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A Springtime Country Estate Engagement in the South

engaged couple with her in his arms, laughing in the sunlight in a field

Kat and Brad met through a mutual friend and had their first date on May 11, 2013 — your typical awkward first date to the movies — though Kat realized later she had been hearing about Brad for the past 10 years from her hairdresser, who is Brad’s sister! That’s how it works in small towns, after all, and these two grew up only minutes apart from each other in Newberry, SC.

Two and a half years after their first date, they took a trip to New York City. It was Kat’s first plane ride, and she was scared to death, but Brad kept her feeling safe their entire plane ride. As it turns out, he was the one battling nerves! He came prepared for their trip, and proposed to her at Rockefeller Center during the height of Christmas tourism in NYC.

Katherine and I began planning her wedding almost immediately after their engagement. By February, we had checked bloom schedules and weather charts (we are both type A, what can I say), and set aside April 9 for this session. We couldn’t have planned better, because the day was perfect! Not only did the weather cooperate, but Kat’s cousin’s boyfriend was able to offer his grandmother’s country estate for our session location — and don’t laugh at that roundabout way of securing a session location. It pays to know people who know people who know people! 😉

Wisteria and Spirea loose bouquet in an antique sweetgrass basket with Blenham's ginger ale for picnic in the country engagement session
Spirea and Wisteria vines bless us with their fragrance all spring here in South Carolina, and they were lovely additions to Kat and Brad’s engagement session!

Engagement session among a pecan tree lined driveway in SC
When I pulled into this “place in the country” (as Kat described it to me), I immediately realized this was no ordinary field. Mature pecan trees line the winding driveway down to the main house, and this driveway is where we began the session.

Save the date photos in SC with pitbull terrier holding sign engagement photos
Their dog Kilo joined us to remind guests to “save the date” for October 2016! He was such a good boy (shout out to Eva for rustling a bag of treats behind me for these photos)!

Engagement session in coral pink dress and blue gingham button down among pecan tree lined drive
Seriously, how nice is this tree-lined drive? I love it for showing off the colorful outfits they started out with!

engagement session among pecan trees in columbia sc
If you’ve followed my blog for any time at all, you know I love to follow up a few serious shots with some laughter! Thank goodness for my awful (but perfectly timed) jokes!

Reflection engagement photo in pond Columbia SC engagement photography melissa brewer
As we walked further down the drive towards the main house and pastures, I had to stop Kat and Brad next to this pond for a reflection photo.

engagement photography on country estate near columbia sc
I love how the late afternoon sun coming through the trees frames the couple in this shot. It’s one of my favorites!

macro ring shot on dogwood branch dogwood blossom
Among spring’s blessings are the Dogwood blossoms, and I love how Kat’s ring sparkles perched on this Dogwood branch.

romantic engagement photos outdoors in woods fields pastures picnic
Past the first set of pastures, Kat and Brad changed outfits, and we photographed them resting for a bit in a gorgeous shady, wooded area.

Engagement session with dog in a field on a farm in SC
Kilo joined us again for more portraits, but he was much more content to supervise the cows on the other side of the fence! He’s such a handsome pup, though, and I love how he cooperated for us!

Engagement session in a field on a farm with gorgeous early evening magic hour light
By this time, the light was beyond gorgeous. I probably shot 50% of their session in this 30 minute period of time just to get as much out of the gorgeous early evening light as possible!

close up engagement portraits of closed eyes laughing and ring
These guys are just perfectly meant to be, can’t you tell? I love these close up shots with her beautiful ring, and them relaxing together.

I adore this shot. Kat, you are so lovely!
I adore this shot. Kat, you are so lovely!

The sun, the wildflowers, their outfits (inspired by my style guide)...it all came together beautifully.
The sun, the wildflowers, their outfits (inspired by my style guide)…it all came together beautifully.

engagement photos in a field on a plantation with her in his arms kissing and laughing
This last set of photos was the ideal way to end Kat and Brad’s session.

engaged couple with her in his arms, laughing in the sunlight in a field
I was wrong before, THIS is my favorite shot from the day!

Magic hour engagement photo with him kissing her hand close up on the engagement ring with her smiling in the background
And with that, our fun day on a country estate was over! Brad and Kat, thank you for the wonderful afternoon, and I can’t wait for bridal portraits coming up very soon!

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My First Wedding Comes Full Circle

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  1. Pingback: Katherine's Rainy, Rustic Bridal Session - Wedding Photographer in Columbia, SC | Melissa Brewer Photography
  2. Kelly says:
    April 21, 2016 at 8:29 pm

    Beautiful work, Melissa! I love these photos and that location is amazing!

    Reply
    1. Melissa Brewer says:
      April 25, 2016 at 6:26 pm

      Thank you so much, Kelly!

      Reply
  3. Lorin Fairweather says:
    April 20, 2016 at 4:56 pm

    Such incredible light!! Where “in the country” is this, Melissa??

    Reply
    1. Melissa Brewer says:
      April 25, 2016 at 6:27 pm

      Lorin, this was up in Gray Court, which is literally a one-stoplight town past Clinton. I love that my couple had this area available for us to use!

