We are Charleston wedding photographers, so it was just a four-hour drive to join Kelly and Kevin for their Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden wedding near Charlotte, NC.
To add yet another city into the mix, Kelly and Kevin were living in San Francisco when they started looking for wedding photographers near Charlotte, where they both grew up. Just so happens, we used to live in San Francisco as well. So we were off to a great start on the phone with Kelly, comparing notes on the Bay Area and the Carolinas. Photography was a top priority for Kelly – she had high expectations and was happy to spend a lot of time taking photos on the wedding day. That’s a luxury we don’t often get!
Just weeks before their wedding at Daniel Stowe, Kelly and Kevin moved across the country back home to Charlotte to be closer to family. It was a whirlwind month for Kelly, who is a teacher, and Kevin, who works in tech for Adobe. Their wedding weekend was an absolute blast. Their families warmly welcomed us into the mix like old friends. And their friends were cool, hilarious, creative, interesting people with whom we had lots of great conversations throughout the weekend.
This was our first time photographing a Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden wedding, which was expertly coordinated by Morgan Haney of Mint to Be Weddings. We loved that Daniel Stowe is expansive, but not overwhelming. As photographers, it can be exhausting working on a property that’s too big, with all the running around and exploring we do. Daniel Stowe is the perfect size (30 acres) to provide plenty of unique backdrops for photos without running everyone ragged, especially in the summer heat. The ceremony location in the courtyard is so beautiful, and steps away from the main building where the ballroom is. It’s definitely worth it to start portraits while the park is still open so you can do photos in the Butterfly Bungalow and in the tropical plant and orchid conservatory.
Kelly and Kevin had their reception in the ballroom, which is beautifully designed. After dinner and toasts, the dance floor remained packed under the guidance of the superb Dow Oak Events DJ. A sparkler exit closed out the weekend.
Kelly and Kevin’s wedding was in a beautiful place, packed with loving and super-fun people, and filled with all the best kinds of emotions and celebrations. Sometimes we leave a wedding and find that we really miss all those wonderful people we just spent a weekend with. This was definitely one of those. Fortunately, we plan to see a lot more of these two!
Want to see more of our weddings at botanical gardens around the United States? Check out:
Chicago Botanic Garden Wedding
New York Botanical Garden Wedding
Berkeley Botanical Garden Wedding
