Anniversary Photos at Table Rock | Semeen and Shehzad

I spent a perfect spring evening with Semeen and Shehzad right before their one-year wedding anniversary. We took photos at one of my favorite South Carolina parks, and one of my favorite places in South Carolina: Table Rock State Park in Pickens. I love that Table Rock Mountain is so easily recognizable from a distance, and I love that we can take photos with both water and mountains here.

Semeen and Shehzad had met before Shehzad came to the US for grad school, but they stayed in touch from across the world. Over the years, they became very close, and they knew that they wanted to get married and live in South Carolina together. When Shehzad came back to India, he proposed to Semeen. With Covid regulations in place in India, they opted for a small wedding just a week after their engagement so that they could be married before Shehzad came back to the US. As the Covid situation became more complicated, Shehzad ended up not being able to fly back to the US for four months! They made the best of the situation and spent that time adventuring together around India and Europe until they could move to South Carolina.

We originally had a different state park in mind for these photos, but when it was time to go, it appeared this park was already closed for the day. Shehzad suggested Table Rock instead. This is one of my favorite parks and I even had my own family photos there, so I agreed. They decided to have one outfit that was more American-looking and one that was more Indian-looking. Shehzad wore a kurta, which is like a long shirt, and Semeen wore a dupatta, which is like a shawl. I loved the sparkle and color the dupatta added to the photos!

When I first met Shehzad through the photography club at Clemson, he had only lived in the US for a few months. He said he loved taking pictures of the trees in the fall because he had never seen trees change colors before and he wanted to show everyone in India how beautiful it was. When we got to Table Rock, there was a tree with beautiful pink blossoms that I knew I wanted to use in their photos, but of course Shehzad pointed out an orange tree along the water too.

Enjoy Semeen and Shehzad‘s anniversary photos at Table Rock State Park!

Want photos like these? Click here to get started, or check out some of my other work below!

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:

1. You like the idea of celebrating with other people, but still want the privacy and intimacy of an elopement ceremony.

2. 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.

3. 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!

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South Carolina Mountain Engagement | Libby and James

Libby and James were engaged in November outside Williams-Brice stadium! They wanted their engagement photos at Pretty Place, or Fred W. Symmes Chapel at YMCA Camp Greenville. This chapel is right on the North Carolina border in Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, just down the road from Caesars Head State Park in northern Greenville County.

Since this was the one day Libby and James would be in the area and the chapel was closed for an event that evening, I suggested getting there at sunrise to get better light than if we went closer to midday. I had also heard from other photographers that it’s better to be there at sunrise because the chapel faces east, where the sunrise colors are. I was surprised, but happy, when they agreed to get there that early!

Well, apparently Pretty Place is the place to be at 7 AM on a Sunday, and it wasn’t as intimate as what we were hoping for (read: tons of people in the pews facing the exact spot we wanted in the background). We spent about 20 minutes getting sunrise photos there before we headed back down the road. Luckily, our other two locations only had one car there when we arrived! We took some photos at the Bald Rock overlook and in the trees there before heading to Wildcat Wayside for some waterfall photos!

Enjoy the photos from Libby and James’s sunrise session in the mountains of South Carolina!

Does this look like what you and your partner have in mind for your photos? Use the contact button below to send me a message, or check out some of my other work below!

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Choosing a Trail for Your Photos

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!

Ready to start planning? Click here to fill out my contact form and start the planning process!

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Elopement at Red Horse Inn | 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

Does this seem like the perfect way to spend a wedding day? Click here to get in touch so we can start planning a personalized and intimate ceremony!

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Planning Your Proposal

So you two are ready to start planning the rest of your lives together! Going from “dating” to “engaged” is a big step. How do you want to pop the question?

First of all, there’s no right way for everyone to propose. The only thing that matters is that it’s what you and your partner want. It can be as simple or complex of a plan as you want. These are just some steps to make it less stressful.

1. Pick a special place. Maybe it’s a place with a pretty view, and maybe it’s a place where you two share memories together. Think about how many people will be there and how easy it’ll be to access the spot you want.

Karl and Melanie had never been here before, but they heard how beautiful it was and made a weekend trip there. See More

2. Pick a time. The hour before sunset and the hour after sunrise are what we call “golden hour.” This gives us that pretty glow and is the most flattering on your faces. The exact time of golden hour will vary depending on where you are and what time of year it is, but I’m happy to coordinate that with you. Getting the sun behind you will be prettiest, but if that doesn’t work with your plan, we can find a spot in better light.

