Proposal in Downtown Greenville, SC | Jordan & Noah

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

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

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

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

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

Ready for the best day ever?

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

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

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Engagement at Caesars Head | Amber and Logan

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ready for the best day ever?

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

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

I can’t wait to meet you!

Engagement at Pretty Place | Barbara and Christian

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

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

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

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

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

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

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

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

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Central Park Portraits | Christian and Tommy

I did a mini-session in Central Park on the 4th of July with my cousin Christian, his husband Tommy, and their puppy Asta!

Dan and I were planning to visit with Christian and Tommy in New York in April of 2020, which obviously didn’t happen. It’s all good because we got a puppy that week and we love her soooooo much. Over the next couple of years, we traveled a good bit for weddings, and a lot of things in New York took a long time to reopen, so we didn’t make it up there for 3 more years. I told Christian and Tommy we could do photos somewhere and they suggested Central Park, which made me so happy.

If you’ve never been to Central Park, it’s a lot of purposeful green space in the middle of the concrete jungle. In some of these photos, you’d never even know they were taken in New York City! I hadn’t been to Central Park since I was 15, before I started photography, so I didn’t have a lot of places in mind. I told them I’d seen photos of a pretty staircase and found out the name was Bethesda Terrace, which was even prettier in person! It was the morning of the 4th of July, so even though I expected a lot of people to be there, people in New York tend to not be out and about until later in the morning. I only had to do edit a few people out of the background.

Christian and Tommy adopted a puppy a few months ago and named him Asta, after the dog in the old film, The Thin Man. Asta had never been to Central Park before, so he was super excited. Luckily, Dan was with me and could make noises and hold treats to get Asta to look at the camera. We only did a short session so Asta wouldn’t get too overwhelmed, but we covered a lot of ground in that time. For more tips on taking photos with your dog, click here.

Enjoy these photos of Christian, Tommy, and Asta in Central Park!

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

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

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

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

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Table Rock Engagement | Hannah and Brandon

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ready for the best day ever?

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

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

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Pretty Place Engagement | Emily and Andres

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

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

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

I can’t wait to meet you!

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

Harry Potter Engagement at Lake Lure | Alivia and Blake

A Harry Potter engagement session? Count me in!

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

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

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

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

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

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

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

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Downtown Greenville Engagement | Maddi and Ryan

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

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

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

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

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

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

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

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

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Falls Park Proposal | Jen and Joe

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

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

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

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

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

Ready for the best day ever?

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

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

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Engagement Photos in Falls Park | Krissie and Peyton

Krissie and Peyton are engaged!

They went to high school together in Illinois and started dating in college. Eventually, Krissie accepted a job in Greenville, while Peyton stayed in Illinois for medical school. One weekend when Peyton came to Greenville, he proposed to Krissie in Falls Park, so they wanted their engagement photos to be in the same place. They will be married in May in Illinois, right after Peyton finishes medical school.

We scheduled their fall engagement photos in downtown Greenville for the day after Peyton came into town. The temperature had just dropped significantly from the day before, giving us a cool, but still sunny, day for their photos. Even though most of the trees had lost their leaves by then, we still had some yellow in the trees and some brown leaves on the ground. I even found some maple leaves on the ground for the photos of Krissie's engagement ring, which coordinated with their burgundy outfits that seemed to contrast beautifully with every spot we found. Krissie and Peyton wanted some photos where Peyton proposed, which was on a rock in front of a smaller waterfall where the Reedy River flows in front of the Grand Bohemian Hotel. Falls Park was busy, but that spot was a lot quieter and more intimate.

After many years of taking photos in downtown Greenville, it's always so fun to hear about the places that stick out to other people because they might not be spots that I'd thought about before. We headed over to the part of the park that runs into the woods, past the Medusa tree and towards the Governor's School. It's really shady there and there's a tiny waterfall with some beautiful stone steps. We also really liked the stone bridge with the ivy on it, so we took some photos there. We finished the session over by the Wyche Pavilion and stood at the top of the stairs as the sun set behind the buildings. A beautiful ending to a fall evening.

Check out some of my favorites from Krissie and Peyton's engagement in downtown Greenville, South Carolina!

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

Ready for 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. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

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

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Rock Quarry Garden Engagement | Ashlee and John

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

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

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

I can’t wait to meet you!

