Carolina Photosmith

Featured in Smitten Magazine | Chesapeake Bay Wedding

admin — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:13:43 +0000

Did you happen to catch the relaunch of Smitten Magazine? It is an awesome e-glossy full of wedding inspiration, practical ideas and lovely photography. And I’m not just saying that because Vanessa & Rob’s blissful Chesapeake Bay wedding takes up a few spreads. It is a gorgeous look book that you can peruse as much as you like without having it clutter your mailbox or requiring you to recycle it. It’s well worth half a latte, so go check it out on your desktop or iPad! Meanwhile, enjoy the feature. And I’m sure Rob & Nessa are enjoying married life despite the return of baseball season and the Yankees/Red Sox household rivalry. Their wedding weekend was a grand slam.

I hope you’ll reach out using the social media links below. I still have some perfect weather weeekends open in Fall 2013, so please spread the word to your engaged friends and family members. Thanks!

Based in Charleston, SC, Carolina Photosmith Jennifer H. Smith is one of the Carolinas' most creative wedding and portrait photographers. You can read the original blog post here Featured in Smitten Magazine | Chesapeake Bay Wedding.

Featured | Moment Junkie

admin — Sun, 05 May 2013 23:35:39 +0000

It’s been nearly two weeks since my trip to Vancouver for the fun and inspiring Canada Photo Convention, where I actually had a chance to meet Ryan Brenizer and Kyle Hepp, who curate one of my favorite wedding photography blogs. I’m always excited to score a feature on Moment Junkie, and The Switcheroo was no exception! Even though this moment was less about my timing and eye and more about the awesomeness of these zany attendants, this was the first I’d witnessed such spontaneous creativity. The crowd’s reactions were hilarious!

Use the links below to follow my work, and please contact me when you’re planning a momentous wedding.

Anna | Boone Hall Bridal Portraits

admin — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:42:20 +0000

So this is Anna. In addition to being a statuesque and poised bride, she is a beautiful person. On her wedding day, when I arrived to photograph the girls getting ready, she was curling her cousin’s hair. She is strong, calming and giving. Nathan is a lucky man. Happy honeymooning, y’all!

Anna found her beautiful lace gown at Gown Boutique of Charleston. If you enjoyed this Boone Hall bridal portrait post, please “like” it and follow my Facebook page for more springtime wedded bliss. Thank you!

Sarah & Arthur | Goat Island Wedding

admin — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:39:43 +0000

Now that spring has made its point of disregarding Punxsutawney Phil and his shady predictions, we can flash back to some weddings with rather different weather. Sarah and Arthur wed on a South Carolina barrier island the October day that Hurricane Sandy skirted our coast before doing horrific damage further up the Atlantic seaboard. Although I knew the couple was laid-back enough to roll with nature’s plan for their wedding day, I admit to being nervous seeing how downpours and gusty winds are not considered optimal weather when you make a boat hop to blissful haven with a few tents and large palm fronds as the only rain cover. The couple’s friends have a wonderful one-room cottage where the bride traded Gore-Tex for gown, but it was by no means a reception space.

I really enjoy shooting smaller weddings alone, but the night before the wedding, I posted to our local photographer forum that I was lacking confidence about my solo rainy-day skills. My peers responded with all the places they’d be shooting that weekend in the rain, and they encouraged me to deal with it as they would be doing (except I had neither an assistant nor walls). Wedding photographers have to anticipate how everything will unfold — that’s how we capture the moments. But the uncertainty of the weather had me running through various scenarios in my head. But all that anxiety was for nothing! I followed the bride’s lead, put on my cowgirl boots, stocked up my Pelican case and had some fun.

Magically, the rain stopped, the bluegrass band played and the most amazing purple skies appeared to coordinate with Sarah’s decor, lovingly coordinated by her two dear friends and mom. It was a pretty awesome day and one of my favorite weddings I’ve documented. And that’s not because they danced to Lyle Lovett, served crazy-good cupcakes or poured Dark and Stormies for their signature cocktail. You’ll see. It was more Sarah’s easy elegance and the adoration Arthur has for her.

If you enjoyed this post or dream of your own island escape, I hope you’ll click “like” and share the goodness. Thanks for visiting my blog!

