 minutes away, and there are a few venues in Travelers Rest. Otherwise, you’ll need to make the drive to either Tryon, Brevard, or Greenville for a reception.
Cell service is spotty. Coordinate beforehand with anyone you plan to meet there. It’s easy to follow signs to and from there though, so you might be able to get there and back without a GPS. I can usually get signal if I’m in the chapel and it’s not crowded, but I won’t have it for about the last 30 minutes of the drive.
Be prepared for clouds or fog. The effect is cool, but it can totally hide the view of the mountains if it’s low enough and thick enough. Here is a post all about cloudy days and what to look for!
Read their policies before you go. You will not be allowed to bring dogs or alcohol, and they encourage you to use as little decor as possible. Read more on their website.
Ready to have the best Pretty Place photos?
Visit the Camp Greenville website to check the schedule or to make a reservation, then we’ll get on a call to come up with the best plan for the date and time that you’ll be there!
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 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
More Photos from Pretty Place
Ideas for Elopement Receptions
If your wedding ceremony is just the two of you, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a reception. It’s your wedding day, and you still deserve to celebrate it!
Elopement Reception Ideas:
1. Have a meal catered for two at your ceremony site.
Some caterers will deliver and set it up, just like they would for a traditional reception. A local restaurant might offer this as well. Eat some good food, cut your cake, pop some champagne, and enjoy the rest of your wedding day!
2. Make a dinner reservation.
You can celebrate at one of your favorite places to eat together, or you can treat yourselves to a new restaurant that’s a higher-end dining experience than what you’d normally choose.
3. Bring your own food to have a picnic with a view.
Make your own food, order takeout, or use a picnic service! Yes, picnic services are a thing—check out one service based out of Greenville!
4. Have a big reception with your family and friends on a different day.
It might seem counter-intuitive, but there are three reasons that come to mind for why someone might want to do it this way:
You like the idea of celebrating with other people, but still want the privacy and intimacy of an elopement ceremony.
It’s hard to get both of your families together. For example, my cousin married someone whose family lived overseas, so they had one reception with her family and one reception with his.
I’ve seen some couples who have a smaller ceremony before their planned wedding date to accommodate extenuating circumstances, like military deployment or to include a relative who is terminally ill.
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 47 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
How to Choose a Trail for Your Photos
I absolutely love going on hiking trails with couples! We can do this for an engagement session, or you could even have an intimate wedding ceremony out on a trail! I have some guidelines for trails so you can have a good time AND plenty of photos you love!
1. What is the scenery like along the trail?
Are there multiple spots along the trail that can look pretty in your photos, or is there only one tiny overlook? For example, this trail has plenty of variety before you get to the waterfall, like plant life, a pond, and a bridge over a stream.
2. How difficult is this trail?
I don’t want it to be too strenuous because I don’t want you to be red, sweaty, and exhausted in your photos. I also don’t want any of us to not feel well during/after the session. I know plenty of views here that overlook mountains and waterfalls, and won’t take a toll on your well-being or how you look in your photos.
3. How long is this trail?
It needs to be short enough for us to get good light on the trail and still get out before it gets dark or the parking lot closes. For example, getting to a scenic view for sunset on the Table Rock trail can take hours, and it could be completely dark and after the park’s operating hours by the time we get back to the trailhead.
4. Does it get crowded here?
The trail needs to not be too crowded so there aren’t a lot of people in the background. Also, your session is a lot more intimate if other people aren’t around. For example, any trail at Paris Mountain will probably have lots of hikers and mountain bikers on a Saturday. ⠀
5. Most importantly:
We need to be able to do this safely—I don’t want to risk anyone getting hurt to get good photos. A 3-mile scramble might not be worth the photos, and I need to be able to pose you safely. The Falls Creek Falls trail, for example, is mostly covered in rocks and tree roots, so it’s easy to trip or roll an ankle. There also aren’t a lot of places in front of the waterfall where I’m comfortable standing or telling someone else to stand.
