Photos with your Dog

The idea for this blog post may or may not have come from wanting to blog the first photos I took of Athena. Although I worked in a kennel in college and I’ve had plenty of people bring dogs to their sessions, I don’t have any experience in actual pet photography, so taking pictures of Athena was a new challenge for me. If you want to include your dog in your photos, here are a few tips!

Have realistic expectations. Most of the pictures will either have your dog sitting, standing, or walking. The pictures you saw on Pinterest where the dog is posing with your or holding a sign might not be feasible for a puppy or for an easily excited dog.

These photos were taken when Athena was 8 weeks old and we’d only had her for a few days. She was really excited to be out in an open area, and I was lucky to even have a few pictures of her sitting still.

Bring a helper. There will be photos that don’t include your dog, and there aren’t always places in sight to tie a leash. Your dog might not want to stick around the entire time either, so your helper can take the dog home. 

Keep the dog on the leash. This might even be a rule for certain locations. Having your dog on a leash minimizes the chance of running into a dangerous situation or an unpleasant encounter with another human or animal in the area. I know Athena isn’t on a leash in some of these photos—there was absolutely nobody around and we were far away from the woods or the road, so she couldn’t run anywhere unsafe before we could catch her.

Choose a time and place where you would be unlikely to encounter other people or animals. For example, a session at Clemson on a weekday in June would be safer than the Friday before the homecoming game. This ties back into #3: the dog is less likely to be distracted or have an unpleasant interaction with someone. Even if your dog is friendly, whoever your dog approaches might not be. 

Bring doggy bags. Nothing ruins the moment like realizing what you just stepped in. It’s something Athena likes to eat right now, which means I have to get it out of her mouth with my hands, and it drives me crazy! As new puppy owners, we’re also learning about how not picking up after your dog can spread all kinds of awful things to other animals. Keep the ground clean for us and for whoever comes through afterward. 

Bring water. Athena is really good about drinking water, but if she can’t get to her bowl, she gets squirmy and whiny. Keep your dog comfortable! 

Check yourselves and your dog for ticks afterwards. A tip I learned from the kennel is to keep a Dixie cup of rubbing alcohol next to you and drop the ticks into it as you pull them off. Otherwise, they could run away and you risk having them come back to you. 

Dogs, as well as any animal who’s close to your heart, are always welcome as long as they’re supervised and they won’t harm anyone or anything. I’ve had one session with a chicken and one with a snake, and I’m up for pretty much anything else! Click here to contact me about setting up a session!

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Tips for Wedding Gifts

So much planning goes into the wedding day, but what about all the gifts you’ll end up taking home? What should you put on the registry and how do you keep it under control?  Here are some of the things we found helpful and some issues we can help you avoid!

Ask for frames or gift cards to somewhere you know you can buy them.

You’ll want prints from your wedding day to hang up, but you need frames in order to make that happen.  Either find a set that you like or ask for a gift card so you can pick them out based on the pictures you like best.

Think about what you currently use and what you don’t.

It’s no secret that I use a ton of lemons, so I put a lemon juicer on our registry.  Two, actually; a small handheld one and a larger electrical one for juicing a whole bag of lemons at a time.  My former roommate saw them on the registry and knew right away what to get us!  If you’re not as into lemons as I am, or if you don’t cook much, this might just take up space in your kitchen for a while. In that case, it might be better to leave it off the registry and focus on things that better fit your needs.

Don’t forget the bare necessities.

We spent a few days moving to a new apartment.  After the first day, we were exhausted, but realized several things we needed that day were either still at the old apartment or were provided by my former roommate.  We had to make a trip to get things like toilet paper, paper towels, soap, a kitchen trash can, trash bags, and paper plates.  Those little things added up and I did NOT feel like making that trip.  I had later gotten some of those things as gifts for my bridal shower—sure, it’s not as elegant as the gifts on our registry, but we went several months without having to buy those things.

If you’re making a big move right after the wedding, you might want to consider leaving stuff like that off your registry so they don’t take up space in the moving van.  Instead, you can make a list of things to buy right when you get to the new home.

Have a range of prices on your registry.

People will have different budgets when buying your gifts. There will be things you absolutely need that are under $5, like some of the bridal shower gifts I just mentioned.  One of our friends asked us if there was anything we really wanted that wasn’t on our registry, and I showed her this $7 Clemson ring dish that we love!  It’s also a really useful gift for the kitchen and bathroom.  On the other hand, you might have guests who come team up to buy a higher priced gift that they know you really want.

Make the registry together.

Dan and I were living in different states for most of our engagement. He made the registry and put a lot on it before I took a look at it.  Let’s just say I’m glad we replaced the bedspread he put on the registry before anyone bought it!

Update your registry periodically.

This is especially important after a bridal shower.  Sometimes people don’t mark that they’ve purchased something and you end up with duplicates.  If you return something, delete it from the registry so it doesn’t get marked as something you don’t have.  I think this is how we ended up with 7 of an item when we asked for 3.

Consolidate your gift cards.

On some sites, like Amazon and Target, you can load all your gift cards into your account at once.  If you plan to use a lot of them in person, have a designated box for the ones that haven’t been used yet.

Think outside the box.

My friend had her soon-to-be husband opened gifts with her at the bridal shower.  As they opened more and more kitchen items, he joked about how he was waiting for there to be a Lowe’s gift card in there.  We ended up giving them one at the wedding, and they said in their thank-you note that they ended up using it pretty quickly.  When it was our turn, we found the same—we used up the Lowe’s cards within the first few weeks of living together.

Ask for Visa gift cards if you’re travelling internationally for the honeymoon.

This is especially helpful if you have a layover in a country that doesn’t accept currency from your destination or your home country. 

Think about a Honeyfund.

This is where people can give money for you to spend on your honeymoon!  Check it out here.

