Nikole and James had planned their perfect marriage ceremony. However, Covid had other plans for them and they needed to do something a little different. Their actual wedding day was a hosted “virtual wedding.”

But this fun-loving couple weren’t going to let this spoil their day, and were determined to create some amazing photographs to remember their special day. Nikole reached out to me about arranging an elopement photoshoot to make up for missing their own special day.

Two weeks later, and we were at the goregeous Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. This used to be a hideout of the most famous treasure-stealing pirate ever, Blackbeard, which is super cool. But on this day, the only treasure was the memories that Nikole and James made. And rather than bury it like old Blackbeard would have, they wanted to show the whole world. In fact, some other beach goers clapped and cheered for the happy couple as we photographed the ceremony. I even snapped a picture of them!

This was just another lovely addition to a day that had started out amazingly. James and Nikole chose to get ready separately in their hotel room, Their gorgeous pup, Ellie, observed the bride’s preparation and gave her approval for the dress and flowers. We had arranged for an outdoor “first look.” Here, Nikole had the honors of pinning James’ boutonniere on before the start of their magical evening.

The Beach Ceremony in South Carolina

We headed to a private, secluded beach area where the officiant met us for the ceremony. The setting sun, seashells and sand were all they needed for a beautiful backdrop. Ellie watched on, as well-behaved as ever, while the gorgeous couple exchanged rings and made their vows.

An Opportunity for Aerial Photography

I absolutely love elopements, because they’re so relaxed and you get the opportunity to do whatever you want.

So while the couple were walking along the beach, and basking in love for one another, I took the opportunity for some aerial photos. Using a drone gives me the chance to take some pretty unique photos, and get shots that I wouldn’t be able to from the ground.

Adventurous Photographs After the Ceremony

When the couple had exchanged rings, and we got a few more photographs of course, we hiked a mile or so until we reached the jetty. This is one of my favorite locations for photos as it features the calm ocean on one side of the rocks, and waves crashing against the other side.

The tide was coming up quickly and the sun was setting, but we had the perfect amount of time to create the photographs that they had been dreaming of. Ellie was amazing through the entire day, and we were able to capture so many beautiful photos of the three of them.

I’m so thankful to have worked with an adventurous bride who wasn’t afraid to climb over giant rock formations and walls in her wedding gown!

Booking an Elopement Photographer