I always love Fall weddings at Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club. It’s so lovely this time of year without the heat and humidity. Matthew and Taylor were a fun and relaxed wedding couple with a small bridal party of the groom’s brothers and the bride’s sister. They had my photo booth at this wedding, so I arrived about an hour early to help my wife set everything up. They had a custom backdrop with a wood lattice and some beautiful foliage. I ended up hanging my gold backdrop behind the lattice; this hid the wall in the background and perfectly matched the colors. I never mind if you want to do some customization like this.
When I arrived at the bride’s room, Mary with Makeup Artistry on Location was finishing up with Taylor. Near the end of the bride’s hair and makeup is usually a good time for me to start. I like to have time for these shots as well as pictures of the dresses, bouquets, and other details. Matthew and Taylor had done many of the decorations themselves, and I made sure to go around and get pictures of all the little details they had spread around the clubhouse. I also got some fantastic shots of Taylor standing in the double doors with her dress spread out behind her.
Bride's dress hanging in the doorway - Pawleys Plantation
Bouquet with dress in background - Pawleys Plantation
Rings on the bouquet - Pawleys Plantation
Engagement ring on the bouqeut - Pawleys Plantation
Bride's makeup - Pawleys Plantation
Bride looking in the mirror - Pawleys Plantation
Ring closeup - Pawleys Plantation
Rings in boxes - Pawleys Plantation
Let love brew coffee favors - Pawleys Plantation
Table details - Pawleys Plantation
Table details - Pawleys Plantation
Mom helping bride with dress - Pawleys Plantation
Bride in doorway - Pawleys Plantation
First Look
Taylor and Matthew wanted to do a first look and get some of the pictures out of the way before the ceremony. With a small bridal party like this, we would have had enough time for photos after the ceremony, but it’s still a fun thing to do. It also gave the couple more time to enjoy the cocktail hour. There is a lot of nice shade down by the lake behind the clubhouse, so I usually try to take the bridal party and family pictures in that area. With the bridesmaids and groomsmen being all siblings, they had a lot of fun and were silly for the photos. I especially like the groom’s brothers picking him up with the bride’s sister helping from underneath. They were a goofy and fun bunch, and they had a great time.
First look with bride and groom by the golf course - Pawleys Plantation
First look with bride and groom by the golf course - Pawleys Plantation
First look with bride and groom by the golf course - Pawleys Plantation
First look with bride and groom by the golf course - Pawleys Plantation
Bride and groom portraits by the lake before the ceremony - Pawleys Plantation
Bride and groom portraits by the lake before the ceremony - Pawleys Plantation
Bridal party with bride's sister and groom's brothers - Pawleys Plantation
Groom and brothers picking up the bride - Pawleys Plantation
Picking up the groom - Pawleys Plantation
Groomsmen pulling on the suspenders - Pawleys Plantation
Groom with his brothers - Pawleys Plantation
Bride and sister - Pawleys Plantation
Portraits of bride before the ceremony by the lake - Pawleys Plantation
Portraits of bride before the ceremony by the lake - Pawleys Plantation
Portraits of bride before the ceremony by the lake - Pawleys Plantation
Ceremony location in front of the golf course - Pawleys Plantation
Flower details for ceremony - Pawleys Plantation
Flower details for ceremony - Pawleys Plantation
Ceremony on the Golf Course
The ceremony was held in the usual spot on the lawn behind the clubhouse, overlooking the golf course and lake. It was an unusually lovely day with a blue sky and soft puffy clouds. I believe the minister was an old family friend, so he told some stories and made everyone laugh during the ceremony. I always love weddings that are more casual and relaxed like this one. I usually tell clients, if they ask, that unity candles don’t work outside because of the wind. They had little LED fake candles for this wedding that they switched on during the unity ceremony. This gave everyone a laugh, and they worked.
After the ceremony, I took the bridal party back out for a few more pictures in front of the clubhouse. I knew we were going back out for sunset pictures later, but I still did a few portraits with Matthew and Taylor near the trees in front of the clubhouse. There are a lot of cars around this parking lot, but I’m pretty good and finding just the right angle to get that pretty sunlight filtering through the trees without distractions in the background.
