An Intimate August LGBTQ Wedding in South Carolina | Olivia + Richard

When I was asked by my two good friends, Richard (he/they) and Olivia (they/she), to photograph their wedding, I spent months preparing for their big day. Why? Because 1.) it would be my first wedding and 2.) I was amazed how often my Google searches for weddings catered towards heterosexual couples and offered little to no inclusivity, representation, or resources for LGBTQ+ couples.

It was a magical celebration of love that knocked down barriers and opened my eyes to the power of love within the LGBTQ+ community. Join me on this incredible journey as I recount the joy, emotions and life-changing moments that transpired on August 8th, 2020 as I photographed Richard and Olivia’s special day.

Of course, weeks leading up to the big day, Richard and Olivia joined me on several calls to discuss all of the important details, lay out the timeline for their day and create a formal photo list. Sidenote: We did go off schedule a bit, but things still went incredibly smoothly.

Richard and Olivia decided to have their wedding on the beautiful Davidson Farm in South Carolina. This farm made for beautiful photos as they had fields of fresh cut, green grass and it was a gorgeous, sunny day. They would have a total of 38 guests including the newlyweds, wedding party, officiant, and me, their photographer.

Unfortunately, Richard and Olivia’s wedding, like many in 2020, were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They had to cut back on their overall guest count to abide by gathering restrictions, they required everyone to be masked on their wedding (and they were only taken off during photos), they had to switch up their catering from buffet style to boxed lunches, and they had to severely limit activities done on their wedding day (e.g., there was no dancing that took place at their wedding other than their first dance, so as to limit touch between guests and keep the spread of COVID-19 at a minimal).

I commend Richard and Olivia for their diligence in planning their wedding with this huge wrench thrown at them. While their day didn’t turn out exactly how they envisioned, they were thankful to still have been able to host their wedding and see their friends and family as safely as they could.

On the morning of Saturday, August 8th, I arrived at Davidson Farm at 8:30 AM, about 30 minutes before Olivia arrived with the wedding party, her mom and their sibling, Andy. Around 9:30 AM, Richard arrived with more of his wedding party, their mom, and his brother. I snapped some photos of them getting ready and, by this time, we were doing pretty great on time! Once everyone was dressed and make up and hair was done, we were ready to start working on their formal photo list. Sidenote: Just a word of advice – don’t wear all black to a South Carolina wedding in August, whether you’re a guest or a vendor; You’ve been warned!

Before their ceremony started, I was also sure to photograph portraits of the individual soon-to-be newlyweds. They elected to save their “first look” for the ceremony but I wanted to be sure to capture all of their individual beauty and charm beforehand!

After we worked through the formal photo list, it was time for the main ceremony, which started with Olivia’s father and sibling, Andy, walking in Olivia’s grandmother and mother to their seats at the front followed by Richard’s brother walking in their mother. Once everyone was seated, Olivia’s dad walked her to the front where Olivia embraced both her dad and her mom. Then, Richard’s wedding party walked down the aisle coming from the suite located towards the back of the ceremony room. Richard walked down the aisle with his father and Olivia’s reaction was so pure and sweet; she had quite literally lost her breath for a moment.

Olivia and Richard were joined together at the front with their officiant, Andrew Mails, Campus Minister and Executive Director of Wesley-Luther at UNCG. Olivia and Richard volunteered for a large portion of their undergraduate career at the Spartan Open Pantry, which is hosted by the church, and Andrew became a huge part of their lives, so they only thought it would make sense to have them be a part of their special day. Quick fun fact: Olivia, Richard, and I all went to UNCG together and graduated around the same time! Woot, woot! Go Spartans!

After their ceremony concluded, we fit in more family portraits with both families combined, wedding party portraits, and portraits of the newly married couple!

Once we wrapped up all of the formal photos of the day, we were able to kick it back for their reception. We started off right away with lunch, where a couple of impromptu toasts were made by Richie and Olivia’s Persons of Honor. Following this were Richie and Olivia’s first dance and their cake cutting moment. If I was on the fence before about becoming a full-time wedding and elopement photographer anytime during the planning process or during the day of Olivia and Richard’s day, that thought went away as soon as they took their first dance. As I took photos of their special moment together, I knew then that I could see myself doing this for the rest of my life.

Being a witness to this magical love story really pulled on my heartstrings. It reaffirmed my belief in the power of love and the importance of capturing diverse and inclusive narratives. Love knows no boundaries, no gender, no societal norms – it simply flourishes in its purest form.

Photographing Richard and Olivia’s wedding in South Carolina was a turning point in my career as a wedding and elopement photographer. From that day forward, I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life – give couples a safe, fun and liberating experience on their special day.

As I reflect on that unforgettable day in South Carolina, I am filled with gratitude for the trust Richard and Olivia placed in me to capture their love. Their wedding was not just about two people coming together, but a celebration of love’s resilience, courage, and ability to break down barriers. Let’s continue to rewrite the narrative, one photograph at a time.

Testimonials

Olivia and Richard’s day holds a special place in my heart and I am wishing them both a lifetime of happiness, joy, and adventure. Keep reading to see what Olivia and Richard had to say about our time together:

“Cameron did a wonderful job of photographing our wedding + it was a pleasure to work with her! We are so grateful that we could get such lovely high-quality photography for such a special day! We’re not used to getting photos done, so we thought it would be pretty awkward, but Cameron made us feel very comfortable the whole time. The photos she edited were lovely and beautiful; she was able to capture some little details so nicely. Communication with her is very easy as well; she made sure everything was planned out in advance but was able to adapt as needed on the actual day. She made the whole experience so stress free and fun. Thank you for helping us make some wonderful memories, Cam!” – Olivia (they/she) and Richard (he/they)

If you’re planning to elope in Virginia or at a destination around the world, I would love to be your photographer! Check out my pricing to learn more about my philosophy, process, and packages. If you’re ready to book now, fill out an inquiry form to get started!