Spring Has Sprung | 8 Days of Charleston Photography

admin — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:52:53 +0000

For wedding and portrait photographers in the south, the winter months are welcomed as time to finish editing, refuel creatively, implement marketing ideas and brush up on new techniques. After I shot my last 2012 wedding December 28, January and February were quite leisurely. I think weeks went by where the only photos I took were on my iPhone. Turn the page to March — in like a lion — and bright new-growth greens signaled the end of my hibernation. Even though the warm weather has been fickle, colors are popping all over town, vacationers are hitting the beaches and happy couples are starting their married lives together. I had such a fantastic week photographing fun people! Now, as I hunker down for gobs of editing, here’s a glimpse of my first work week of 2013. Happy new year, y’all!

Ashley and Zach had the Charleston destination wedding of their dreams! They buried a bottle of bourbon at the ceremony site to keep bad weather at bay. Coincidence or no, March 16 was a glorious 72-degree day.

Sassha and her clan moved from Maryland recently and booked a quick session to document her brother’s family visiting.

Glorious day to celebrate in the sun with this beautiful birthday girl on Sullivan’s Island!

Tuesday, I scooped up my friend and we met some girls at Poe’s for a beachy birthday lunch. If I ever turn 40, I hope I look that good
When the kids got home from school, we decided to soak up more sun by making a run to Freshberry for some fro-yo in the Jeep. Later, I made the breezy drive over to Boone Hall for a magical bridal portrait session. Can’t spoil the gown surprise though!

Just a glimpse from this gorgeous bridal session.

Thursday after I got the kids off to school (thanks to my hubby/chauffeur), I made a little road trip to Columbia, where I met with parents of a Spring 2014 bride. (I’d met with their daughter in Charleston a couple of weeks earlier.) After my interview, I met a dear friend for lunch, then we headed back to her house and frolicked outdoors in the awesome yard. Her twins gave me a tour of their cool teepee. I fired off a few shots in the bright sun — loving this one of the play-at-home mom with her three wild little men.

After lounging at my friend’s house, I headed to another part of Columbia to meet a bride who drove down from Charlotte to have her portraits taken at her mom’s friend’s home on a lake. I’d love to show you how she rocks her sassy short veil, but not until after her Seabrook Island wedding. Her bridesmaid Steph helped keep her gown pollen-free while her mom and her friends oohed, aahed and sipped bubbly.

Whew, busy week, and that’s not including The Knot mixer I stopped by on Wednesday night at Marion’s downtown. Delicious pomegranate champagne cocktail and a make-your-own trifle made for a nice dessert, but a gal needs sustenance during a week like this. Perfect timing for a lunch and book signing with the Lee Brothers, local boys who just published their third cookbook. They weave a good yarn of boyhood tales and culinary history while spreading the gospel of boiled peanuts and grits. And my husband treated me to the smothered pork chops and vinegar green beans from this book last night. Outstanding!

The clouds and gloom threatened, but Friday evening went well with this adorable family from Connecticut. Their girls bravely ran barefoot even though it was a little chilly. And mom, seven months pregnant, was so at ease, even tossing her tots in the air as she toted daughter number three.

Saturday morning, clouds looming still, I headed downtown to meet a former co-worker from my Blackbaud days. She’s continued to work for Blackbaud and lives in San Francisco, where she met Brian. These two have done some serious traveling together, and they’re finally settling down to plan a wedding. I loved seeing HP in her old stomping grounds again and meeting her handsome fiance. As we ambled back to our cars, it started sprinkling. By the time I got across the bridge, it was pouring.

Later on Saturday, I suited up in my rain gear and returned downtown to the gorgeous Unitarian Church for Tiffany and Jay’s destination wedding. Magically, the rain stopped just when we hoped it would, allowing for some portraits around town and preventing guests from getting soaked. These two are so much fun and wowed the crowd with their first dance. Here’s to the happily ever after, y’all!

I should have seen this coming — these two attendants were hilarious when they made the switcheroo before the couple and the wedding party was introduced at the Mills House reception.

So that’s it! I must admit I was a little relieved when yesterday’s family session was postponed due to rain and a sippy cup / black eye incident. But I’m grateful to be busy doing a job I love. Have a fave photo from this post? I’d love it if you’d leave a comment below. Please spread the word and follow my work using the social media links. Happy spring!

Based in Charleston, SC, Carolina Photosmith Jennifer H. Smith is one of the Carolinas' most creative wedding and portrait photographers. You can read the original blog post here Spring Has Sprung | 8 Days of Charleston Photography.