Nina met Ryan met in the “laid-back” surf town of Nosara, Costa Rica. She was a art curator from New York City looking for the simple life and he was a surfer and real estate investor in this off the beaten path paradise. Once on the island, Nina started her own wedding planning business. They have since purchased a piece of land in Northern Columbia and are pursuing their dream of developing an organic, natural resort specializing in unique and “green” weddings.
We knew after hearing about their wedding plans it was going to amazing to photograph! I met up with them the week before the event as Nina and Ryan were busy putting the finishing touches on the decor including: antler chandelier, hand painted signs, a vintage lounge. Almost every detail was created and hand-made including a cake plate that was painted and glued together using a martini glass for the base.
Ryan put the “Southern”finishing touches on his suit choosing a feather bowtie from local Charleston designer Brackish Bowties. These are the coolest accessories for grooms and Ryan decided on the Carolina Copper which is noted by the designer to “guarantee to garner you a heaping amount of attention, with an extra dose of wow factor”. These ties ROCK!
Charleston is well known for its wedding venues, but Old Wide Awake Plantation is one of the most famous as it was the site of Reese Witherspoon’s wedding. Located just down the dirt road is a hidden gem that Nina fell in love with the minute see saw it called Wide Awake Park; I had no idea she would transform it into the beautiful wedding venue you see in the photos, but with her eye and experience it was the perfect venue. As always, I scouted the location well in advance and knew every spot for the best photographs.
The wedding was beautiful and after seeing the style, I knew our post-wedding day shoot at Cypress Gardens was going to look like a Vanity Fair magazine spread. I had a vision for the shoot since last year and went about planning to create the over the head rowboat photograph. Of course, Nina came with her finishing touches and hand-painted “Just Married” sign for the back of the boat-NICE!
We hope you enjoy the photos as much as we did creating them and spending the day with Nina, Ryan and their families.
