Intimate wedding with family at the Tides in Folly Beach, Charleston

Nicole and Adam found me through WeddingWire, back before we knew anything about Covid-19. They were having a small wedding ceremony on the beach, with just a few family and friends, on September 10th of 2020. This actually worked out perfectly, since most weddings in 2020 ended up being scaled back from the original plans. They were having a separate larger reception later on in NC. They only had me there to take pictures up until dinner time. I was actually glad to not have to stay late since I had another wedding in Charleston the very next day.

This was actually my first time photographing a wedding in the Folly Beach area of Charleston. When I arrived, I met the bride at her apartment, where she was getting ready with her mother and bridesmaids. They had a great view from the back porch of the apartment, looking out onto the marsh. With the help of the videographer, we worked on getting some great detail shots of the invitation, jewelry and flowers. I also got some cute shots of Nicole reading a letter from Adam and with her mom helping her with the dress.

Next, I traveled to the home where the groom and their young son was getting ready. The little guy was great for pictures, he was really getting into it. He helped dad button up his shirt and even gave me a cool pose of tugging down his shirt sleeves. I also loved the picture of him sitting on dad’s lap and reading mom’s letter before the ceremony.

First look and ceremony at the Tides Resort

The couple wanted to do a first look to take a few pictures together before the ceremony. The sun was still pretty harsh, so we decided to make use of the nice shade from the pier. The Folly Beach pier is a busy tourist spot, so we couldn’t get away from the crowds. I was able to use some good angles as Nicole walked towards Adam, to somewhat avoid getting people in the shots. One good thing about the Nikon 85mm f1.4 lens, even if someone is in the background, they are so out of focus, it’s not too noticeable. I got some really cute pictures of the first look. I really nailed the focus on the bride’s face when she had her hands over the groom’s eyes.

The ceremony was held, on the beach behind the Tides, under a small wedding arch. They didn’t have a typical wedding party standing with them, they just had their son as the ringbearer. After the ceremony, I took the three of them back to the pier for pictures. I got some really cute family portraits of them having fun together. Their son was great at posing for the pictures. I loved the one of him walking towards the camera under the pier, and then leaning against it with his hand in his pocket. He was being a little model for me.

Even though it wasn’t the ideal sunset time, the sun went behind some clouds. We got some beautiful pictures of the family and couple together in front of the ocean. Since they were just having a small dinner together, after family pictures I was done for the evening and made the drive back to Myrtle Beach. I hope you enjoy the pictures below. If you are planning a wedding in the Folly Beach area of Charleston please let me know!