Lauren & Ben | Engagement Session



We share engagement sessions every so often and while they are always beautiful, none have stuck out in our mind as much as this one below. Lauren and Ben met their photographer, Charlie Martin, at a local brewery—ummm, so cool— where they sipped on local brews, made lovey-dovey eyes across the table at one another, and then headed to Hampton Park for both candid and posed photos. We can’t say for certain but we have a sneaking suspicion that sessions of these sort, featuring unique locations, may be trending very soon. Just something to keep in mind for all those newly engaged … But back to Lauren and Ben’s story. The pair met many years ago while discussing Harry Potter in their youth group. Ben was an avid Potterhead, and Lauren, it seems not as much so. She asked the entire group, “Why would you all even read the books when there are movies?” For anyone that isn’t aware, to only watch the movies and not read the books first is a disservice to the whole story. Well, at least that was what Ben thought when those words popped out her mouth. He remembered Lauren for that reason and that reason only and years later, when the two met again, tried “spitting game” (his words) at Lauren, teasing her about that comment. While the two bantered back and forth, they quickly realized how well they got along with one another. Two years later, Ben was proposing to Lauren in Ireland. And to recap it all, let’s hear from Ben on his seven steps for an epic proposal:

[1] Book a trip to Ireland.

[2] Surprise her by having her best friends arrive in Ireland.

[3] Really sell her that the whole surprise was her friends’ appearance and not anything else.

[4] Skip all likely places for said proposal. (Cliffs of Moher)

[5] Take her to the top of an historic castle.

[x] Make her hang upside down off the side of the top of said humongous castle and kiss The Blarney Stone.

[x] Be on bended knee when she comes back up with the ring.

Images: Charlie Martin Photography | Beauty: Pink Dot Beauty Bar | Venues: Charles Towne Fermentory and  Hampton Park |

The Wedding Row

March 4 2019
Even though Anna, a Wilmington native, and Bobby, who is from Mount Pleasant, dated for over four years after swiping right on each other, they never really talked about getting married … they just...

March 1 2019
Kitty and Kyle met during their freshman year at Clemson, but they didn’t begin dating until they got to know each other as study partners a few years later. After two years, a move to Charleston,...

February 28 2019
Bissell and Jack may live in Atlanta, but Charleston has played a large part in their relationship, from their dating days through their engagement and now with their wedding. Bissell’s mother is...

February 27 2019
Today’s styled shoot takes place on the patio of 5Church, a downtown church-turned-restaurant that doubles as a wedding venue. Nicki Paige, owner of wedding planning company Nicki Paige Collection,...

February 26 2019
Christa met Andrew when she first moved into the same Charlotte, North Carolina, townhome complex as him in 2013. For a while, they were just passing acquaintances, until he asked her out for drinks...

February 25 2019
We’ve got the world of modern dating to thank for this gorgeous celebration at Boone Hall Plantation. Christiana and Bud met on Tinder, and after chatting on the app for a while, they met up for a...

February 22 2019
Nadja and Ryan both grew up in Sarasota, Florida, but they didn’t meet until they were in college (and on her 21st birthday, no less). A decade of dating later, he surprised her with a 10th...

February 21 2019
We so want to be friends with these two Charleston high-school sweethearts. Ask when they met and Jackie will tell you it was went they were 15 years old, she was in braces, and neither could drive...