Make sure you have a plan for how your gifts will get home.

This is especially important if you’re going straight to your honeymoon from the sendoff.  Dan and I left for our honeymoon two days after our wedding instead of the next day, so we had time the day after the wedding to get our gifts from our friend’s car.  If you have a roommate or a friend who has a key to your house, they can bring everything inside for you, and you can treat them when you get back from the honeymoon.

Write a list of gifts as you open them.

Writing everything down as soon as you open each gift helps keep track of who to thank for what. We took the list with us on the honeymoon so we could write thank-you notes at the airport.  It helped keep us busy when our layover was extended by 5 hours!

Ask for stamps.

Between invitations, save-the-dates, thank-you notes for the wedding and bridal showers, and Christmas cards, you’ll need a lot of stamps in a year.  Bonus tip: take your address list for wedding invitations and add to it every time you send out Christmas cards.

Order stationery and return address labels in bulk.

We made our return-address labels through Shutterfly and just reprinted the order on Black Friday so we could use them for Christmas cards.  I already had stationery, but if you don’t, be sure to either ask for it on your registry or get some yourself before your first bridal shower.

I hope this is helpful as you start planning for your new life together!  Check out some of my other posts below:

Sunny vs. Cloudy Days

Where to Take Engagement Photos in Upstate SC

Eloping in South Carolina

Planning Your Proposal

First Look or No First Look: What to Consider

The decision of whether or not to have a first look can have an impact on how you feel throughout your wedding day.  Almost every wedding vendor I know or follow insists that everyone should have a first look, but I think a lot needs to go into making that decision.

What is a first look?

A first look is when you and your almost-spouse have your pictures taken together before the wedding instead of not seeing each other until ceremony.  Traditionally, couples have their wedding pictures taken after the ceremony, which is often attributed to the idea that seeing each other beforehand is bad luck.  Here are a few things to consider when deciding whether this is a good fit for you and your wedding day.

What’s the timing for the day?

If your ceremony is close to when it gets dark, you might want to consider a first look so you can have natural light for your pictures.  If your ceremony and reception are at different venues, there may be a big gap between when you finish the ceremony and when the reception starts, so you might as well make use of that time!  If your ceremony is early in the day, having a first look means you’ll have to have your hair and makeup done earlier (and therefore wake up earlier).

Where do you want to go?

If you really want your pictures to be somewhere that’s not close to the venue, having a first look will give you more time to get there and back without missing your reception and time with your guests.  If you want to stick around the venue for your photos, your guests will still be nearby.

Are you already seeing each other that day?

Some couples see each other the day of the wedding, but they don’t want to see each other dressed up until the ceremony.  If you know you’ll wake up next to each other that day, is it worth it to be apart for so much of the day?  You decide!

How will you feel?

The moment you see each other across the aisle is one that you’ve probably waited for your whole life.  Many married couples say that having a first look did not change that moment for them.  If you think you might cry, think about whether you want that moment to be while everyone’s watching or while you two are alone.  A lot of people who think they’ll be nervous on their wedding day choose to do a first look so they can find comfort in each other and be more relaxed before the ceremony.  If you don’t do a first look, you’ll take your wedding pictures in those exciting and relieving first few minutes of finally being married!

What could happen before the ceremony?

Are you worried about getting your dress dirty before you walk down the aisle? Do you want to stay hidden from all your guests until they see you at the ceremony? Would you rather not risk being late to your own ceremony? It’s all up to you!

I hope this helps you make the decision that’s right for your wedding day! As always, I’m happy to help you decide—send me an email to tell me your thoughts so far!

Miss Clemson University 2020 Portraits | Mattie

One of the things I love about being the photographer for the Miss Clemson University pageant is seeing how each contestant represents the school in her own way.  There are women representing sororities, teams, and all sorts of campus organizations.  Not only that, but it’s a more relaxed pageant environment for the people who have never competed before, and each competitor is being cheered on by the other members of the organization she represents.  This year, the talent portion included dancing, singing, piano, chemistry, painting, sign language, and a monologue.  Mattie came out on top of the talent portion with a jazz dance to River Deep, Montain High by Céline Dion, and took home the crown that night!

Mattie represented the Clemson tour guides when she was crowned Miss Clemson University.  Yes, you could have a campus tour with Miss Clemson University!  She is also a member of Alpha Delta Pi and is one of the Rally Cat dancers.  She is a communications major and an intern with the Pearce Center.  Mattie had competed in pageants when she was younger and decided to give this one a shot.  Now, she represents Clemson and all the people who make it the wonderful place it is!

Mattie’s session was on a perfect spring day with a handful of trees turning pink or white.  She wore an electric purple evening gown from Mackenzie Jade, an orange jumpsuit, and her Rally Cat uniform during the session—all equally amazing for representing Clemson.    We made our way through campus, from Daniel Hall to the outside of Death Valley, and even got a few photos with the Clemson mural that was painted downtown last year.  We ended the night watching a stunning sunset from Library Bridge, and we snuck in a few cool photos of her crown with it!

Check out some of the photos from my fun evening with Mattie!

Want photos that show you at the best university ever? Read more about my portrait services or check out some of my other work from around Clemson below!

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Where should you take engagement photos at Clemson?

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I shoot a lot at Clemson. It makes sense, considering I graduated from there and my husband and I had our proposal, engagement session, and wedding there! I’ve shot there in every season and can tell you what trees to look for in January, April, and November. Want pictures inside Death Valley? I know when it’s open to the public. If you want a ring shot in purple and orange flowers, I know where and when to do that. If there’s a building on campus that’s special to you, there’s a good chance I’ve taken pictures of someone there before. While I have a general outline that I follow with all the essentials—Tillman, Sikes, Reflection Pond, Carillon Bell, and outside of Death Valley—every session is unique and there are different parts of campus that mean something to different people. Here are some of my favorite places on campus that you might not have thought about.

