Katie and Robert chose the Old Sheldon Church Ruins as the site for their engagement session. Having lived in South Carolina for a few months at this point, having new locations to explore had become a lot of fun for me. Although the Old Sheldon Church Ruins are well known in the area, and are a popular spot for tourists for sight-seeing, my first thought was about how unique and versatile this location is, especially for some beautiful photos.

Katie, Robert, and I spent the session exploring the gorgeous grounds – huge oak trees draped in Spanish moss, numerous expanses of lush grass, beautiful golden light peeking through the leaves, and of course, the ruins themselves. The setting for the engagement session really complemented the couple’s eclectic, whimsical style..more on that in an upcoming wedding post! 🙂 The history and age of the site, as well as the surrounding grounds, really lent for a one of a kind engagement session.

We chatted during the session, and I learned what a sweet love this couple has for each other. I love their proposal story – Robert proposed while they were visiting his native Costa Rica. We talked about each side of the family and how important that is, Robert’s love of biking and his treasured bike, Katie’s gorgeous, long, red hair, and monkeys! (Being new in the area, I was informed about Morgan/Monkey Island). Although it had started to get hot outside, we had fun walking and talking while shooting in the different areas.

I love the nostalgic, bohemian, and somewhat offbeat look to these photos. The time of day gave us gorgeous light to photograph here, and I now recommend this spot for some lovely photos!

If you’re unsure of the perfect engagement session location for you, here are some things to think about. I will go deeper into this for another post, as it’s a great topic!

– What is your style? Finding a place that resonates with your style and who you are may be a great idea.

– What do you expect the end result to be/look like?

– Are you willing to travel a bit, or would you rather stay local?

– Are any places you’re thinking about open to the public? Do they require a photography permit?

– Is it easy to get around at the site itself, is there hiking involved?

– Is there enough variety at the location? To me, this and the first point are both SUPER important.

Again, I will go more in depth soon!

Also, stay tuned for an upcoming post, featuring Katie and Robert and their Beaufort Inn Wedding, from this past May.