Charleston Wedding Photographer – Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina – Skylar & Roland
Charleston Wedding Photographer – Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina – Skylar & Roland
When we first spoke with Skylar about her Charleston wedding, it was June of 2019. She was a ball of personality and you could tell by her tone, she was ecstatic to be engaged and planning her dream wedding. We have always wanted to photograph and film a wedding in Charleston so we were equally excited to be chatting about becoming her Charleston Wedding Photographer! But before we get to her Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina wedding, let’s tell you how her and Roland came to be – it’s a fantastic story!
It was Skylar’s birthday and she had just moved to Charlotte, NC. One of her friends decided to organize a party on a lake to celebrate. Roland was roommates with Skylar’s friend and decided to join. A popular activity on the lake was paddle-boating. For those unfamiliar with paddle-boating, it has two seats where the rowers sit back to back and use their feet to make the boat move. Skylar jumped on the first available paddle-boat. Roland jumped on as well. Neither knowing the other or introducing themselves.
A few minutes into the boat ride a strange woman paddles up to them and says “I read energy – you guys are either engaged or married, which is it?” Roland replied “I actually proposed last night.” Happy she was correct, the woman floated away. Roland then turned around and said “hey, I’m Roland – it’s your birthday right?” And from there, the rest is history.
Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina Wedding
We arrived in Charleston the day before the wedding. We like to arrive early to ensure there are no issues with traveling, have time to scout the locations we’ll be shooting, and get ready for the wedding the following day. The Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina is a beautiful wedding venue in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Skylar and her girls got ready in one of the bungalows on the Harbor Side while Roland and his groomsmen prepped a few doors down. Skylar had arranged for The Pink Figgy to come for an awesome photo opp with her and her girls. With champagne in hand, we used the pink car and the picturesque Charleston backdrop to create some awesome photos.
It was time to get dressed! Skylar looked incredible in her Galia Lahav wedding dress and Roland looked dapper in his OMJ Suit. They each opened letters and a gift from the other, which is a favorite of ours to document. The colors of the bridesmaids and groomsmen rounded out the perfect color palate for a southern Charleston wedding.
The ceremony was on the beach overlooking the Harbor. It was absolutely stunning! The moment Roland saw Skylar was magical and one of the highlights of the day. They were announced husband and wife with their closest friends and family watching.
After the ceremony we photographed some family formals, bridal party photos, and finished off with portraits of the bride and groom. Meanwhile the guests were enjoying their cocktails around the Marina and then headed to the Reception for food and fun!
The event went off without a hitch thanks to the planning of Chancey Charm Weddings. Our new friend Bunn DJ kept the crowd up and on the dance floor all night which made for some epic reception photos.
We are really hoping to photograph more Charleston Weddings after our amazing time with Skylar and Roland. Do you have an upcoming wedding in Charleston and are looking for a Charleston Wedding Photographer or Videographer? If so, reach out – we’d love to chat!
Charleston wedding VENDORS:
Photography: Michael Justin Studios
Videography: Michael Justin Studios
Hair & Makeup: Lashes & Lace
Dress: Galia Lahav
Venue: Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina
Planners: Chancey Charm Weddings
Groom Formalwear: OMJ Suit
Car: The Pink Figgy
DJ: Bunn DJ
Florist: Petaloso
Groomsmen Formalwear: The Black Tux
Black Distressed Leather – 12×8
For Megan & Morgan’s 12×8 wedding album, they chose a Black Distressed leather cover with Color Overprinting names and date in Bickham Script Pro. Their paper selection was photographic with no lamination and for added durability, went with rigid thickness. GraphiStudios, our album supplier in Italy, is one of the leading suppliers in the industry. We are grateful for their partnership and the quality of their product so our couples have memories that are sure to last multiple generations.
ALBUM DETAILS:
Size: 12×8 (Horizontal)
Album Cover Material: Distressed Leather
Album Cover Color: Black
Paper: Photographic – no lamination
Page Thickness: Rigid
Presentation Box: Sleeve in Black Leather
Crystal Glance Cover – 10×13
For Dana & Matt’s 13×10 wedding album, they chose a Crystal Glance cover with an Ivory Leather spine and back. Their paper selection was metallic with satin lamination. For added durability, they went with rigid thickness. GraphiStudios, our album supplier in Italy, is one of the leading suppliers in the industry. We are grateful for their partnership and the quality of their product so our couples have memories that are sure to last multiple generations.
ALBUM DETAILS:
Size: 10×13 (vertical)
Album Cover Material: Crystal Glance & Ivory Leather (Spine & Back)
Paper: Metallic with Satin Lamination
Page Thickness: Rigid
Presentation Box: Stylish Sleeve
Smoke Grey Distressed
For Amy & Brian’s 16×12 wedding album, they chose a Smoke Grey distressed leather cover debossed names in Times font. Their paper selection was photographic and for added durability, went with rigid thickness. GraphiStudios, our album supplier in Italy, is one of the leading suppliers in the industry. We are grateful for their partnership and the quality of their product so our couples have memories that are sure to last multiple generations.