Daniel Hall

I spent so much time in this building as an undergrad and considered it one of the ugliest buildings on campus. I had no desire to have my graduation pictures there. At some point, though, I realized how much I love the ivy and the lattice outside one of the entrances.

Downtown Clemson

The place where you probably hung out on Friday nights and watched a lot of away games together on Saturdays.

Botanical Gardens

This one gets its own post so you can see all the beautiful places in it and how it looks at different seasons! One thing I love about Clemson is how well you can see the hard work of the staff and students who study plants.  I always find something new when I visit the Botanical Gardens!  I was born in Arizona and I have a soft spot for cacti and succulents, so we’re lucky to have a spot with them here in South Carolina. Also, how gorgeous is this pier?

President’s Park

This one may seem obvious because of the legend behind it, but do you know what else makes this the perfect place for a proposal? Since it’s one of the only places on campus with an outdoor covered area, you can still plan to be there whether or not it’s raining. Here are some pictures from proposals I shot on a sunny and an on-and-off rainy day. Also, the bushes bloom so beautifully there in April!

Places Outside Death Valley

As much as I love the days when the stadium is open to the public, it’s only at certain times, so I have to get creative with what to do at the other times.  The porch of Stadium Suites gives you the whole stadium in the background and I love the view you can get from outside some of the gates!

Lake Hartwell

Since Lake Hartwell is not part of the main campus, it’s easy to forget about. If it’s cold outside, nobody will be at the lake, making for a more intimate and peaceful session. The reason I love the rowing center is because of the paw on the docks, but the lake is accessible from some of the off-campus apartment complexes as well.

Lee Hall

I was surprised nobody had ever asked me for a session here because I think this building is so cool! I thought it’d be even cooler if we went after the sun went down and creatively used some flashes.

Sunflowers

I haven’t seen this in a long time and I’m not sure if they even have it here still, but the Student Organic Farm had a few rows of sunflowers that are nice and tall. You can even color coordinate with them like Tori and Michael did!

Sikes Hall

It’s not exactly overlooked, but it’s one of my favorite places on campus to take pictures. Not only do I love the steps and pillars here, it becomes one of my favorite backgrounds when it gets cold.  When the tree in front of Tillman loses its leaves, you get Sikes and Tillman in the same picture.

Ready for your Clemson engagement photos?

I’m Christine (Scott) Gow. I graduated from Clemson in 2015, where I was active in the photography club. I met my husband for the first time in Schilletter Dining Hall and he proposed to me on top of Clemson House. We were married at the Madren Center in 2017 with plenty of purple and orange to go around!

Taking photos for Clemson couples has a special place in my heart, but I also love showing other people around this special place. I love the Clemson family, the school’s commitment to sustainability, and how much the horticulture and architecture shine across campus.

I’d love to be part of your story at Clemson!

South Carolina Botanical Gardens and Clemson University Engagement | Presley and Logan

April

This engagement session is for an extra special couple. When Dan and I were at Clemson, we were part of Alpha Phi Omega, or APO, the service fraternity. Dan’s assigned little was a pledge named Logan, who quickly became one of our closest friends. Eventually, Logan was assigned a little, a pledge named Presley. Logan and Presley quickly became friends and eventually became a couple later that year.

APO formal is traditionally when each new member presents their big with a paddle they’ve decorated and each big presents their newly-initiated little with a stitched letter shirt. Presley was unable to attend formal in April, so she and her little planned to do the exchange a few days later. Her little, Hannah, suggested it might be fun to wear dresses and do the exchange somewhere pretty on campus and take some pictures. Presley wanted to come up with another plan when the forecast said it would rain, but Hannah convinced her that they could go to President’s Park and take cover under the rotunda if they needed to. As another APO brother took their pictures of them on his phone in front of the rotunda, he told Presley to turn around. She turned around and thought he was telling her to get out of the way of someone’s pictures, not realizing that the person with the camera was me with my hood on and that I was actually there to take pictures of her. He told Presley to turn around again, where she saw Logan, who had told her he was at work. He got down on one knee with the ring and Presley said yes!

November

Fast forward to a few minutes after Clemson beat South Carolina for the sixth year straight. It was the last day of November, but none of us were cold. Presley and Logan had chosen outfits that fit the location perfectly as it transitioned from fall to winter. We met up in the South Carolina Botanical Gardens for the first part of their session. We had JUST missed the peak foliage, but there was still plenty of fall color for us to find in the gardens. I loved the way the leaves on the ground added to the whole atmosphere. The new pier at the duck pond is so pretty and we had to get some pictures with it! I picked up all sorts of things that had fallen on the ground to set up for their ring shots. We then did a quick run through the main campus until the sun went down. After the sun went down, we headed over to Lee Hall to see what we could do with those huge glass windows at night.

Check out some of my favorites from this beautiful day!

Ready to take some photos of you and your favorite Clemson Tiger? Send me a message to get started, or check out some of my other work from around Clemson below!

Clemson Elopement | Katie and Matt

Clemson Bridal Portraits

Where to Take Engagement Photos at Clemson

Clemson Proposal and Engagement

Sawyer Family Farmstead Christmas Session | Noel and Graham

Two years ago, I did engagement photos in Falls Park for my friends Noel and Graham. It was the first weekend of December, so we got to have fall leaves and all the joy of downtown Greenville being ready for Christmas: two things Noel absolutely loves. Long story short, they had to change their wedding date, and I already had a wedding on the one day they could get the venue they wanted. We had talked for about a year and a half after that about doing another session—we talked about Charleston, Lake Lure, a vineyard in the mountains—but life happens and this session just wasn’t panning out. 