This proposal was midday because Tracy and Lawrence would be heading home later that day. I got there early and picked a place for Lawrence to stop that was in good lighting. I put a piece of tape on the ground and sent him a picture of my view. See More

3. Decide when your partner will know what’s going on. If you want it to be a total surprise the second you pop the question, then you’ll need to be in a place where I can easily hide. That could either mean finding a hiding place or blending in with a crowd.

For this proposal, there was not a safe place for me to be out of sight. Connor said that was okay because his plan involved Jess knowing earlier in the hike what would happen at the overlook. See More

4. Pick a spot you know you can easily get to. Let’s use the Table Rock summit as an example, because I’ve gotten this request before. And I get it—getting on one knee in front of that overlook would be so beautiful. Physically, it takes a lot for you, your partner, and your photographer (if you have one) to get there, especially in the warmer months, even if you’re experienced hikers. To quote another photographer who has been to this summit, “You will not be cute by the time you get to the top.” If one of us needs to turn around, or if the parking lot is full, we may not be able to communicate that to each other because cell service is so spotty there. It’s way easier if we simplify the plan, especially if your partner isn’t supposed to know I’ll be there.

For places in the upstate that are beautiful, easy to navigate to, and won’t wear you out before it’s time to take pictures, click here. If you were actually thinking about proposing at the Table Rock summit, that post will tell you about similar views and other pretty parts of the park.

The South Carolina Botanical Gardens have a variety of scenery that will change at different times of year. The trails are paved, there aren’t really steep parts, and you don’t have to go far to find beautiful places.

See More

5. Think about what to wear. If getting dressed up will tip off your partner, it’s up to you how to proceed, but keep in mind that they may want to wear something nicer for these photos. If you do choose to wear something nicer, make sure it won’t get messed up as you’re getting to the spot.

I helped Joe pick a restaurant in the area so that he could get Bree to the spot he wanted to propose. He told Bree she should wear something nice that day because they had a reservation at a nice restaurant. See More

6. Protect the ring. How you hide the ring depends on the situation, but some people have found that a ring box doesn’t sit well in their pockets. You could find a smaller box, a different container to protect it, or put the box deep in a bag you’re carrying so it doesn’t get moved.

Believe it or not, you can get desert scenery in the upstate! Click here to see!

7. Leave time to tell everyone. You might not know until after the proposal whether you’ll want to tell your family and friends ASAP or take some pictures first, so leave a little bit of time in case you decide to make a few phone calls.

AC wanted to call her family right away, but she didn’t know until later that Ben had planned to go by her parents’ house, and her whole extended family would be there. Read more

8. Consider the crowds. Are you and your partner okay with having onlookers as you get engaged? If not, consider proposing in a time and place where you might not encounter as many people. People tend to not be awake around sunrise on the weekends. There tends to be fewer people going downtown or to hiking trails on weekdays. Overall, not as many people go outside during the winter.

For this proposal, we got to the park right when it opened. Not only were we getting that just-after-sunrise light and those low morning clouds, we were also the only three people at the overlook when the actual engagement happened! See More

I hope this helps give you some peace of mind as you take the next step in your relationship! Read more about my engagement photo services, and check out some of the blog posts below to get some ideas!

Melanie and Karl’s Proposal at Caesars Head

Where to Take Engagement Photos in Upstate South Carolina

Connor and Jess’s Proposal at Lake Keowee

Bree and Joe’s Proposal in Downtown Greenville

Fill out the form below to tell me your plans so far for your engagement!

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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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View Point at Buckhorn Creek Wedding | Chandler and Will

Chandler and Will were married on a perfect spring day at The View Point at Buckhorn Creek in Greenville, South Carolina! I’m so excited to share the photos from their gorgeous wedding day.

There were so many sentimental parts of this wedding day! Will proposed to Chandler at his family’s lake house in Georgia around Christmas. He gave her ring from the jeweler everyone in his family has used, so I got to have a picture with three of those ring boxes together. Chandler is the sixth person in her family to wear this wedding dress. It was really special to have her mom and sisters help her put it on—three women who wore this dress on their wedding days were helping pass it on to her! Chandler also wore her grandma’s necklace and Will’s grandma’s earrings.

The View Point at Buckhorn Creek is a gorgeous venue near Paris Mountain. It overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains and the surrounding garden is so full of color. Will and one of his friends built the cross that stood at the spot in front of the mountains where they said their vows. Since they had an early afternoon ceremony, the reception was more like a late lunch. Music played through the garden that overlooks the mountains, which made for such a peaceful atmosphere on a perfect spring afternoon! They were given a sendoff of lavender and flower petals.