      Reply
  4. Megan says:
    April 20, 2016 at 3:14 pm

    Gorgeous! love the colors and your use of light!

    Reply
    1. Melissa Brewer says:
      April 25, 2016 at 6:27 pm

      Thank you so much, Megan!

      Reply
  5. Sarah G. says:
    April 20, 2016 at 2:35 pm

    Just lovely!

    Reply
    1. Melissa Brewer says:
      April 25, 2016 at 6:28 pm

      Thank you, Sarah!

      Reply
  6. Bill Grant says:
    April 20, 2016 at 2:05 pm

    Wow. Awesome location. I’m starting to just love the look of good ole country. Great job.

    Reply
    1. Melissa Brewer says:
      April 25, 2016 at 6:28 pm

      Thanks, Bill! It takes a great location like this to fall in love with the country, I think. I definitely want to shoot here again!

      Reply
  7. Jessica Hunt says:
    April 20, 2016 at 1:57 pm

    Goodness, this light is SO dreamy! I love how she wore such a stunning dress for this. Great work, Mel.

    Reply
    1. Melissa Brewer says:
      April 25, 2016 at 6:29 pm

      Thanks, JHunt! It’s so awesome when clients follow the style guide I send them 🙂

      Reply
  8. G Lake says:
    April 16, 2016 at 1:39 am

    Great pictures and lovely couple!

    Reply
    1. Melissa Brewer says:
      April 25, 2016 at 6:29 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
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Kidding! You should definitely have a floral budge Kidding! You should definitely have a floral budget, and I have 4 great ideas on how to use it best.  Whether your wedding is $80,000 or $18,000, everyone has a budget, so I hope these tips help you get the most out of yours!

1.) Go big or go home! If your budget is limited, focus on big focal pieces instead of trying to have flowers everywhere. Opt for show-stopping installations in one or two places (ceremony backdrop or head table at reception are great spots). Here’s why: floral budgets are a quantities game. If you have 20 tables and 15 bridesmaids, you’re going to spend your entire budget on centerpieces and bridesmaid bouquets! Instead of spreading it all out and having just a few blooms in bud vases, go for an epic floral installation!

2.) Mix it up! Opt for a variety of centerpieces instead of having a standard centerpiece on every table. Even my most luxury wedding clients tend to choose 2-4 types of centerpieces, because this brings more visual interest, depth, and and layers to the space. This will also give you more flexibility in your budget!

3.) Reuse smartly. So many wedding planning tips will tell you to re-use your florals throughout the day, but I recommend talking with your florist first, to see what they recommend. Some flowers wilt very quickly, whereas others are resilient enough to go from bouquet to centerpiece. The season, your venue’s logistics, your event design, and other factors will determine whether your flowers can be used throughout the day in different roles. Your florist will be able to guide you here!

4.) Ask your florist if they have any additional blooms or greenery that can be used for detail flatlays. Flowers are great for elevating your flatlay designs, and often, there are no loose stems for your photographer to use. Just about 6-10 stems are all we need!
As the previous post says, I had too many photos t As the previous post says, I had too many photos to fit in one post, so let me share just a handful more. Maybe I’ll share every week and call it Tuscan Tuesday or something! 🤔
There’s something extra special about an al fres There’s something extra special about an al fresco wedding celebration in the rolling hills of Tuscany. Surrounded by olive groves, ancient villages, and loved ones from around the world, Bailey & Mattia enjoyed a relaxed (and delicious) wedding day in Cortona, Italy. These photos don’t even begin to put a dent in how many photos I adore from this day, but Instagram only allows for 10, so I’ll have to share more at a later date! For now, excuse me while I manifest another Italian wedding 😉
If you have literally ANY women in your life at al If you have literally ANY women in your life at all, then you are lucky enough to know someone strong, courageous, loving, and MAGICAL. Here’s to every fantastic woman out there. May we know them, may we raise them, may we BE them. Y’all already know: the future is female!
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About
Portfolio
Weddings
Engagements
Branding
Contact
About
Portfolio
Weddings
Engagements
Branding
Contact
Blog
Oklahoma Wedding with a Twist
Rebecca & Tristan’s Wyche Pavilion Wedding
Hailey & Wes’s Outer Banks Wedding
Reserve at Lake Keowee Wedding
The Graduate Hotel & Palmetto Club Wedding
Springtime Wedding at Westin Poinsett & Furman
Clemson Wedding Moved to Kingstree
Brunch Wedding at Cliffs at Glassy
About Face: 180 Days of Content
Blog
Oklahoma Wedding with a Twist
Rebecca & Tristan’s Wyche Pavilion Wedding
Hailey & Wes’s Outer Banks Wedding
Reserve at Lake Keowee Wedding
The Graduate Hotel & Palmetto Club Wedding
Springtime Wedding at Westin Poinsett & Furman
Clemson Wedding Moved to Kingstree
Brunch Wedding at Cliffs at Glassy
About Face: 180 Days of Content
2023 Copyrights Melissa Brewer Photography
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