Believe it or not, this photo was taken at a drive-up overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway. No hiking with that baby!
If you and your partner still want to head out on a trail for your session or elopement, awesome! I know plenty of trails in the upstate that meet most, if not all, of these bullet points. Also feel free to check out my blog post to give you ideas of what places in the upstate might fit your vision—you can check it out here!
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 Mountain Elopement | Heather and Scott
Heather and Scott were married in an intimate ceremony on a perfect fall day in front of the South Carolina mountains!
These days, there’s a lot of chaos and uncertainty that comes with planning a wedding with a large group of people, so Heather and Scott decided to embrace the idea of an intimate ceremony with just each other. Their ceremony took place on the veranda of the Red Horse Inn in Landrum—right off of Scenic Highway 11. I had seen photos of the inn on Instagram, but when I walked up to the ceremony site, I couldn’t believe how beautiful the view from the mountains was. Their voices were the only sound breaking the silence around us.
After they signed the marriage license, we got to meet Phinney, the venue’s mini pig. We were given Cheerios to feed him and his tail wagged just like a dog’s! After we took some photos around the venue, we went to their cabin, where they cut their beautiful cake. One of their cake flavors was almond, which is one of my favorites, and a flavor I never see anyone else have at their wedding. We had to take a few photos with their dogs, Brie and Beamer, who were waiting for them at the cabin.
To finish, we drove about 5 minutes down the road to take some more of their wedding photos at Campbell’s Covered Bridge. This beautiful red bridge is the only remaining covered bridge in the state, and there’s some beautiful tall grass nearby. After we said goodbye, Heather and Scott had dinner together and enjoyed the rest of the perfect fall weather with each other and their dogs.
Check out some of my favorite photos from this beautiful South Carolina mountain elopement!
Vendors:
Venue and florals: Red Horse Inn
Officiant: Raya Jackson
Hair and Makeup: Kapelli Salon
Cake: All Good Things
Photo: 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 47 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 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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Station Cove Falls | Lauren and Christian
Lauren and I connected through a local hiking group, where she saw pictures I took of a couple at Carrick Creek Falls. She said that she and her husband didn’t have photos taken on their wedding day and would love to have some done together. I asked her if she had anywhere in mind, and she told me the place that was at the top of my bucket list: Station Cove Falls!
Lauren and Christian were married in front of the waterfall six months ago, with a few of their family members as witnesses. In the middle of an October with otherwise perfect fall weather, it poured the whole day. A lot of the trail had flooded, and they had to choose a different rock to stand on for the ceremony itself.
A few days after their wedding, I took the trail for the first time and it went on my bucket list for places to take pictures. There are a few reasons why I like this trail:
You can safely take a lot of different pictures with the main attraction.
It’s an easy trail, so it’s less likely that the couple would be sweaty or exhausted in their photos—or worse, you have to turn around before you get to the good part.
It’s a short trail, so we could plan to be at the falls when the lighting is optimal and still be off the trail by dark.
It’s not too crowded, especially on weekdays.
There’s enough of a variety of pictures we could take here—it’s not just three hours of hiking with one spot that’s pretty.
Eventually, we decided to move their session from the evening to the morning because there was a high chance of thunderstorms in the evening. It was so quiet, aside from some running water and birds singing. A dog ran up to us at the waterfall, shook water all over us, and dropped a giant piece of wood at our feet and waited for us to throw it.
One thing I love about sessions with waterfalls is how loud the water is once we’re right up in front of it. We end up shouting to each other and making gestures, and it always makes us all laugh. We found the spot where Lauren and Christian stood where they said their vows, but we also made sure to get pictures at the spot they wanted to say their vows before they knew how much water would cover it.
Enjoy the photos from Lauren and Christian’s session!
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 being outside, but we also love being at home and watching Pixar movies on the couch.
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!