In September, I shot a wedding with FamZing at Sawyer Family Farmstead. Not only is it a gorgeous Christmas tree farm, it has an incredible view of the mountains of western North Carolina and the lake. I was in love and needed a reason to shoot there again! I texted Noel the next day and told her I found THE place to do their photos—I knew how much she loves the mountains, water, and Christmas, so I knew she had to see this place. I sent her some pictures and we set a date. 

The day finally came for us to go to Sawyer. It was sunny and the temperature was cool enough to know it was fall without being too cold. The farm was getting ready for everyone to start coming in to find their trees, so there were Christmas decorations everywhere! The cats supervised us through the session, but didn’t like looking at my camera. I got the most beautiful light coming from behind them when we were in the middle of the Christmas trees.

I like to start my sessions where there’s more shade and end it where I’ll get the most light as the sun goes down. In this case, we would start in the area more surrounded by trees and end at the pergola on the hill, which overlooks the mountains and the water. Noel kept gushing about how gorgeous the place was and I kept telling her, “We haven’t even been to the best part yet!” Not only was the view from the hill breathtaking when we got there, we were in the perfect place to see the sunset. I felt like we kept doing the same poses because the sunset kept getting cooler with each picture I took! 

On a side note, how perfect are these outfits for this location? I love a good red and green color scheme! I’m so happy we finally got to have another session together and that we were able to make it work at such a beautiful place. Check out some of my favorites from this wonderful day! 

Clemson University Engagement | Ann and Joe

I first met Ann on the night of Miss Clemson University in 2017. It was my first time as the pageant photographer and Ann was one of the pageant co-directors. A few months later, I did Ann’s graduation portraits around campus. As we were talking that day, we found out that she and I are both from Virginia and her sister-in-law now teaches at my high school! 

Ann and Joe met while they were students at Clemson. While they were at a brewery in Virginia (about 45 minutes from where I grew up), Joe proposed in front of a beautiful view of the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains. Isn’t the band on her ring so pretty? 

Since Clemson is where so much of Ann and Joe’s story takes place, it only made sense for them to have their engagement photos there! We met on the first weekend in November, right when the leaves started to change. We started at Lake Hartwell, which was silent on this cool fall morning, making this part of the session so peaceful and intimate. We progressed to the Esso Club, a popular spot in downtown Clemson, especially to watch away games. They were in town for the weekend to see a home game, meaning that if we did the session the next day, we could go into the stadium. We hit all the iconic parts of campus and got some pretty yellow trees around Sikes Hall and President’s Park. I will always love an engagement ring with two Clemson rings, especially with Ann’s gorgeous engagement ring and some of the first leaves from this fall. 

Check out some of my favorite photos of Ann and Joe from this gorgeous fall morning around Clemson! We’re so lucky to have such a gorgeous campus to use for commemorating our stories.

Vintage Portraits with Lauren at Furman

Who else loves all things vintage?  I love the clothes, the music, the hair and makeup, the movies, and any combination of them all.  I chose my wedding dress because it reminded me of Grace Kelly’s dress in Rear Window, and I used a picture of Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina for my makeup.  Lauren posted on Instagram about how much she loves Old Hollywood, and I don’t know a lot of people who are as enthusiastic about that as I am. She specifically mentioned Singin’ in the Rain, which happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time. We just had to pick the perfect vintage outfits and go hang on lamp posts like Gene Kelly. I love spinny dresses and black and white, but Lauren paired it with yellow pumps and a dark pink scarf (which we almost forgot to use).

We set a date to go to Furman and it happened to have cooled off quite a bit after a long stretch of unbearable heat. Lauren had never been to Furman’s campus before, but I had shot there a few times and knew it had so many beautiful spots to offer. From the fountains to the lake to the gazebo in the rose garden, it did not disappoint. The sun gave the prettiest glow in all the right places too!

At the last minute, I thought it would be cool to bring my grandpa’s camera. It would just be a prop because I don’t have the right film for it right now, but looking through it makes everything look like old film photos. I looked up his cameras that I had to figure out which one would have been around in the 50s. I found out that this one happens to be the same model that Colin Creevey has in Harry Potter! 

We had so much fun with these photos and we hope you love them too!  Check out Lauren’s photography and art at Art à la Lauren.  Also, if you’re interested in dressing up like Old Hollywood stars and taking pictures, I’m so down, so let’s set a date.

Want photos like these?

Camp Pinnacle Wedding | Lindsay and Tim

After doing Lindsay and Tim’s engagement photos at Clemson this past spring, I was so excited for their wedding! They held the wedding at Camp Pinnacle, where Lindsay’s dad used to spend his summers when he was in school. With a quiet lake and willow trees, it was a beautiful place to celebrate love. The reception was held in the camp gym, which I never would have guessed was mostly used as a gym because it looked so elegant.  Since it was late September, we had the lush green of the summer without as much of the heat. The deep red color scheme was perfect for this time of year and looked gorgeous with the rest of the venue. 

The ceremony took place in the camp amphitheater with a floral arbor in front of the lake.  Their mothers read from Colossians and Bob Marley.  Lindsay and Tim followed a Celtic tradition of tying their hands together to symbolize their eternal commitment to each other.  Lindsay walked down the aisle to Here Comes the Sun and she and Tim left the ceremony to All You Need is Love—I’m always happy to see Beatles songs included in weddings!  Their family and friends--more than just the father of the bride, maid of honor, and best man—all had wonderful things to say about how much they love Lindsay and Tim.

You can feel how happy Lindsay and Tim are in these photos—they’re so smiley and Tim was fist-pumping so much throughout the day.  Check out some of these sweet moments and the vendor team behind this gorgeous day!

