Spending the day together and with their mini Australian Shepherd Winston + their closest friends and family were the most important things to Taylor & Brad for the back up plan of their back up plan for their wedding day! They decided to get married on a boat in the middle of the Charleston Harbor with the Ravenel Bridge serving as their backdrop & Brad’s dad officiating!
There may not have been a drag queen making a surprise appearance like we all talked about at dinner after their engagement session in Washington DC but it was still a perfect day!
p.s. the 4 of us not only share a love for mini Aussies but we share a wedding anniversary now too!
Getting Ready Together at Hotel Bennett
Taylor & Brad decided to get ready together (yessssssss) at Hotel Bennett the day of their elopement! My own personal favorite wedding photos were of Jay & I helping each other get dressed so it was really cool to be the one to photograph these kinds of moments. Taylor & Brad were so attentive to each other (they said it was perfect for them because they always need each other’s fashion opinions).
Taylor said that his favorite detail of the day were their shoes! I think mine are their cufflinks matching their wedding bands!
Portraits at The Mills House with Winston the Mini Aussie
We HAD to make a pit stop at the Mills House for their couples photos…it was their original wedding venue after all! Afterwards, we met up with their families & Winston at College of Charleston for more photos with oak trees.
Fun fact. While I was taking family photos, a family with small children decided to camp out directly in the background of our photos and watch. But ya can’t tell because I’m a master at using bodies to hide unwanted things (-; Photoshop who?
It was also PACKED at the Mills House. I’d like to thank my “I shoot engagements at Disney World” skills for kicking in because I can make any packed area look empty.
Charleston Boat Elopement
After the portraits it was time to board the Kismet! Everyone milled around and had some beverages as we approached the Ravenel bridge. It was REALLY windy without being on a boat so it really kicked it up a notch once we got out onto the water. But hey, at least we weren’t all sweating to death (-:
Brads father was the officiant and guys, I gotta tell you – going with a friend or family as your officiant is so special. He was able to sprinkle in personal details about the couple but also things from his own perspective about them. And the hug at the end!!
They also included their sisters by having them bring the rings up.
After the ceremony, we popped a bottle of champagne, took some just married pics and then we got carted around the harbor! The captain even brought us directly under the Yorktown (my fear of large ships almost sent me into a panic but I lived. Y’all I’ve been on boats and lived on the water my whole life but something about being next to a large ship scares me)
From Taylor & Brad:
What made your wedding day special, unique or personalized to you as a couple?
Being back in Charleston with our closest friends and family made the day so special. Even though we don’t live there any more, it still feels like home. Having a non-traditional wedding on a boat while sticking with a lot of wedding traditions made it unique to us. We also had a personalized ceremony script, and had the wedding officiated by Brad’s father. This was very meaningful and made it personal for us.
What advice do you have for couples planning their wedding?
I would tell future couples planning their big day that it’s okay to go small! It doesn’t have to be a big wedding to be a great meaningful event, and it makes it more intimate! A smaller wedding will allow you to spend more time with people and save a lot of money.
What did you love most about working with us?
We loved how relaxed and carefree you both were while also managing our schedule and keeping us on time. Your calmness kept us calm! Our plans changed so much in the months leading up to the wedding so your flexibility was much appreciated! Y’all were the perfect wedding resource when there were things we weren’t sure about.
Katie + Jay of Catherine Ann Photography are Charleston SC Based Wedding & Elopement Photographers specializing in candid & fun wedding photos that feel like you! I would tell future couples planning their big day that it’s okay to go small! It doesn’t have to be a big wedding to be a great meaningful event, and it makes it more intimate! A smaller wedding will allow you to spend more time with people and save a lot of money.
