South Carolina or Bust! For Jessica & Dustin, this was a destination wedding. They traveled from warm and sunny Cocoa Beach, Florida to the beautiful scenic countryside of the South. I am not sure if beautiful is descriptive enough of their amazing wedding day…more like fantastical magical beyond beautiful! The day itself was so pretty with moderate temperatures, sunny skies which transformed into a perfectly lit evening with a full moon setting in the backdrop. The wedding ceremony & reception were at The Buck Ridge Plantation which is tucked away in the forest of the South Carolina Midlands. Jessica had decided to have a white horse to be part of her photos and was brave enough to get on the horse in her gown…twice. Twice I say because when she first got settled on the saddle, the horse stepped on something and was startled which made him begin to take off. There were a few gasps at what could have been, but Jessica handled it brilliantly by jumping off to only land on her feet without a hint of a scuff on her gown or her for that matter! Bravo Jessica! She was helped back onto the horse and we managed to get some amazing shots!! It was really cute when the horse’s owner was handing Jessica snacks which she managed to give in all one helping. She then told Jessica “Just give it to him one piece at a time or we will be out of food”. We all laughed 🙂 This was a fun experience for everyone, myself included. Dustin and his groomsmen also got to have a little portrait session with the white four-legged beauty, but this time we didn’t need to dismount a startled horse. haha.
There were so many wonderful details at their wedding which just added that extra something to the day. There was a personalized hanger which makes for GREAT images when taking pics of the dress. Each table had a name which was creatively thought out. There was also a table with templates, paper, pens and a basket with instructions on what to do with the paper. The final product will be a personalized quilt with all the heartfelt comments left by family & friends. Later in the night there was another little treat. Jessica’s mom announced that they would be handing out South Carolina Lottery tickets in a pouch labeled “lucky in love”. The night proceeded on with an energetic playlist which kept everyone on their feet! Jessica’s dad even sang an Elvis song for the crowd. I managed to get talked into dancing for a few moments which I am certain looked rather goofy with all my camera gear hanging off me, but it was a fun time for sure.
Both Jessica & Dustin’s family & friends were so wonderful to be around which made us feel so much a part of their day. It really was an honor to be there and I just want to say a huge THANK YOU! Best of luck to you both Jessica & Dustin. I know you are on a journey filled with happiness. Thank you to my second photographer Katie for all your help and creativity, I couldn’t have done this without you.
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Thank you for stopping by!

~lisa