Venue: Camp Pinnacle

Photographer: Christine Scott Photography

Assistant Photographer: Simply Marie Photography​
Dress:  The Savvy Bride Boutique​
Officiant: BeLoved Ceremony
Florals: Flowers by Larry​
Hair and makeup: BLOW Salon Studio​
DJ: Carolina DJ Professionals
Event rentals: Event Rentals, Inc

Bartending: The Perfect Mix

Black Balsam Knob Adventure Elopement Styled Shoot

Mark and Carolyn from Story Bright Films invited me to join them and their dog, Rocket, an adventure elopement styled shoot at Black Balsam Knob in western North Carolina, about two hours from the Greenville area.  Six months earlier, Mark and Carolyn did the wedding video for Clarin and Bobby, the couple who got dressed up and came with us to the mountains.  Clarin and Bobby had considered eloping for a long time.  They loved the idea of their marriage being just the two of them coming together before God in the middle of natural beauty, with hardly anyone else around for miles.  They ultimately decided to go the more traditional route and share the experience with their families and friends, but they said that being part of this shoot made them feel like they also got to have the fun and intimacy of eloping.

Elopements are such an interesting subject because there are so many differing viewpoints of what they are.  We often picture people going on a vacation and making hasty, life-changing decisions without telling their families.  We also might picture people spontaneously gong to a courthouse and “making it legal” without any sort of celebration.  While these do happen, an elopement is often like a typical wedding, just without guests.  A couple who elopes may tell their families years in advance that this is their plan.  The bride may still have a bouquet designed for her, a professional hair and makeup artist, and her dream wedding dress.  The ceremony may follow the same outline as a church ceremony.  While saving money is a factor in some couples’ decisions to elope, others might pay for plane tickets and lodging for themselves, their favorite photographer and videographer, and someone special to officiate the ceremony in a picturesque destination.  Some couples even have a reception when they come home so they can still celebrate with their families and friends.

Our first stop was Dill Falls, which involved being on a gravel road in the woods for a while before finding the trail.  Clarin was standing in the water in some of these photos with the current pushing her dress around—sometimes adventure involves getting wet and dirty, although I’m pretty proud of myself for not getting my socks wet as I climbed up to the waterfall. Even though parts of the day were scheduled to have an 80% chance of storms, it only sprinkled twice for a few minutes while we were shooting.  In one of the photos, you can see Clarin and Bobby looking up, realizing they were feeling rain and not just the waterfall behind them. 

Our next stop was the balsam forest.  We concluded that it would look like a setting for a fairy tale if it was sunny, or Narnia if it was snowing.  That day, it looked a little like Halloween as the rain clouds set in.  I actually got cold there, even though it was August.  Mark and Carolyn set up a picnic for Clarin and Bobby and they told us about their story as a couple, what they loved about their wedding, and why they were so excited to be part of this elopement shoot.  We didn’t see a single person the whole time we were in there!  We then hiked up to the mountain right as the sun rays came through the clouds, which weren’t too high above us.  I wanted to take all the photos in one spot because it was such an amazing view! After getting some photos of a massive spray of champagne and slow dancing as the sun went down behind the clouds, we headed out to Brevard for an amazing dinner at Square Root (which is also dog-friendly) before heading home.

Your wedding is your special day.  It’s up to the two of you whether to celebrate with 300 people you love, or just by yourselves.  But remember that it’s possible to have both experiences, just like Bobby and Clarin did.

Clemson Proposal and Engagement | Tracy and Lawrence

Every once in a while, my friend Tracy will ask me about doing a session with her.  She was Miss Clemson University, then she graduated from Clemson twice, and we’ve done a few just for fun.  This time, it was Lawrence reaching out, telling me he was planning to propose to Tracy and he wanted me to be there.

Tracy and Lawrence had come back to South Carolina for a wedding.  Lawrence caught the garter.  They headed to Clemson for Sunday brunch and took a walk around campus.  They walked through President’s Park, where the superstition says you’ll be together forever if you walk through there holding hands.  The two of them walked hand-in-hand down the path until Lawrence stopped and got down on one knee.  I wasn’t actually close enough to hear him pop the question, but I saw a long hug and a kiss.  After Lawrence told Tracy to turn around to see me in the bushes (not being sketchy at all), I pointed out the tape I had put on the ground for Lawrence to stop.  We went inside so they could be in the air conditioning and share the news with their parents.

Lawrence had perfectly coordinated his outfit to complement the dress Tracy had packed, knowing there would be an engagement session that day.  Since it’s summer, we had the campus almost to ourselves.  We went back to President’s Park so I could take pictures of them actually walking through it, since I was behind a bush until the end of the first walk.  We came back through all the places where I’d done Tracy’s pictures for Miss Clemson University and her graduation years before.  The fountains were on at the reflection pond, which always makes the pictures there look cooler. 

These two made a 95-degree session at 11 AM so worth it!  Check out some of my favorites!

All About Wedding Cakes

Today’s blog topic is CAKE! There’s no denying that my love of cake comes from my mom, who spent years making wedding cakes in Charlottesville, Virginia. Am I biased about her making the best cakes? Maybe, but there’s no denying how good they are and how much she knows about them. My mom, Maureen, is answering some of the questions you might have about looking for a wedding cake.

My mom made my perfect 7th birthday cake from strawberry cake mix and a cake pan shaped like Ariel. Since my birthday is close to Christmas, there was one year when she made little gingerbread houses for my friends and me to decorate at my birthday party. As the years went by, she began to pursue baking professionally, working for people who trained at some of the best culinary programs in the world and making cakes completely from scratch with the best quality ingredients. Many years after making my Ariel cake, she made a Little Mermaid-inspired wedding cake with a cascade of handmade fondant seashells. She went from working all day on gingerbread houses for my birthday party to spending weeks helping make a huge, award-winning gingerbread house. She is a certified chocolatier and her work was featured in Martha Stewart Weddings. We hope this helps you with your cake decisions for your wedding day!