Check out some of my favorite photos from this day full of peace, color, and laughter!


Vendors:
Venue: View Point at Buckhorn Creek
Catering and ice cream: Good Life Catering
Cake: Strossner’s Bakery
Music: Alie and Trevor Springgate
Officiant: Dr. Brian James
Dress: family heirloom for ceremony, Lulu’s for reception
Florals: Shari Power
Hair: Mika Davis
Groom’s accessories: Brooks Brothers
Bee cookies: Etsy

Looking for a wedding photographer? Click here to read a little more about me and what I do, or click here to get in touch!

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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 this stands out to me from other trails:

1. You can safely take a lot of different pictures with the main attraction.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. It’s not too crowded, especially on weekdays.

5. 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!

Are you looking for a photographer for your intimate and unique wedding? Click here to read more about me and what I do, or click here to get in touch!

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River Road and Jasmine Houses and Gardens Wedding | Madison and Clay

It was so fun to be part of Madison and Clay’s wedding day, nearly a year after we did their engagement photos with light sabers in Greenville!  This is the third wedding I’ve shot for someone in their family, so it was fun to catch up with everyone again!

Madison and Clay met through the art program at Shawnee State University, so between them, their family, and friends, there’s a lot of artistic talent.  Madison made the invitations and helped with the light saber bouquets.  Clay built different light sabers for himself, Madison, and each of the groomsmen.  Clay’s mom made Madison’s veil and comb, their brother-in-law made Star Wars masks for everyone, including Han and Leia for Clay and Madison, and the groomsmen did such a cool job painting the car!

This spring wedding was held at River Road and Jasmine Houses and Gardens in Columbia, South Carolina.  The whole day, they were surrounded by a garden with palmetto trees and flowers blooming.  Madison wore her great-grandmother’s pearl necklace, which was a beautiful and sentimental touch to her overall ensemble.  The boutonnières had the Rebel symbol on them and coordinated with the yellow flowers in Madison’s hair.   Madison walked down the aisle to Leia’s Theme, which made for such a beautiful moment during the ceremony.   Clay, of course, incorporated a quote from Anakin Skywalker into his vows: “Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is essential to a Jedi’s life.”

After the sun went down, we took some photos in the dark with the light sabers, like we did for their engagement session.  You don’t have to be into Star Wars to be impressed with the quality of these light sabers, but if you are, you might recognize some of the different Jedi’s hilts.  Madison wanted hers to be modeled after Leia’s in Episode IX.  (Check out the video Crissie and I took behind the scenes with the light sabers, and be sure to turn your sound on!)

Keep scrolling to see some of my favorite parts of this wonderful day! 

Venue: River Road and Jasmine Houses and Gardens

Dress: Azazie

Catering: River Road and Jasmine Houses and Gardens

Donuts: Duck Donuts

Video:  Matt Bowden

DJ:  DJ Krystyle

Officiant:  From This Day Forward

Hair and Makeup: Studio B at The Old Mill

Light Sabers:  The groom himself (Clayton’s Customs)

Assistant Photographer: Crissie Carpenter

Almost everything else you see here was a collaborative effort between the couple, their friends, and their families.

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Eloping in South Carolina

Overall, the word “elopement” still carries a negative connotation for lots of people. It’s become associated with tackiness, secrecy, haste, and being cheap.  Now, the meaning of the word is evolving, and so is our perception of what a wedding day should be.

However you choose to elope, you deserve the best photos from that day. Read more about what I do and to get in touch!

What is an elopement?

“Elopement” technically means “escaping,” so it became used as the word for running away together to get married.  I recently came across an episode of Fresh Prince where Will and Lisa secretly go to Vegas to elope instead of having a big wedding like they planned.  Even though they didn’t go through with the ceremony in Vegas, Lisa said that she felt she and Will had more of a choice in what their own wedding day looked like.  This still rings true today, even if eloping means something different.

Nowadays, an elopement is just a wedding without guests, and that looks different for everyone.  The thought became more popular in 2020 when large gatherings had to be postponed indefinitely, and people didn’t want to postpone actually being married.

Let’s address some of what you may have heard about elopements.

Elopements are cheap.

Yes and no.  If you have no guests, then you don’t have to pay for a big venue, tables, chairs, place settings, invitations, thank-you notes, favors, centerpieces, or whatever else you might provide for each person in attendance.  Lots of couples who elope still invest in quality wedding vendors, or they might budget for something else, like the dress they’ve always dreamed of, or airfare to get married somewhere scenic.  It’s all about paying for what you value, and that’s different for everyone.

