Merchants Hall Wedding in Charleston

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Joanne and Brandon’s Merchants Hall Wedding reminded me of an old Hollywood movie. Everything about their wedding felt timeless, and the overall vibe from these two was amazing!

Their love story started when they were both attending the College of Charleston. They shared the same friend group and were eventually introduced to one another.

Brandon created such a sweet surprise proposal for Joanne. They were on Sullivan’s Island when he asked her to marry him. She even had two friends fly in to take photos with her. After he proposed, they headed to her parent’s house, and there was a surprise engagement party! Many family and friends were there to celebrate this new beginning for them. I photographed their engagement pictures around Charleston, and I have to share some of my favorites!

The night before their wedding, they held a Vietnamese tea ceremony at I’On Chapel in Mount Pleasant. I loved witnessing the traditional tea ceremony! In this ceremony, the groom’s family asks the bride’s family for her hand in marriage, and the two families are united. Once Brandon and his parents approached Joanne’s family, they went to I’On Chapel. A presentation of gifts is then given to the bride’s family, each gift symbolizing good fortune.

Following the acceptance of the gifts, Joanne and Brandon honor their ancestors. Afterward, tea is served to the grandparents and both parents of the children, and both families are reunited. Once all the traditional events were over, we took a few portraits of the two of them in their Ao Dai. This was a great way to begin their wedding weekend, and I really enjoyed being a part of it! Enjoy some of my favorites from their Vietnamese tea ceremony, and continue scrolling to see more from their wedding day!

On their wedding day, we couldn’t have asked for more perfect fall weather! They had their ceremony at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church. It was a lovely ceremony, and religion is significant to them and how their bond grew as a couple.

They rented a vintage car and used it for their getaway from the ceremony. I always recommend not getting the car for the reception exit. You would think it’s the opposite, but hear me out. When you’re exiting your reception, everything goes so fast, and you’ve only got about 30 seconds for photos with it, plus it’s usually dark out! But when you rent it throughout the day, you can use it for most of your portraits! Besides getting more use out of the car, we also benefit from daylight, and these images will always be some of my favorites!

Instead of having a cake cutting, they did a fun champagne tower at their reception, with a toast to follow! Champagne towers are the trend right now, and I am here for it! As a reminder, your wedding day is for both of you, so you should be able to do anything you want! If you’re not interested in cutting a cake? No worries!

It brings me so much joy to be alongside my couples through their engagement! Guiding them through wedding planning, photographing engagement photos, and then showing up on one of the best days of their lives. It’s so, so special!

Brandon and Joanne, I am so happy for you two. Congratulations! Here are some of my favorites from their Merchants Hall wedding, and also checkout their Charleston wedding video!