Little Mermaid cake, 2000

Little Mermaid cake, 2014

What’s your favorite thing about cakes?

My favorite thing about cakes is unlimited flavor combinations and design ideas! It's a privilege to be a part of one of the most exciting days of their life. It's a thrill to work alongside other talented vendors. Delivering a cake is exciting because when I arrive, other exciting things are always happening too. The florist is working their magic, the tables are getting set, the DJ or band is setting up, the smell of the food is in the air...it's just a fun and happy time! You can feel the excitement.

How did you get into doing cakes?

Since I was a little girl, I've always had a love of sweets and baking. 

What’s one thing you think everyone should know when they start thinking about their wedding cake?

I believe a wedding cake should be about the couple's taste and personality. I always suggest they not copy a cake they've seen somewhere else. Use it as an inspiration to come up with something personal to them.

What are some ways a couple can save money on a wedding cake?

The more handmade decorations that are put on a cake, the more the cake will cost. Handmade flowers are very time consuming. A cake frosted with buttercream is less expensive than fondant. A cake done with buttercream can have an smooth finish and fresh flowers and still be quite elegant and more budget friendly. 

Can having different cake and filling flavors add to the cost?

Yes. First, it adds to the cost of the ingredients. Second, it takes more time to scale out three different cake flavors than it does to scale out one flavor in a much larger  quantity. An entire wedding cake of a single flavor can be baked at one time at the same temperature. Different kinds of cake or different flavors may bake at different temperatures or have a different method. This can add quite a bit of time to bake all of the cakes.  Making separate fillings such as curds, ganache, jams, and flavored buttercreams are all delicious, but add to the cost as well.

What should couples consider if they’re having an outdoor wedding?

The type of cake, filling, buttercream, and decorations would have to be taken into consideration for a summer wedding. I would want to make a buttercream cake that is refrigerated as long as possible and delivered to the venue as late as possible. Naked cakes may be a better choice on a hot day and decorated with fresh berries or flowers. Sometimes an option other than a cake is more practical, like pies, cookies, or a dessert bar. Wedding cakes can be kept indoors until it’s time to cut the cake, but it’s always best if the cake stays in one place.

What are some alternatives to wedding cakes? 

I've seen couples who actually do not like cake at all. They've chosen to have pies or a dessert bar.

What’s the biggest misconception about wedding cakes? 

The biggest misconception about wedding cakes is that they have to be a white cake with vanilla buttercream. While that is traditional, most people pick creative flavors and have multiple tiers with different flavors.

What are some unique cake flavors you’ve made?

Cake flavors can be inspired from everywhere! Ice cream flavors, cocktails, childhood desserts that grandma used to make...I’ve done red velvet with strawberry and lavender, an Earl Grey tea chocolate cake, and bananas foster with bananas, vanilla, rum, and caramel. Kathryn (Christine’s sister/Maureen’s daughter) had a whole bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon in her 21st birthday cake.

What makes cake artists different from each other?

Our couples make us different from each other! When trying to make a cake unique to each couple, we discover new techniques and flavors inspired by them. Some bakers are known for their use of color, painting or airbrushing. Some bakers are known by their creative flavor combinations or sculpted cakes.

What are some trends you see with cakes and what's more classic?

A three tiered round cake is classic although it can be personalized with color, flavors and decorations. Wedding cupcakes have become very popular but still not as popular as the single wedding cake. Naked cakes and tall cakes are the newer trends I've seen.

Where can people learn more about wedding cakes?

I encourage couples to look at as many pictures of cakes as they can from Instagram or Facebook or just by Google. They will start to see a trend in the style that they like that will inspire their own cake unique to them. 

You may also like:

Lake Keowee Wedding | Erika and Jameson

Erika and Jameson had an intimate wedding celebration with gorgeous views of Lake Keowee and the mountains behind them.  We started with some portraits beforehand along the water at the Lighthouse Restaurant (a beautiful restaurant where Dan and I had our rehearsal dinner) before the dark clouds rolled in.  We quickly headed to the park, and when there was a little break in the rain, they walked out to the lake for their ceremony.  Afterwards, they cut the wedding cake that Erika’s aunt made for them, picked out koozies, and played cornhole with Clemson boards and beanbags.

I loved how Erika and Jameson valued having their families come together on this day.  When I first met Erika, I could see how much she loved Jameson’s son, Brantley.  He was in almost as many pictures as the bride and groom.  He walked down the aisle with Erika and stood with them during the whole ceremony.  When Erika and Jameson said their vows, Erika made a vow to Brantley as well.   I loved having this sweet boy in some of their wedding portraits and getting his seal of approval on the others!

Check out some of my favorite photos we got right before the storm came through!

Charlottesville, VA Wedding | Katherine and Anthony

After their freezing cold engagement session more than a year earlier, I was so happy to see warm weather and clear skies for Katherine and Anthony’s wedding day!  Their wedding ceremony and reception were held at University Baptist Church in Charlottesville, the church Katherine grew up in, right around the corner from the University of Virginia.  Katherine’s sister and brother-in-law officiated the ceremony, which included some of their favorite hymns and readings.  There were so many thoughtful and homemade items that came together wonderfully for the day, like their floral arrangements and the bracelets Katherine made for her bridesmaids, mother, and sisters.  Katherine’s mom made the scarves that Katherine and Anthony wore for their engagement session, then she made the veil that Katherine wore on her wedding day!  Katherine’s “something blue” was her shoes, which were such a cool pop of color when her dress moved.  I was so excited when Katherine told me that their color scheme would be navy and light green—it’s a color combination that I love and don’t see a lot, which is part of the reason why I use it on my website. 

