Westin Poinsett wedding photos | Gold Ballroom Reception
Ryan + Diane
Downtown Greenville, South Carolina
I had a lot of difficulty writing this post. You may already know why too…and it comes down to what the purpose of these posts are in the first place. They are not a preview or sneak peak, they are a summary of the day itself. After all, Ryan and Diane’s final images are already finished…all 800+ of them. And therein lies the problem…how on Earth is it possible to summarize that much content into a limited-space blog where anything over 50 images makes people yawn and turn the page?
Ryan and Diane didn’t make it easy either. Their wedding was just as exciting and exceptional as they are, and that’s saying a lot. When these two get together, a good time is instantly had by everyone lucky enough to be around them. They don’t currently live in Greenville, so my only interactions before the wedding with them have been over email and Skype. But after spending just 30 seconds with Diane and her bridesmaids was enough to make me feel like I had known them for years. 30 seconds with Ryan, his booming voice, and his general goofery was all it took for me to feel like joining them for bourbon shots. For me, that’s pure gold…candid wedding photography is all about capturing the mood, feelings, and emotions of the day. To me, there is no other purpose to wedding photography than to tell their story in a way that allows them to re-live it in the future as if it happened yesterday. Nothing forced, nothing faked…All the happiness, all the stress and worries, and all the celebrating – that’s what I want to show.
So Ryan and Diane’s Westin Poinsett wedding was both the easiest and most difficult wedding I’ve photographed this year. It was easy because they didn’t hold anything back, and I every time I clicked the shutter was another beautiful moment. And it was difficult because I had to choose just 5% to put here. So check below for some of my favorites from Ryan and Diane’s gorgeous wedding at Furman’s Daniel Chapel and the Westin Poinsett.
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Ryan and Diane both used the Westin Poinsett Hotel for both their getting ready and their reception. It is always a favorite of mine, and it’s easy access and location right in the middle of downtown Greenville makes it a perfect choice for a wedding.
After everyone was ready, it was time for their ceremony, held at Furman University’s Daniel Chapel.
And back to the Westin for the reception. For some reason, every time I photograph a wedding at the Westin Poinsett, it turns into a huge party. A-Ok in my book, but Ryan and Diane’s was especially wild. The fact that it lasted until midnight made me remember why I love all-day wedding coverage so much. It is taxing on the body, but if they had opted for traditional photography coverage, I never would have been able to stick around for any of those crazy reception photos. Ryan and Diane chose to put their time into what is most important to them, something I always recommend to my couples. For them, it was the getting ready portion and the reception – my two favorite things as well. So needless to say, we had a lot of fun that night, and I was happy to be a part of it all.
Special thanks to Next Level by the way – If you want a wild reception, there’s no replacement for a good live band, and Next Level was one of the best I’ve worked with. Congratulations to Ryan and Diane!
Also check out some of the wedding vendors that helped make their day possible:
Reception venue: Westin Poinsett, Gold Ballroom
Ceremony venue: Furman Daniel Chapel
Officiant: Joshua Trammell
Hair and Makeup: Cotton Rouge and Company
Wedding cake: Holly’s Cakes
Florist: Twigs
Live band: Next Level Band