USC Alumni Center Wedding
Shyla + James
Columbia, South Carolina
I have been traveling a lot for weddings lately. A lot more than I was expecting actually, but for some reason, Columbia was always one of those cities that always eluded me. Despite being fairly close to Greenville, I rarely get a chance to work in Columbia. So of course, when Shyla and James told me their wedding venue was at the USC Alumni Center in the heart of downtown Columbia SC, I was very excited! But it wasn’t all about visiting the city of course, Shyla and James are a wonderful couple together, and I just knew their wedding would be a blast. Ever since the first time we met in person at their engagement session, I have been looking forward to their eventual wedding day.
There is always a bit of mystery involved when I photograph a wedding in a new location, but this time it was different. The USC Alumni center was not just new to me….it was also a new wedding venue. But with a USC Alumni center wedding, I knew I would be less than a third of a mile away from the SC Statehouse. I am so glad Shyla and James made special arrangements to make it down there for photos – it’s really the little things that really make the memories when it comes to photographing a wedding. And Shyla and James’ day was definitely one to remember.
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Shyla and James used the Hilton Columbia Center hotel to get ready, and I am so glad they did. It really makes things so much easier to have the getting ready portion take place in a hotel that is right next door to the venue. And having the groomsmen and bridesmaids in the same hotel meant I could move back and forth between them without missing a moment. Shyla was a hyper-organized bride, and she thought about everything. Definitely made my job easier, and I couldn’t have been happier with how it turned out as a result.
After the ceremony, held at the USC Alumni Center, we took a quick party bus ride to the SC Statehouse. When we arrived, there was a concert going on out front, and tons of people. The week before, I was in Washington DC and ran into some major problems with crowds of people getting in the way, and I really wanted to avoid the crowds if possible. Luckily, when we drove around, we noticed the back was almost completely empty, but had the same beautiful views. I have never been more thankful for a bride and groom who knew the area so well, and who stuck with the plan when the unexpected happened.
Finally, it was time for the reception. This is where Shyla and James could finally let go of all the wedding day stress and start celebrating! And what a celebration it was – first dances, traditional and non-traditional dancing, and….a lip sync battle? That was definitely a first, and possibly one of my reception ‘intros’ I’ve experienced so far. All in all, it was a great day with a great couple…I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to spend my Saturday with.
Thank you for tuning in for Shyla and James’ beautiful USC Alumni Center wedding! It turned out to be a perfect day, with an equally perfect group of people to share it with. Congratulations to the happy couple!