This wedding was unique for me because I've known Katherine since kindergarten. Our first of many marching band performances was in 7th grade in the Dogwood Parade, an annual parade in late April, named for the state tree of Virginia. Coincidentally, as all these alumni from our middle and high school marching band came together for the wedding, the Dogwood Parade was happening a few blocks away.  It was the perfect excuse to take advantage of the dogwoods blooming next to the church for some portraits and detail shots!

Check out some of my favorite photos from their wedding day!  Also, shoutout to Melissa for being my awesome second shooter for the day!

Revel Wedding | Tori and Michael

Just like their engagement session in July, Tori and Michael’s wedding day was the perfect temperature with no clouds in the sky.  Their families and friends gathered at Revel on a Monday afternoon in April to see them become husband and wife. 

I knew when I first met with Tori and Michael that some of the details of their wedding would be a little different from what I’ve seen before, and all the details were so unique and well-coordinated when I saw them in person. They had a yellow and gray color scheme; the bridesmaids wore gray maxi skirts and the groomsmen wore yellow suspenders and bow ties, all with black Converses.  Tori’s long-sleeved lace and tulle gown was straight out of a fairy tale wedding, with a cotton crown she made herself and yellow Converses to match Michael’s—the same ones they wore with their black and white outfits at their engagement session. Instead of bouquets, Tori and her bridesmaids carried lanterns with cotton and string lights inside.  The tables had cotton centerpieces and their favorite yellow candies.  For the reception, they picked out breakfast food, because “who doesn’t love breakfast food?”  As a couple who met during Governor’s School and graduated from Clemson, they had all of their rings present for their detail shots.  Their “guest log” was cut from an actual log where all their guests could sign.

You could see that Tori and Michael were so happy for this day to finally be here.  They were so smiley for their portraits, which makes it easy for me!  It’s been so much fun to be part of their engagement and their wedding day over the past year or so. 

Venue: Revel

Photographer: Christine Scott Photography

Dress: Carolina Bride and Groom (sleeves added by The Perfect Fit)

Caterer: Chef 360

Everything else was made possible by family and friends.

Bleckley Inn Wedding | Katrina and McKenzie

The one snow day we had in Greenville all winter just so happened to land on the day McKenzie wanted to propose to Katrina.  The exciting night out he’d planned for the proposal quickly turned into a night in, so he had to think of a new plan quickly.  He put on “Millionaire” by Chris Stapleton and asked Katrina for a slow dance in the living room.  When the song finished, he told her that it was a good time to celebrate.  When Katrina asked what they were celebrating, McKenzie said, “our engagement,” and got down on one knee with this gorgeous vintage-looking engagement ring. 

Katrina and McKenzie’s intimate wedding was on a perfect April day at the Bleckley Inn in Anderson.  They made each other laugh during the ceremony and they had me laughing so much during their bride and groom portraits!  We took some photos out in the courtyard and some others in this little alleyway with flowers and string lights.  Katrina wore a gown with lace sleeves and an off-the-shoulder V-neckline, like a gown out of a 50s movie.  She also had these princess-looking shoes and the garter her mother wore on her own wedding day.  Many of the items they used were handmade, including their engraved tree-like ring box, McKenzie’s feather bow tie, and the succulent décor at the reception.  Katrina and her mom made and designed the decor themselves and set it up with the help of some of their family and friends. All three of their rings are so unique—McKenzie’s wedding band is made from meteorite! 

Thank you Katrina and McKenzie for letting me be part of this beautiful day!

Venue: The Bleckley Inn

Dress, Veil, and Shoes: David’s Bridal

Florals: Wedding Flowers for Rent

Catering: The Bleckley Inn

Officiant: Upstate Wedding Officiant

Decor: designed and created by Katrina and her mother

Invitations: Shutterfly

Cake: Publix Bakery

Arbor and Curtains: Event Rentals

Topper: Adore Your Door Decor

Wedding Favors: Classic Cactus

Succulents: Succulent Cuttings 4 U

Acrylic signs: Sweet NC Collective

Welcome sign: Timeless Accessory Inc

Suspenders: Dochriste

Bowties: Glamour Wedding Shop

Event Rentals: Arbor & Arbor Curtains

Ring Box: Trees 2 Art

Clemson Engagement Session | Lindsay and Tim

Lindsay and Tim met through the engineering program at Clemson.  They became friends when they both had their engineering co-op with the same company and they started dating not long after that.  For their first date, they went paddle boarding on Lake Hartwell, right outside their apartment community.  While they were on a ski trip to Colorado, Tim proposed to Lindsay on a horse-drawn carriage!  How sweet is that?

Since Clemson is such a special place for Lindsay and Tim, they decided that was where they wanted to do their engagement photos. They came down from Charlotte with their sweet puppy, Ray. We started down by the stadium and worked our way through the main part of campus.  Since legend has it that walking hand-in-hand through President’s Park guarantees that you’ll be together forever, it’s pretty much a milestone in any Clemson couple’s relationship, and we had to get some pictures in there.  This session wouldn’t have been complete without going to Harts Cove and taking some pictures at the docks on Lake Hartwell, where they had their first date.

Since the students were on spring break, the campus was nearly silent for a Friday evening, making this session more peaceful and intimate.  It was the perfect spring day; the temperature was in the upper 60s, the sky was clear, the trees were pink and white, and there were so many colorful flowers in front of Tillman Hall. The bigger trees were still bare enough for that glow you only see in the winter, and to show Tillman Hall in the background when we were at Sikes Hall.   

Enjoy the photos from this beautiful spring evening!  I can’t wait for their fall wedding in the mountains!

To see more Clemson engagement sessions and other work I’ve done around there, visit my Clemson page. 