ALBUM DETAILS:
Size: 16×12
Album Cover Material: Distressed Leather
Album Cover Color: Smoke Grey
Paper: Photographic – no lamination
Page Thickness: Rigid
Presentation Box: No Box
Central Park Engagement Photos – Vanessa & Ross
Vanessa and Ross chose Central Park for their Engagement Photos during one of our favorite times of year – fall! We also started the session with their dog Miley! We love when couples decide to include their pets in their engagement session. After a few shots though, we parted ways with Miley and left the rest of the session to the adults. We shot around the beautiful Bethesda Terrace area before switching into more formal outfits. We love having an outfit change right at the mid-way point of a session as it allows everyone to regroup and finish off the session in a new look. Vanessa and Ross chose such wonderful colors in their attire – just look at how they pop and grab your attention. Great choice! We loved shooting with Vanessa and Ross in Central Park for their engagement photos and can’t wait for their wedding day next year! Central Park Engagement photos by Mike Ngo for Michael Justin Studios.
Central Park Engagement Photos – Jessica & Kyle
There’s a reason Central Park is our top location for Engagement Photos – it’s absolutely GORGEOUS! You have all the wonderful architecture, beautiful greenery and trees, and spectacular water views. It really has everything! Jessica and Kyle met us down by the Bethesda Terrace where we started with some traditional shots of the two of them together as well as solo shots.
Next we headed inside the terrace and grabbed one of the iconic NYC shots by the steps. It was the first time we’ve ever shot there that we didn’t have to photoshop people out of the steps! Incredible!
Then we headed to our favorite spot of the area – the Mall. The best part about the mall is that on either side are wonderful canopied trees that give you the exact look of the Mall, but without the crowds. We took a few shots there and then headed back towards the Bethesda Fountain.
We finished off the session just after sunset overlooking the water where we got one of our all-time favorite images!
Jessica and Kyle, we hope you love these images as much as we do and they bring you excitement for your wedding day next year!
Park Chateau Wedding Photos
We headed back to one of our favorite New Jersey Wedding Venues, the Park Chateau in New Brunswick, NJ for Gabriella and Brett’s wedding. Shot back in 2018, we’re just getting around to blogging these wonderful images!
Why I Wish I Had a Micro Wedding
A few weeks ago my wife and I celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary. We got married in 2011 at Gurney’s Inn in Montauk, NY and had around 160 guests there to celebrate with us. The night before we had a bonfire on the beach and the day after we had a farewell brunch. It was, by all measures, the perfect weekend. However with the current state of the world, I’ve had a front row seat to the beauty and intimacy of micro weddings and wanted to share my experiences to others facing the ultimate dilemma: postpone or move forward with a new vision for your day.
About 80% of our 2020 couples have rescheduled to 2021 hoping to have the vision for their day that they originally planned. But for those 20% that went ahead with their micro wedding, here’s what I’ve witnessed documenting them and why I believe a micro wedding might be better.
LESS GUESTS = MORE QUALITY TIME.
One thing you’ve probably heard others say about their wedding is that it goes by so fast. The reason for that is a typical wedding day is jammed with things to do, places to be, and lots of people to talk to. If you have 150 guests, you’ll be having 150 mini conversations all throughout the day (mostly thanking them for coming and receiving compliments on how great you look), being pulled from one of those to another. That’s exhausting.
On the other hand, if you have 10-40 guests, you can have quality time with each one. Having seen your brother who lives across the country and want to catch up on all that he’s been doing? Great, you’ll have lots more time to hear about it!
UNPARALLELED INTIMACY
At it’s core, a wedding is a declaration of love and commitment between two people which culminates at the ceremony when they are promised to each other forever. With the guest list limited, the ceremonies we’ve been part of have been incredibly intimate and emotional. Just a few people standing or sitting in a close circle watching and witnessing this special moment. Most of our couples have also opted to write their own vows which really adds to the moment.
MONEY TO ALLOCATE ELSEWHERE
Most of the costs associated with a wedding are due to the cost per plate to feed a large number of guests. With the guest list limited, you’ll have money to allocate towards things like hiring a videographer (something couples unfortunately usually put last on their budget), get your favorite chef to create a custom dinner menu, or rent out a really amazing AirBnB to host your event.
THE DOWNSIDES
I am writing this blog post as a 37 year old with 3 kids. I can’t pretend that my views on life are the same as when I was in my twenties. There are some things that I know my clients will have a hard time with if they opt to go the route of a micro wedding and I think it’s important to note them here.
Dancing. One of the favorite memories of my wedding was the fun we had on the dance floor. Drinking, laughing, and celebrating with a live band was great and with a micro wedding, you won’t have that to the same level. That doesn’t mean you won’t dance or can’t enjoy live music, but set your expectations that the dance floor will be small and not packed. It will be a sub-set of your reception rather than one of the main attractions.
Gifts. I know we don’t get married to receive gifts from friends and family but one of the benefits of a large wedding is you get some monetary funds to help start your life as a married couple. With a small guest count, that number will be limited.
Friends. With a limited guest count, friends are unfortunately the first to get cut from the list. If you’re looking to party with your large friends list, this will unfortunately have to wait until this pandemic is under control. One option that I’ve suggested some of my couples consider is to rent out a bar once the pandemic is over. It will surely be less than hosting a large wedding reception and you’ll still be able to drink, dance, and have that fun night you always dreamed about.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Years from now when you look back at your wedding day, what do you want to remember? What are the moments that will resonate and mean the most to you? For myself, the moment I saw my wife for the first time as she walked down the aisle is one I will cherish for the rest of my days. Our vows and the promises we made to each other are a close second. The wooden chairs my wife wanted instead of the included white chairs {and paid extra for} are not important. I can’t remember what my center pieces looked like. So for me, if I were to do it all over again, I would opt for a micro wedding and enjoy those same moments but with a more intimate feeling. Whatever you choose, I’ll be there with my camera in hand to document it.