Charleston SC Wedding Affair
So glad to be blogging today about this wedding wedding affair, soiree at The Francis Marion Hotel, that I was so fortunate to capture for my clients Madeleine and Kurtis. They have lived in Charleston for many years, but Kurtis was born in Newfoundland, and Madeleine is a native Clevelander. As the Father of the Bride said at their reception, it was an unlikely story that they would meet and fall in love! But they did! In Madeleine’s words: “Soon after we met, Kurtis took me on our first date. He won me over with delicious Italian food and his great smile!” Kurtis was excited to get to know her. As Kurtis said, “It didn’t take long for me to see her in my future. I proposed to Madeleine at my historic apartment in downtown Charleston. We then began our wedding planning.”
Madeleine and Kurtis, an IT project manager and senior software engineer by trade, had a very important decision in choosing a wedding photographer Charleston is one of the top wedding destination cities in the U.S. and with many professional photographers in the area to choose from, they took time with the decision. After Madeleine read over one hundred 5-star reviews for my studio, she planned to visit my booth at The Southern Bridal Show so we could make a connection. Back in August of last year, I had the pleasure and honor of meeting Madeleine and her lovely mom.
I will never forget the reasons Madeleine and Kurtis provided for their decision to hire me. They cited the following: my presence, my 17 years as a professionally licensed wedding photographer in Charleston, my understanding of the process as evidenced by the way I explained the critical importance of a wedding day timeline, and most importantly, my passion for the art of creating unique, artistic fine art wedding images. I was very excited and so very happy and honored to be commissioned for this spectacular event that took place at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, and the Francis Marion Hotel. They knew after their engagement session with our studio that their photos would be phenomenal.
After several meetings with my clients and having completed four wedding timeline drafts, I knew exactly what my second shooter and I had to do in order to use our lenses and cameras to make this day very memorable for our lovely couple. The ceremony at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church was a full mass; once it concluded, we then allowed ample time to capture the bridal party and Madeleine and Kurtis in our Holy City of Charleston, SC by going to The Cistern at The College of Charleston, and finishing this beautiful couple session at The Battery for an incredible capture of various images that included a spectacular sunset.
The beautiful reception was held at The Francis Marion Hotel and coordinated by the very talented Gillian Crum. As you entered the Colonial Ballroom, you enjoyed the great feel of an elegant reception with southern charm. The many tables were decorated with white linens, candelabra-like displays, and both high and low floral designs created by Kim Findlay at Coastal Creations. The room was filled with hundreds of blush and peach roses that created a sensual experience for their guests as the fragrance filled the ballroom. The candles, chandeliers of the historic Colonial Ballroom, and up lighting design (by Jon Feist) projected a romantic light for the reception.
As you can see, we took advantage of the balcony for these incredible images below that give our clients two perspectives of memorable reception moments. Looking at these pictures, it is very clear that not all wedding photographers are created equally. You must always push the envelope and be different and give your clients artistic wedding images as they celebrate their special night with family and friends.
To complement the ending to this one-of-a-kind evening, Carolina’s Executive Limo Line provided the vintage Bentley for the get-away. As I got my creative juices flowing, I captured for my clients a moment they will never forget by creating a spectacular image of Madeleine and Kurtis leaving the reception. As Madeleine said, “I’ve gotten so many compliments on the work Michel did coordinating our get-away. Truly, Michel and his team were phenomenal from start to finish!”.
Our Charleston, SC Wedding Vendors Are:
King Street Photo Weddings, Photographer, Michel Berda:
Immaculate Conception Church –http://www.icgc510.org/
Ceremony: Celebrants: Reverend German Coquilla, CRM and Deacon Daniel McNerny· Musicians: Mary Gertner and Mylene Suzara
The Francis Marion Hotel Charleston, SC. Reception Colonial Ballroom Coordinator, Gillian Crum (event coordinator)Venue:
Hair and Make-up – Paloosh Salon – www.palooshsalon.com
Wedding Gown – Palmetto Bridal Boutique-https://www.palmettobridalboutique.com/
Bridesmaids Gowns – BHLDN – http://www.bhldn.com/
Jr. Bridesmaid Gown – David’s Bridal – http://www.davidsbridal.com/
Tuxedos – Jos A. Banks www.JosBank.com
Flowers – Kim Findlay, Coastal Creations –
Wedding Cake – Marge Pearce, Kerry Contreraz (Mother and Sister of the Groom)
Choreographer – Sarah Sharpe, Elite Dance Studios – http://www.elitedancecharleston.com
Guest Book/Photo Booth – Shutterbooth – http://shutterbooth.com/charleston/
D.J. and Uplighting – Jon Feist – www.melodicent.com
Limousine Service for Getaway from the Reception– Carolina’s Executive Limo Line www.celimoline.com
Invitations – Reaves Engraving, Inc. www.reavesengraving.com