Anna | Miss Clemson University 2019 Portraits

Just a few days before the Miss Clemson University pageant, Anna was on the sidelines with the rest of the Rally Cats dance team as Clemson won the 2018 College Football National Championship. After a super cool Michael Jackson jazz dance, the most picturesque entrance in her evening gown, bringing in the most ad sales, and taking home the philanthropy award, Anna was crowned Miss Clemson University 2019.  She represented Alpha Delta Pi. Not only does Anna come from a family with lots of Clemson Tigers, her great-aunt was the very first Miss Clemson College in 1962!  

We chose the first date that we knew the football stadium was open to the public.  It was the middle of February, but we were lucky that this was a 60-degree day in the middle of an otherwise cold and dreary month.  We took photos all around the parts of campus that are close to Anna’s heart, including the stadium and Fort Hill (John Calhoun’s mansion), where her grandmother used to be a tour guide.

I was able to use the time Anna was changing outfits to do some detail shots with her crown and sash, as well as the adorable crown box from Crown Couture that came with them.  I even got to use her Rally Cat poms for a few shots!  One of the last shots we took was the one I’d been thinking about for weeks: in front of the bleachers that said “Clemson” with her gown floating behind her.

I had such a fun time with Anna and her mom on this perfect day, and I can’t wait to hear about Miss Clemson University’s adventures over the next year!  I hope you love Anna’s Miss Clemson University portraits as much as I do—she was so much fun to have in front of my camera!

Ready for a portrait session at Clemson?

Choosing Your Married Name

It’s actually a pretty big decision and I don’t know why I’ve never read a blog post on it. I never heard anyone talk about this, and I never thought to talk with anyone about it, maybe because everyone has such different views on marriage in general and what different name change options would say about you.  Even when you Google “name change after marriage,” the whole first page is about the process of changing your name and not what to change it to. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would have benefitted from reading something like this.

I initially didn’t like the idea of changing my name. This is what I had been called my whole life. I didn’t want to be called something else just because I made the decision to get married. Changing my name would mean having to update everything from my driver’s license to my Amazon shipping information to my paperwork at my job. I really didn’t want to go through all those processes, in addition to having to update pretty much everyone I knew.  The reason I did change my name was because I wanted our eventual family to all be under one name. “The Gows” wouldn’t include me if my last name was Scott or Scott-Gow. People wouldn’t know to associate me with Dan or our future children.  So I eventually decided that I wanted to be a Gow, but what would come between Christine and Gow? 

For other people, there are several factors to consider. I know professors who didn’t change their names so they can still be tied to different works they’ve published. Other professors might marry another professor in the same department and not want to be confused with each other. Some use a hyphenated name. One of my professors made her husband’s last name her middle name instead of the other way around. Some people change their name, but still choose to be known professionally as the name everyone knows. Carrie Underwood, for example, is not known to the public as Carrie Fisher, partially because so many people know her as Carrie Underwood, and partially because she could be confused with Princess Leia.

After deciding what your last name will be, you have to decide what you want your middle name to be. For some people, it’s an easy choice if they don’t like their middle or last name, or if it’s a name that they don’t want to be associated with anymore. I like my middle name and I didn’t like the idea of completely replacing my family name.  Plus, I had Christine Scott Photography going for me, but it would be weird if Scott wasn’t part of my name anymore.  I don’t think I really knew what I wanted my middle name to be until over a month after I was married.

This brings me to the legal process of name changes, which can vary by state.  In South Carolina, you can change your middle and last name to reflect your spouse’s name after becoming legally married.  Based on those rules, my options were Christine Laureana Scott, Christine Scott Gow, or Christine Laureana Gow (side note: Laureana is pronounced Laurie-Anna and it was my great-grandma’s name).   Somehow, I got away with making “Laureana Scott” my legal middle name without anyone questioning me. I don’t know what my plan would have been if I’d been told that wasn’t allowed or if I didn’t have enough space on the form. Another side note: that’s a very long name and kind of a pain when you have to write your full name on stuff.

Here’s where it gets complicated: if you don’t go by your first name, you will need a court order to legally change your name to the one everyone calls you.  This applies to people who go by their middle names, their last names, a nickname, or just another name they’ve chosen for themselves.  According to the South Carolina Legislature’s website, “A person who desires to change his name may petition, in writing, a family court judge in the appropriate circuit, setting forth the reason for the change, his age, his place of residence and birth, and the name by which he desires to be known,” as well as a series of background checks and an affidavit.

If monograms or initials are important to you, that’s something you’ll want to think about before making a legal name change. Remember the Big Bang Theory episode where they name their teams “Perpetual Motion Squad” and “Army Ants,” not realizing what the acronyms would be on their shirts?  Or what if your initials don’t spell anything, but your monogram does?  As for initials, I always thought “Christine S” sounded weird, maybe because it was rare for me to need to be distinguished from another Christine, so “Christine S Gow” sounded weird to me too. The only times I see “Christine L Gow” are in places like my bank account.  My signature is “Christine L Gow” because that’s what my credit card says and my signature is on the back.  On a side note, Dan and I recently realized that the “G” looks different in our signatures. His G looks like the one on the General Mills logo and mine looks like the one on the Goody hair accessories logo.

There are online services that will automate the process for you. I considered this since the DMV here wasn’t open when I wasn’t at work, but I read some negative reviews about the online services and decided I didn’t want to risk my legal name getting messed up.  I read that you’re supposed to go to the social security office before the DMV, so that’s what I did once I had a day off work.  I believe I was required to bring my marriage license and two forms of ID, which can include your driver’s license, your passport, your social security card, and your birth certificate.  I got there right when it opened and there was already a huge line across the front of the building.  I had some photography work to do, so I brought that with me in anticipation of a long wait.  The wait at the social security office was actually longer than the wait at the DMV, but I was able to sit down right away at the social security office.

I hope this has provided some insight to you as you get ready for this big change! Check out some other wedding inspiration below: