Given my fondness for the Lowcountry’s magnificent trees, you can imagine I was pretty excited when Meg and Danny secured me to photograph their spring wedding at historic McLeod Plantation. Meg used to work for the SC Department of Natural Resources, and she’s currently employed by the Forest Service in Virginia, so it’s safe to say she may have an even greater love for trees. Naturally, she and Danny wanted to incorporate some of her fave flora in their engagement photos, so we planned to shoot at her favorite Lowcountry escape, Botany Bay Plantation. As is recommended with this special wildlife management area, she called ahead to make sure there were no planned hunts or closures during the time they took off to drive down from Virginia. We were excited to get the thumbs-up, and I just eager to visit Botany Bay again with clients, since I’d been before with family.

Well, what is that old adage about the best laid plans going awry? Ironically, Mother Nature had other ideas, and after I scooped the couple (following Meg’s hair and makeup session), we drove to Botany Bay, only to find the gates locked with a sign referencing the dirt roads being too damaged from all the autumn rains. We snapped a few photos beneath the sunlit canopy of twisty oaks and begged a couple of passersby for more info. We were told Botany Bay would probably be open again the next day, but Meg and Danny had plans in other parts of SC for the rest of the weekend.

I thought of a nearby property where I photographed a beautiful bridal portrait session and wondered if there was any chance of spontaneously gaining access to take a few photos there before dark settled over Edisto. Meanwhile, Meg was talking to a charming Botany Bay volunteer who was heading home, and she offered to make a call to a friend to explain our unusual predicament. Can you believe we were thinking of the same place? Mrs. Murray at Cypress Trees Plantation was kind enough to let us pop over for some portraits. Cypress Trees is a beautiful piece of property and hosts a handful of weddings each year.
If you like happy couples beneath cotton candy skies, I hope you’ll recommend or share this post. Here are more images from Cypress Trees Plantation. Please reach out if you’re looking for a laid-back Charleston photographer who enjoys the outdoors!