Blog: Ryan Smith Photography

Here you will find thousands of pictures from featured wedding, family, engagement, bridal, and senior portrait photography sessions from over a decade. If you are undecided on a wedding venue, view some of my favorite weddings venues here.

Lifting veil into the air - Pawleys Plantation

Beautiful spring wedding at Pawleys Plantation

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It’s great to be back in the busy wedding season for 2024. I haven’t posted a wedding from Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club in a while, even though it’s one of my most frequent wedding locations in Pawleys Island. I thought it was time I added a new post, as there have been a lot of changes to the landscaping around the clubhouse, and I always love the beautiful pictures on the golf course. We had a gorgeous day with perfect weather for this April 5th wedding with Taylor & Austin. I knew they would be a fun couple. …

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Lift into the air in front of the sunset - Huntington Beach State Park

My favorite engagement pictures and surprise proposals of 2023

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As I said last year, I can’t believe another year is already over, and I’m about to hit the busy season of 2024. Before things get too busy, I like to look back at some of my favorite pictures from the previous year. So today, I’m making a quick post with some of my favorite engagement pictures and surprise proposals for 2023. Engagement pictures at the Conway Riverwalk I did several engagement sessions and even a surprise proposal last year at the Conway Riverwalk. This is a long boardwalk on the Waccamaw River in Conway, about 30 minutes inland from …

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Dip back for a kiss with cheers from the wedding party - 21 Main Events - North Myrtle Beach

Wedding on the beach at 21 Main Events for new parents with their baby boy and a fun wedding party

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During this slower time of the year, I love to go back to some of my favorite weddings of the previous year and share them on my blog. This October 15th wedding at 21 Main Events in North Myrtle Beach was very special to me. The bride, Michelle, is blind and has difficulty hearing. It was hard for me to realize that she would never be able to see the beautiful pictures we captured that day. When I arrived, they set me up with a microphone on my shirt to help. However, I found that if I was loud and …

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Happy couple walking out of the cathedral in black and white - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Downtown Charleston wedding with a reception at the historic Francis Marion Hotel

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I love going to the historic downtown Charleston area for weddings. The city atmosphere gives me an opportunity for a different style of photography from my typical garden, golf course, and beach weddings. This winter wedding with Sarah & Alec on February 10th was so much fun, with perfect weather for pictures. The ceremony was held at the Saint John the Baptist Cathedral, and the reception was at the historic Francis Marion Hotel. We also went to Chalmers Street in downtown Charleston to use the cobblestone road for fun pictures with the bridal party. Ceremony at the Saint John the …

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Portraits of the bride and groom on the lawn before the ceremony - Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort

Outdoor wedding and reception at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort

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I’m excited to have extra time to post pictures from some of my favorite weddings of 2023. Sean and Beckie were married on October 13th, 2023, at the Hilton Resort in Myrtle Beach. I’ve done many weddings at the Hilton, but this was my first where the reception was held outdoors. Even with a windy day and rain later in the evening, this couple and their guests had a blast, and I captured some of my favorite dancing of the year! I also loved the bride’s light blue dress. It’s great for my photography when a wedding has something unique. …

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Portraits of bride and groom on the grassy hill with the Grande Dunes bridge in the background - The Marina Inn

Intimate Spring Wedding at The Marina Inn at Grande Dunes

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I’ve had many beautiful weddings in Myrtle Beach during 2023, but I had little time to post them to my blog. I wanted to highlight this wedding from May 5th for Susan and Chris at The Marina Inn at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach. It’s been a few years since I photographed a wedding here, so I thought it was time to feature this venue. The Marina Inn is a luxury hotel with beautiful views overlooking a marina on the Intracoastal Waterway, with the Grande Dunes golf course and bridge in the background. This wedding with Susan and Chris was …

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Kiss on the cheek - Litchfield Country Club

Vintage wedding styles at Litchfield Country Club in Pawleys Island

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With my photography work slowing down, I finally have time to post more pictures from some of my favorite weddings in 2023. This was a small, intimate wedding on October 8th for Madison, Caleb, and their daughter as the flower girl. I loved the vintage old Hollywood style of the bride and groom with the bride’s bright red lipstick and the groom’s pinstripe suit. They were an amazing couple, and I took some beautiful sunset pictures of them on the golf course at Litchfield Country Club in Pawleys Island. When I arrived for their Sunday wedding, I was happy it …

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Snuggles in the sunset - Litchfield Country Club

Intimate wedding at Litchfield Country Club in Pawleys Island

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I’ve been photographing many more weddings recently at Litchfield Country Club in Pawleys Island. I had such a busy October this year, with seven weddings in just the first two weekends, two of which were at Litchfield County Club. It’s a great location with a beautiful area for the ceremony in front of some ancient oak trees and lots of foliage and greenery. I knew this would be a minimal, intimate wedding without a reception, and I was happy to have an early evening off with so many back-to-back weddings. I capture some of my favorite pictures with brides and …

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Bride and groom with rim light from the sunset on the gazebo - The Pavilion at Pepper Plantation

Summer wedding at The Pavilion at Pepper Plantation in Charleston, SC

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I always like to make a blog post when I photograph a wedding at a new location. This was my first time visiting The Pavilion at Pepper Plantation near Charleston, SC. This lovely venue has a large, rustic barn-style reception hall with hanging lights, exposed wooden beams on the vaulted ceiling, and wood planks on the ceiling and walls. It also has a large lawn and fence overlooking a lake and fountain. A boardwalk leads out to a large gazebo on the lake. It was a great place for sunset pictures after the ceremony. I first met Brigette and Preston, …

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The cutest toddlers ever laying by the ocean - North Myrtle Beach

My Favorite Family Pictures in Myrtle Beach from Summer 2023

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One or twice a year, I like to make a blog post looking back at some of my favorite family, maternity, and senior portrait pictures from the past few months. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you can see these pictures and many more right after I finish working on them. The Spring and Summer of 2023 has been one of my busiest ever. It seems like Myrtle Beach keeps increasing in popularity. My usual location for family pictures is the Huntington Beach State Park. Even in the busy summer, it’s less crowded than other areas on the …

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