Jessica and Jay met online and dated long distance (she was here in Charleston, he was in Connecticut) before she made the move up North. The two came back to visit the Holy City often, though, and...
Here’s a rare wedding bird these days: A Charleston-raised couple prepping to say “I do” here in their own backyard. As Elizabeth and James keep on with the planning, here’s a little about the adorable couple who just so happened to net one of the cutest engagement shoots we’ve seen of late. With shots these lovely, we’re going to have to hunt down their wedding website for sure (creep much?)!
The Wedding Row: Fill in the blank time. You met ___________.
Elizabeth: It seems like we have just known each other all along: our parents live right around the corner from each other, our sisters were close friends in high school, and we have had tons of mutual friends over the years. It was a running joke for a while that we should get together (although our mothers and sisters seemed pretty serious), but the timing was never right. Officially, we met at New Year’s Eve party in 2011. We became friends through our shared love of Harry Potter; in early 2015 James became persistent about “hanging out” every time he was back home from school or work.
TWR: Here’s another. The proposal was ___________.
Elizabeth: My little sister, Caroline, started her own floral design business (Juniper & Jasmine) last December and I quickly became her self-appointed marketing manager and stand-in model when she had extra flowers. Because of this I didn’t think twice when she asked me to do a quick shoot one Saturday morning before James and I were planning to head to High Water Festival. The plan was to head to James’ family’s dock on Sullivan’s; again I didn’t question anything, even when James and his younger sister Hannah rolled up after we’d taken a few very windswept photos. I kept up my mediocre modeling until finally James took the bouquet from me. After he got my attention and I realized he was down on one knee, I naturally freaked out. I was also super hung-up on if Hannah and Caroline had been in on it, and if my dad knew what was going on. Once I finally regained composure we headed back to my parent’s home on the golf cart to see our families. On the ride James had to confirm that my freak-out was in fact a “yes,” which was obviously (to me) the case. Afterward, we headed downtown to Home Team where I was completely surprised by some of my closest friends. The rest of the day was a blur as we hugged, laughed, cried, and celebrated with everyone.
TWR: Well-played, people! How did you choose the places where you’d get your engagement photos taken?
Elizabeth: We were both born and raised here in Charleston, so doing our engagement photos here was never a question. We split up the session between downtown and Sullivan’s Island since those are parts of the city that we really cherish.
TWR: Any advice for engagement photos?
Elizabeth: I don’t know that we are qualified to give any advice because we are so awkward in photos. I am so glad we found Justin with The Happy Bloom because he kept us laughing through the nerves. So tip number one: Find a photographer you feel comfortable with! Also, try not to take things too seriously. I tried to keep in mind that it really was just practice for the Big Day. Last, it definitely doesn’t hurt to grab a drink or two beforehand.
TWR: Anything for you to add, James? Favorite things about each other, anything …?
James: I like that we have complimentary weird personality traits.
Elizabeth: If I had to pick, I would probably agree that our complimentary “weirdness” is a huge factor. I love that we are able to be totally ourselves and bring out the best in each other.
Images by The Happy Bloom
