Some weddings you photograph. Some you get to be part of history for. This one was the second kind.

In April of this year, Jamie and Peyton became the very first couple to say “I do” at Orange Grove a nearly 300-year-old estate on St. Helena Island that only just opened its gates to weddings this year. No prior gallery to reference. No “here’s how it usually looks” to lean on. Just an extraordinary piece of Lowcountry land, a couple willing to be first, and me, trying very hard not to lose my composure every time I looked up at the oaks.

I am still thinking about it.

The Venue, In Case You Haven’t Heard

Orange Grove is set on the banks of Wallace Creek, a private estate that only recently opened for its very first weddings and events. You feel the beauty the second you turn down the drive the tabby ruins standing quietly at the edge of the meadow, the oaks dripping Spanish moss like they’ve been rehearsing for this exact kind of afternoon for two hundred years, the ponds where swans and flamingos genuinely just… glide by, unbothered, like they know they’re in a wedding photo.

It is, in a word, unfair. Unfair how good the light is. Unfair how every single angle already looks like it was styled by a magazine editor with unlimited budget and excellent taste. And I got to be the first person to prove it on camera.

I loved it here. Immediately, unreasonably.

The Day

Jamie got ready in the newly renovated home, golden light coming through the windows like it had been ordered special for their day. A calm, stunning morning as they were getting ready for their day.

Being First

There’s something a little wild about being the first anyone at a place like this, the first bride down that oak drive, the first reception under those trees, the first gallery that will ever exist of Orange Grove as a wedding venue. Jamie and Peyton didn’t just get married here. They set the tone for every wedding that happens at Orange Grove from now on. They arrived to the reception by boat, iconic in itself. I had so much fun riding with them and we captured some amazing shots!

Why I’ll Be Back

I take on 15 weddings a year, on purpose. I’d rather know a venue, a couple, a florist’s whole vision than spread myself thin across more days I can’t be fully present for. Orange Grove is officially one of those places I’ll say yes to again without thinking twice. It’s romantic without trying, scenic effortlessly, and genuinely one of the most photogenic properties I’ve worked in the Lowcountry and I’ve worked in a lot of them. And the icing on the cake is Ashley Rhoades the icon herself is the venue coordinator running the show!

If you’re planning a wedding on St. Helena Island, or just want a venue that looks like it was pulled out of a Southern Living dream sequence, Orange Grove deserves a spot on your list.

The Details

Venue: Orange Grove Photography: Christi Clark Photography Planning: Amy Lane Weddings