Erika + Derek
Greenville, South Carolina
Do you remember Derek and Erika from their engagement session? They are good people…fun to be around, fun to work with, and fun to photograph. They have this one-of-a-kind look in their eyes when they are focused on each other that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. When they look at each other, you can watch their entire world melt away around them. You can literally see it happen, and that’s how I instantly knew these two were perfect for each other. They are the kind of people who you want to sit and enjoy a beer with while they talk about their lives together. I really wanted their wedding to be the best possible experience for them, because they deserve nothing less. So it killed me a little to see every wedding photographer’s worst nightmare pop up on the day of their wedding – Overcast skies, and just enough off-and-on rain to muck things up but not enough to be interesting on it’s own. And with a location like Pretty Place Chapel (AKA Fred W Symmes Chapel), I must admit I was a little bummed for them.
But Erika and Derek’s wedding was full of surprises. Theirs turned out to be that perfect mix of luck, location, and time that wedding photographers dream of. Have you ever been to a wedding at Pretty Place Chapel? The weather is…unpredictable at best. But the upside to the unpredictability is the chance of seeing something truly spectacular, which is exactly what happened. Their ceremony literally took place in a cloud. At points you couldn’t see 20 feet in front of your face. But instead of being a disaster, it created a completely different dimension to their wedding photos. And after the ceremony, the clouds finally lifted away just in time for their couple’s photos. I could not have asked for a better turnout for such a deserving couple. But enough words, check out some of my favorite photos from their gorgeous Pretty Place Chapel and Green Valley Country Club wedding:
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Reception Venues near Pretty Place Chapel
If you are looking for a reception venue near Pretty Place Chapel, be prepared for a drive – the absolute closest ones are 30-45 minutes away from Pretty Place. This is not a problem of course, but it is something that needs to be planned for ahead of time. Some of the most popular reception venues near Pretty Place Chapel are Victoria Valley Vineyards, Hotel Domestique, and the Table Rock Lodge. This was my first time photographing a reception at Green Valley Country Club, and it is a great choice for a Pretty Place Chapel reception. It is a little further away than the other reception venues listed above, but still reasonable. I hope to get to photograph here again in the future.
Fred Symmes / Pretty Place Chapel will always be one of my favorite wedding venues around. This was my first time photographing here in inclement weather, and although it was a definitely challenge with this much fog, I think it created a unique, otherworldly mood to the images that cannot be replicated anywhere else. As you will see, the clouds lifted just in time for Erika and Derek’s couple’s photos. I could not have asked for a better environment to play around in. This is what makes a Pretty Place Chapel wedding so unique.
We had a full 20 minutes for couple’s photos, which is a dream come true for me. Erika and Derek got a ton of couple’s photos – so many more than I could share here. This makes me happy, and I remember Erika mentioning that the couple’s photos were the most important photos to her. Sometimes everything aligns perfectly!
After that, we were headed back to Green Valley for the reception. And as you all know, I love a good reception. Erika and Derek did not disappoint here. It’s funny, you never really know a group of people until the party gets started. I have very happy to see so much action on the dance floor.
And that’s it! Well sort of, you only get to see about 1/10 of the photos Erika and Derek will receive. But hopefully it was enough to be able to put yourselves in their shoes for a day. Congratulations to Erika and Derek on your gorgeous Pretty Place Chapel Wedding and Green Valley Country Club Reception!
Special thanks to some of the vendors that helped make this day happen:
Reception venue: Green Valley Country Club
Ceremony Venue: Fred W Symmes / Pretty Place Chapel
Reception DJ: Jerry Peeler
Hair/Makeup: Pink Boutique, Inman SC
Photography: Me
Caricature artists: Caricatures by Catherine
Catering:
And since I’m thinking about it, Catherine congratulates you both as well!
These photos, and the accompanying story, are AMAZING! Beautiful work. I love the people, so that only adds to the experience of this. Thank you for posting! It was a joy for me to be with Lee and do her hair!
Beautiful photos for 2 great people!
These are the most amazing wedding photos I have ever seen! Lee – you were a beautiful bride!!!!