Mother walking groom to the ceremony - Pawleys Plantation
Bridesmaid walking to the ceremony - Pawleys Plantation
Happy groom - Pawleys Plantation
Bride and father walking through the doors - Pawleys Plantation
Bride walking with father down the aisle - Pawleys Plantation
Bride smiling at groom during the ceremony - Pawleys Plantation
Groom smiling at bride during the ceremony - Pawleys Plantation
Ceremony behind the clubhouse - Pawleys Plantation
Ceremony on the golf course - Pawleys Plantation
Laughter during the ceremony - Pawleys Plantation
Using electric candles during the unity candles - Pawleys Plantation
Groom giving his vows - Pawleys Plantation
Bride listening to vows - Pawleys Plantation
Officiant holding up the ring - Pawleys Plantation
Groom putting on bride's ring - Pawleys Plantation
Laughing during the ceremony - Pawleys Plantation
First kiss - Pawleys Plantation
Happy bride and groom after the ceremony - Pawleys Plantation
Bridal party in front of the clubhouse - Pawleys Plantation
Bridal party in front of the clubhouse - Pawleys Plantation
Bride and groom in front of the clubhouse - Pawleys Plantation
Closeup in front of the clubhouse - Pawleys Plantation
Bride and groom looking into each other's eyes - Pawleys Plantation
Kiss by the entrance - Pawleys Plantation
Touching noses - Pawleys Plantation
Pretty decoration for the seating cards - Pawleys Plantation
Wedding cake - Pawleys Plantation
Cupcakes - Pawleys Plantation
Wedding welcome sign - Pawleys Plantation
Sweetheart table - Pawleys Plantation
Groom's brothers walking into ceremony - Pawleys Plantation
First dance - Pawleys Plantation
Groom dancing with mother - Pawleys Plantation
Sunset pictures on the Golf Course
Annie, the wedding coordinator at Pawleys Plantation, helped me out a lot that day. I knew the time would be tight, so she got everyone into the reception about 15 minutes early for me. This way, the bride and groom could do their intros and first dance and have enough time to make it back out for sunset pictures. I know it’s a pain for the couple to go back out for more photos, but it is so worth it if they can.
We started with pictures on the golf course with the clubhouse and ceremony location in the background. The groom played golf often at Pawley’s Plantation, so I let him drive us around on the golf cart. We went to one of my favorite spots on the marsh, with some old mossy oaks hanging over the water. The angle of the Fall sun was in just the right spot. We got some fantastic pictures with the sunset filtering through the trees and moss in the background.
Something you will notice, which comes from a lot of experience, is that I try to frame the subject using the background. I always love that bright sunlight filtering through the moss and branches, but I’m also careful not to have branches and objects sticking out of their heads. If possible, I try to frame around them with the tree branches in the background. Of course, this isn’t always possible, but in most of my pictures, I’m conscientious about the environment as well.
Kiss on the marsh - Pawleys Plantation
Bride and groom with clubhouse in the background - Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club
Bride and groom with clubhouse in the background - Pawleys Plantation
Dip with clubhouse in the background - Pawleys Plantation
Portrait in front of the marsh - Pawleys Plantation
Looking at each other in front of the marsh - Pawleys Plantation
Closeup backlit by sunset - Pawleys Plantation
Touching noses with sunset in the background - Pawleys Plantation
Kiss in the sunset - Pawleys Plantation
Bride and groom with sun falling behind the old oak - Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club
Kiss with sunlight filtering through the tree - Pawleys Plantation
Groom touching bride's face pulling in for a kiss with clubhouse in the background - Pawleys Plantation
Groom touching bride's face pulling in for a kiss with clubhouse in the background - Pawleys Plantation
Groom lifting bride into the air - Pawleys Plantation
Holding hands walking down the golf course - Pawleys Plantation
Having fun on the golf course - Pawleys Plantation
Bride and groom looking at each other framed by a old oak in the background - Pawleys Plantation
Kiss with moss and sunset in the background - Pawleys Plantation
Bride pulling groom in for a kiss - Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club
Kiss backlit by the sunset - Pawleys Plantation
Groom standing behind the bride - Pawleys Plantation
Portrait on the golf course with marsh in the background - Pawleys Plantation
Flowers in focus - Pawleys Plantation
Big smiles in front of the marsh - Pawleys Plantation
Holding hands looking out at the marsh - Pawleys Plantation
Walking down the golf course together - Pawleys Plantation
Fun at the reception
This reception had a big drinking and partying group and kept my wife busy doing crazy things in the photo booth. They also had a great time on the dance floor. Even the older ones danced most of the evening. They finished the night dancing to Thriller, I haven’t seen that one before. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Please let me know if you are planning a wedding at Pawleys Plantation, and I would be happy to help!
Final hug of the evening - Pawleys Plantation
Fun dancing - Pawleys Plantation
Fun dancing - Pawleys Plantation
Having fun in my photo booth - Pawleys Plantation
Having fun in my photo booth - Pawleys Plantation
Groom dancing with the guys - Pawleys Plantation
Cake cutting - Pawleys Plantation
Cake cutting - Pawleys Plantation
Cake cutting - Pawleys Plantation
Having fun in my photo booth - Pawleys Plantation
Lots of fun on the dance floor during the reception - Pawleys Plantation
Lots of fun on the dance floor during the reception - Pawleys Plantation
Lots of fun on the dance floor during the reception - Pawleys Plantation
Lots of fun on the dance floor during the reception - Pawleys Plantation
Lots of fun on the dance floor during the reception - Pawleys Plantation
Lots of fun on the dance floor during the reception - Pawleys Plantation
Dancing in my photo booth guerrilla mask - Pawleys Plantation
Dancing in a circle - Pawleys Plantation
Getting a little drunk on the dance floor - Pawleys Plantation
Grandparents dancing - Pawleys Plantation
Grandparents dancing - Pawleys Plantation
Having fun on the dance floor - Pawleys Plantation
Having fun on the dance floor - Pawleys Plantation
Having fun on the dance floor - Pawleys Plantation
Last dance to Thriller - Pawleys Plantation