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

Springtime Wedding full of Southern Charm in Manning, SC – Brooke & Ryan

First Look on wedding day before ceremony, wedding photographer in SC wedding photography Melissa Brewer charleston sc wedding photographer greenville sc wedding photographer

Brooke and Ryan’s wedding in Manning, SC is one I have been looking forward to since the day I met them at their engagement session! They are madly in love, laugh at all of my ridiculously silly (and sometimes awkward) jokes, and we became fast friends over a mutual love for Bravo’s Southern Charm (my one and only reality TV guilty pleasure). After photographing Brooke’s bridal portraits at Lowndes Grove Plantation in Charleston (see them here), and of course, laughing and discussing Southern Charm even more over dinner afterwards with Brooke’s wonderful mother, I just knew their wedding would include all the small, well-thought-out details that any wedding should. I was not disappointed!

They were wed at First Baptist Church in Manning, which was actually built by Brooke’s grandfather, Norman Gunter Ardis, after a fire destroyed the church in the 1970’s. I had no idea what I was in for as I pulled up to the church, but as soon as I arrived, I knew this church was something special. I have NEVER photographed in such a gorgeous church with such beautiful lighting! That was a huge blessing on this day, since it was about 100 degrees outside, and we needed to keep people in the air conditioning as much as possible before the ceremony.

south carolina wedding with southern charm manning, sc charleston sc wedding photographer beautiful church wedding in south carolina bride getting ready south carolina wedding with southern charm manning, sc charleston sc wedding photographer beautiful church wedding in south carolina bride getting ready mother of bride south carolina wedding with southern charm manning, sc charleston sc wedding photographer beautiful church wedding in south carolina south carolina wedding with southern charm manning, sc charleston sc wedding photographer beautiful church wedding in south carolina Groom's portraits south carolina wedding with southern charm manning, sc charleston sc wedding photographer beautiful church wedding in south carolina south carolina wedding with southern charm manning, sc charleston sc wedding photographer beautiful church wedding in south carolina south carolina wedding with southern charm manning, sc charleston sc wedding photographer beautiful church wedding in south carolina south carolina wedding with southern charm manning, sc charleston sc wedding photographer beautiful church wedding in south carolina south carolina wedding with southern charm manning, sc charleston sc wedding photographer beautiful church wedding in south carolina groom's details brackish bowties south carolina wedding with southern charm manning, sc charleston sc wedding photographer beautiful church wedding in south carolina groom's details brackish bowties south carolina wedding with southern charm manning, sc charleston sc wedding photographer beautiful church wedding in south carolina bride getting ready with bridesmaids floral robes wedding photographer in south carolina south carolina wedding with southern charm manning, sc charleston sc wedding photographer beautiful church wedding in south carolina bride getting ready

Brooke and Ryan opted for a First Look, which I ALWAYS recommend, as it really is the only time of the day that the bride and groom get to be alone! Seeing each other for the first time alone, as opposed to in a room full of friends and loved ones, really helps bring down the nerves of the day so that the bride and groom get to enjoy their wedding day!

First Look on wedding day before ceremony, wedding photographer in SC wedding photography Melissa Brewer charleston sc wedding photographer greenville sc wedding photographer

Just LOOK at this gorgeous hallway! I would shoot in this area of the church forever and ever if I could!

First Look on wedding day before ceremony, wedding photographer in SC wedding photography Melissa Brewer charleston sc wedding photographer greenville sc wedding photographer First Look on wedding day before ceremony, wedding photographer in SC wedding photography Melissa Brewer charleston sc wedding photographer greenville sc wedding photographer

Another benefit of a First Look, is that it lets us get more bride and groom portraits than we are able to get when we have to rush to take family formals (standard posed photos with family) after the ceremony and before the reception. This way, the bride and groom have 2-3 separate portrait “sessions” on their wedding day!

The sanctuary was just as beautiful as the rest of the church, and the light coming in the windows in the late afternoon sun was absolutely perfect to highlight Brooke and Ryan exchanging vows.

When I saw Ryan’s dad’s reaction to Brooke coming down the aisle with her father, I almost burst into tears myself! These entire families were just so happy and joyful about Brooke and Ryan’s marriage, and it was enough to pull hard at my heart strings!

Wedding ceremony with southern charm at First Baptist Church in Manning, SC Sumter SC Charleston sC wedding photographer melissa brewer father of groom wipes away happy tears Wedding ceremony with southern charm at First Baptist Church in Manning, SC Sumter SC Charleston sC wedding photographer melissa brewer Wedding ceremony with southern charm at First Baptist Church in Manning, SC Sumter SC Charleston sC wedding photographer melissa brewer

After Family Formals, we got to have more fun with Brooke and Ryan in the AMAZING late afternoon/early evening sunlight! Photographers go NUTS for “Golden Hour”, as we like to call the last hour before sunset and after sunrise every day!

First Look on wedding day before ceremony, wedding photographer in SC wedding photography Melissa Brewer charleston sc wedding photographer greenville sc wedding photographer First Look on wedding day before ceremony, wedding photographer in SC wedding photography Melissa Brewer charleston sc wedding photographer greenville sc wedding photographer First Look on wedding day before ceremony, wedding photographer in SC wedding photography Melissa Brewer charleston sc wedding photographer greenville sc wedding photographer

Wedding reception at Cypress Center in lowcountry south carolina charleston sc sumter wedding photography wedding photographer in south carolina melissa brewer Wedding reception at Cypress Center in lowcountry south carolina charleston sc sumter wedding photography wedding photographer in south carolina melissa brewer Wedding reception at Cypress Center in lowcountry south carolina charleston sc sumter wedding photography wedding photographer in south carolina melissa brewer

 

Florals – A Ring Around the Roses 

Dress – Sophia Tolli from Jo-Lin’s Bridals Heels: Betsey Johnson  Reception Flats: Kate Spade for Keds

Groom’s Tuxedo – Michael Kors

Groom’s Bowtie – Brackish Bowties

Bridesmaid’s Dresses: After Six from Jo-Lin’s

Catering – Catering for All Occasions

DJ – Mitch with DJ Howie D’s Entertainment

Wedding Bands: Satterfield’s Jewelry Warehouse and Gabriel & Co

Cake: Elaine Byrd

Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas

Venue: First Baptist Church of Manning

Reception: Cypress Center 

 

Share this story

Gorgeous Lowndes Grove Plantation Bridal Session – Brooke

Prev

Stunning Greenville Bridals at Furman University

Next
COMMENTS Expand -
ADD A COMMENT

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

TFW your branding photos perfectly reflect your ar TFW your branding photos perfectly reflect your art & self 👏🏻
“ChatGPT, please translate this role into someth “ChatGPT, please translate this role into something the rest of us understand”. That’s me writing this caption for my corporate clients who run their own fantastically successful consulting business, and whose objective is, “Helping healthcare organizations grow by improving their referral development strategies and sales programs.” I feel like @corporatenatalie over here 😅

This was a fabulous day full of laughter, getting these women a new set of photos that will help them reach other clients and also feel pretty dang great about themselves in this stage of life…my cup is STILL full after working with these three.
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! 🤔
Load More Follow on Instagram

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
Back to Top