Elopements are secretive.

It’s up to you whether to tell people about your wedding before or afterward.

Elopements are hasty.

Some people start planning elopements years in advance, just like they may for a more traditional wedding.  Others “make it official” after years of being together. Both are valid.

Elopements aren’t as special as bigger weddings.

The biggest pushback for elopements is probably the idea of not having your family and friends there to see you get married.  For a lot of couples, it’s not about excluding people, it’s just about having an intimate experience.  One couple said, “We loved the idea of just the two of us coming together before God in nature.” 

How beautiful is that? 

Some people prefer to exchange their vows without other people watching and listening.  It’s your decision whether or not to be surrounded by the people who are closest to you as you say your vows, and only you know who those people are. 

Logistics of Eloping

There’s a lot that’s possible when you’re not accounting for a large group of people. You may not need to reserve a space, depending on where you choose to have your ceremony and pictures.  Some couples have their ceremony on a mountain or in front of a waterfall, something that’s not easily accessible for other people.  Some choose to do it in a more public space, which is harder to organize with a group of people.  This elopement involved cutting their wedding cake right in front of Clemson’s Death Valley. It was on a whim and that would never work if there were more people than just the three of us.

No matter how you choose to get married, you will still need to sign a marriage license.  This process varies by state.  In South Carolina, you can either sign the papers at the courthouse or have a certified officiant come with you to where you want to have your ceremony.  South Carolina also does not require any witnesses to sign the forms.  North Carolina, however, requires two witnesses.  I can always serve as one.  The other could be your videographer if you have one, or even just someone who happens to be passing by.

For ideas on where to elope in South Carolina, check out this blog post!

What if I like the idea of both?

Maybe you love the idea of hiking to an overlook to say your vows, but you also love the idea of celebrating with your family and friends.  You have a few options:

1.  Split it into two days.  One day can be an intimate ceremony with just the two of you, and the other can be a celebration with your family and friends.

2. Take elopement-style pictures on a different day. Maybe you could get dressed up for an engagement session in a scenic place, or you could have an adventure session on your honeymoon in your wedding attire.

3. Invite a small group of people.  Covid popularized the term “microwedding,” which is pretty much the same thing as an intimate wedding, or a wedding with a small number of guests.  For some people, it’s just their parents, and for others, it’s around 25 people.

For more ideas for having a reception for your elopement, click here.

Just like any wedding, there aren’t really any rules for what you do and don’t need to have.  You can still have professional hair and makeup, a white dress, a catered meal, or a small cake, just like how you don’t necessarily have to include the typical wedding traditions in a bigger wedding.  In the end, your wedding day is up to you and your future spouse.  Maybe it’s a big party with a DJ and all your family and friends.  Maybe it’s a handful of people who are close to you in a pretty place.  Maybe it’s just the two of you at your house.  What does the perfect day look like to the two of you?  Start there.

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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!

Elopement Planning Resources

South Carolina Botanical Gardens Engagement Photos | Courtney and David

My cousin Courtney came to visit with her fiancé, David!  They live in Maryland and stopped in South Carolina on their way to Universal Studios.  We set a date for spring engagement photos in the South Carolina Botanical Gardens and crossed our fingers that it wouldn’t rain in the short time that they were here.   

Courtney and David met while David was studying abroad at a university near where Courtney lives.  They kept a long-distance relationship while David finished school in the Netherlands.  David came back to Maryland for graduate school and Courtney has visited the Netherlands with him twice now.  They plan to be married next summer in Maryland, then have another reception with David’s family and friends in the Netherlands.

I had told Courtney that we’d find at least something in bloom by their engagement photos, since there’s such a variety of plants in the Botanical Gardens that bloom at different times.  I like to think everything bloomed early here just for them.  We were so excited when we left my neighborhood and saw a long row of white trees, which doesn’t normally happen this early in the spring.  That meant that the gardens had to be full of color, and they were!  There was so much pink to go with Courtney’s pink hair, lipstick, and dresses.  It was cloudy most of the time we were there, but the temperature was perfect.

A few of my favorite things about this session include the design on Courtney’s nails (which you can see in some of the closeups), her Harry Potter dress in front of the caboose, and how amazing her hair and makeup looked—shoutout to Leigh and Meagan at Cotton Rouge for doing such an amazing job with that! 

Check out all the pretty colors and laughter from Courtney and David’s engagement session!

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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.

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Ready to have a wedding ceremony that’s super intimate and totally unique to you? I’d love to help you make that happen!

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