greenville south carolina engagement

Sunrise or sunset?

The best natural light happens within the hour after sunrise or the hour before sunset. Depending on the time of year, the sun rises in the upstate between 6:15 and 7:30, and sets between 5:20 and 8:45. I usually have my sessions closer to sunset because people tend to not want to be out at sunrise, but I’m usually open to either one. 

How you decide whether sunrise or sunset is the better option for you? 

Where does the scenic view face?

You’ll want the view behind you, but you also want the sun behind you for more flattering lighting and more colors in the sky. The sun rises over the water on east coast beaches and it sets over the water on west coast beaches. One example in the upstate is Pretty Place Chapel vs. Caesars Head. They overlook the same area, but they face different directions. Pretty Place will have the sun rise behind the cross, and Caesars Head will have the sun set behind the overlook. 

Do you want people there?

If you want to avoid crowds, it’s usually better to wake up early and get there before people are usually out. If you want other people there with you, like your family and friends, it might be easier for them to get there at sunset. 

Temperature

The outside temperature tends to be cooler at sunrise and warmer at sunset. If you want your photos on a mountain, the cool air in the morning might be too much in the colder months. There could also be ice at higher elevations, which is more likely to form overnight and still be there in the morning. For a summer beach session or an elopement that involves hiking, sunrise might help you beat the heat. 

Clouds

Sometimes in the mornings, the clouds are lower. At higher elevations, this might mean you don’t see the views down below, but it could also look really cool. 

We arrived to the park right when it opened, which was about an hour after sunrise. Nobody was at the overlook except for us, we were above the clouds, and Leah and Jacob got to spend the rest of the day celebrating being engaged! Read More

Timing

A sunrise session gives you more time to spend the day together later, while a sunset session gives you more time beforehand. If you want to have your hair and makeup done or head to a barbershop before having your photos done, you might have better luck with scheduling that before a sunset session. If you want to get married and spend the rest of your wedding day adventuring, sunrise might be a better option for you. 

We had this overlook all to ourselves and the background looks like a painting!

What if I can’t do sunrise or sunset?

It’s not impossible to get good photos midday, but the light isn’t as easy to work with, so it’s harder to get what you want in the background with flattering light on your faces. If midday is the only time you’re available, we can work it out. I typically pose people with the sun behind them, but if that’s not where the pretty background is, I try to have one person block the sun on the other, or I have them face the side so their eyes aren’t in the shadows. The sky tends to be bluer, but the background may be overexposed. Here are a few examples of photos I’ve taken midday to help you get an idea of how they’re different.

I hope this helps you decide what time of the day is the best option for you! Click here to set a date and time with me, or read some of my other posts below!

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Planning Your Proposal

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

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

Spring engagement photos at Clemson University.png

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Clemson university engagement photos | Christine Scott Photography

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

See More

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

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

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

Engagement photos at South Carolina Botanical Gardens

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

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

Proposal at Clemson University | Christine Scott Photography

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

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

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

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

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

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Lake Keowee Proposal | Connor and Jess

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Dan and I had hiked the Raven Rock Trail at Keowee Toxaway State Park back in February.  We were looking for a lesser known trail with a pretty view.  When we got to the overlook, I immediately asked why more people don’t post pictures from there.  Well, you can imagine how happy I was when Connor told me that’s where he planned to propose to Jess!

Jess and Connor had been friends since high school, eventually becoming a couple.  They share a love for the outdoors and have hiked some really cool places together.  Eventually, Jess gave Connor a ring she had fallen in love with years before, holding onto it until she knew she found the person she wanted to be with for the rest of her life.  When Connor and Jess were spending the week at Lake Keowee, Connor suggested hiking the Raven Rock Trail, a place he loved to visit growing up.

As Connor and Jess made their way through the trail, there were bags hanging from the trees.  Each bag had a gold bow, a rose, and a scrapbook page with pictures of them together.  Once they reached the overlook, there was a picnic set up with wine, cheese, and pepper jelly.  There was a scrapbook on the picnic blanket for all the pages to go into.  Around the wine bottle was a necklace chain with the stone from the ring Jess had given Connor.  After Connor put it around Jess’s neck, he proposed to her with the ring with a new stone in it.  She says she was so overwhelmed that she couldn’t even remember whether she said yes, so Connor popped the question again a minute later so she could answer.  Not only was this a beautiful view of the lake at golden hour, there was literally nobody else on the trail the entire time, making this such an intimate proposal.  Their first “congratulations” came from a boat horn down below! 

Shoutout to Connor’s brother and brother’s fiancée for setting up everything beforehand and for hiking the first half of the trail with me!

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

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