Lake Lure Engagement | Andrew and Lindsey

Lindsey and Andrew had been friends since FIRST GRADE and have been together for the last 3 years. Andrew decided he wanted to propose while they were in the Asheville area. He saw my blog post from Leah and Jacob’s proposal at Chimney Rock State Park and reached out to me about taking photos of him proposing to Lindsey in the same spot.

We talked on the phone and planned it all out. I sent him a map with different spots marked and sent him some photos from Leah and Jacob’s proposal to tell him where to stand without being blocked by the fence. We aimed to get there right when it opens so we could have the best lighting and the place to ourselves. We planned everything perfectly!

Except it didn’t work out.

When I got to the park, the staff told me that the park was closed until further notice. Some trees had fallen into the road and taken some power lines down with them. Andrew and Lindsey went into a nearby coffee shop while I parked near the park entrance and watched the cars continue to be turned away. I wasn’t sure how long it would take to reopen, so I sent Andrew a video I had taken at the only other scenic place I knew around there: the Flowering Bridge at Lake Lure. He took a minute to think and decided we should go for it!

The Flowering Bridge is a small botanical garden on the side of the road, just a few minutes away from the entrance to Chimney Rock State Park. It covers a bridge that starts to go over Lake Lure and comes back to the road. Parts of the garden are themed, and you can see Chimney Rock from there.

Andrew decided to propose on part of the bridge that overlooks the water. Lindsey said that it was a perfect spot because she loves flowers. With all the flowers and herbs, it just smelled so good! To top it off, there were tons of butterflies and bees flying around, which Lindsey loves. Andrew remembered Lindsey chasing butterflies back in first grade, when they first met. Lindsey asked me to take a photo of them on her Polaroid that she brings everywhere with her, so they immediately had one photo to take home.

Even though this wasn’t at all what we planned, we’re all happy with how the day went! Check out some of my favorites of Lindsey and Andrew’s engagement at the Flowering Bridge at Lake Lure!

Read more about Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, and if you’re looking for a photographer, read about my elopement services and my 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

Greenville, SC Proposal | Destiny and Pat

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

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

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

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

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

Ready for the best day ever?

Photo by Shehzad Ziaee

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

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

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

Falls Park Proposal | Miah and Stone

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

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

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

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

Ready for the best day ever?

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

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

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

North Carolina Mountain Engagement | Amy and Brock

Amy and Brock first met at CrossFit when they lived in Louisiana. They moved to South Carolina a few years ago when Brock started grad school, and they’ve have hiked some beautiful places together. They were engaged on a snowy day at Max Patch. Brock proposed with a ring made from his grandmother’s diamond!

Amy and Brock knew their engagement photos HAD to be at this one summit in Linville Gorge Wilderness. When we got to the summit, it was so easy to see why! There were 360 views that were just beautiful in every direction, and to top it off, there were pink flowers in bloom EVERYWHERE. We felt a few raindrops, but never for more than a few seconds. We saw in the distance where it was raining though. Right before the sun went down, it came through the clouds just enough for us to have some beautiful light. Someone at the summit said it looked like Amy and Brock were in a Disney movie. When we lost the sun, another group reminded us that the Blood Moon was happening that night, so we got to see a little of that before the clouds covered it up.

This trail was a bit steep, but Amy and Brock were well prepared. Amy wore the shorter dress to go uphill; the other one would probably make her trip and get muddy before we started taking photos. They dressed in layers so they could change in the trees at the top. Amy brought a cordless curling iron to touch up at the summit—that humidity was intense! They both decided to wear Chacos instead of boots because they could change into nicer shoes more quickly. After the sun went down, they changed into more comfortable hiking clothes, and we hiked back to our cars with headlamps. All the little details came together perfectly!

Amy and Brock will be married later this year in Louisiana with a few of their close friends and family members. Check out some of my favorites from their engagement photos in Pisgah National Forest!

Do you want an engagement session that looks like this? Click here to get in touch, or check out some of my other posts below!

How to Elope in South Carolina

Choosing Trails for Your Photos

Upstate SC Engagement Photo Ideas

Sunrise or Sunset?

Georgia Mountain Engagement | Madeline and Frankie

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

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

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

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

Ready for the best day ever?

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

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

I can’t wait to meet you!

Planning Resources

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!

If you’re looking for a photographer to take photos at Table Rock State Park, read my blog post about Table Rock, then read more about my elopement services and my engagement services!

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 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!

For more information on Pretty Place, this post is for you. If you’re looking for a photographer, read about my elopement services and my engagement services.

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