Magnolia Plantation & Gardens

After our visit to Magnolia Plantation in March, Tyler and I knew we wanted to get engagement pictures taken there. We waited until the summer so all of the flowers would be in bloom. My family and I vacation at Myrtle Beach almost every summer, so we scheduled our engagement pictures during that trip since Charleston is just a couple hours from Myrtle Beach. Here are some pictures from the family vacation. This was the first vacation Tyler had ever been on with us, and I just loved having him there with my family! It was a great trip!

I had been planning for our pictures for months. I needed the perfect outfit, perfect makeup, perfect hair, etc. I had an image in my mind of what I wanted our pictures to look like, and I was hoping they would turn out just as I had imagined. On the day of our pictures, it poured the rain! We were driving from Myrtle Beach to Charleston, and it rained off and on the whole way. At first, I felt a sense of panic, and then I realized the weather was out of my control. I had my new HD foundation on and a UK blue Lilly Pulitzer dress - nothing could mess this day up! I just told my self that my pictures were going to turn out great rain or shine! By the time we arrived at the plantation, the rain had stopped, and it was hot and muggy out. Poor Tyler was so hot in his dress pants, long sleeved shirt, and tie. He was really a trooper. 

When we first started taking the pictures, we both felt a little awkward. The photographer is known for snapping "candids" and not taking really posed shots. After a few minutes (and some tips from Mell), Tyler and I started to get more comfortable in front of the camera. Mell captured some really great shots that day that I will cherish forever! I absolutely love her work. She did such an awesome job! She also photographed my cousin Taylor's wedding, which is how I even heard of her in the first place. Taylor's wedding pictures were stunning! If you are ever in the Charleston, SC area and need a photographer, I highly recommend using Mell Bell with Richard Bell Photography. (Link to see more about Mell Bell) By the end of the session, what my hair and makeup looked like was the last thing on my mind. I was in a beautiful place with the love of my life. Taking the "perfect picture" really didn't seem so important anymore. It really sank in during that photo session that I would be spending the rest of my life with this person, and I couldn't have been more grateful. I know it sounds cheesy, but I had a few epiphanies that day. 1) Life isn't going to be picture perfect. 2) Make the most of what you have. 3) If you are lucky enough to have someone by your side to make you laugh when it rains, you have it all. 

Okay, I am finished being a big cheese ball! Here are some of my favorite pictures from our engagement session! 

After we took our pictures, Tyler had a surprise for me. He made reservations for us at my favorite restaurant in Charleston - Hall's Chophouse. I was so excited to get to go back there. This was the time where the staff recognized us from the trip we had taken in March. It was hard to believe they remembered us from almost 4 months ago! After our wonderful dinner, we headed back to Myrtle Beach and enjoyed the rest of the vacation. 

Doin' The Charleston

In honor of Spring Break coming up soon, I thought I would do a post on my Spring Break trip last year to my absolute favorite city - Charleston, South Carolina. I fell in love with the historic city years ago when I was on vacation with my family. We were staying in Myrtle Beach, and we took a day trip to visit Charleston, SC. My mom shares my love of touring and learning about new places. We have a fascination with the South and plantation homes. We started out taking a bus tour of the city. It gave us a chance to sit back and learn all about the rich history of Charleston.

The next stop was the beautiful Boone Hall Plantation. Several movies and TV shows have been filmed at this famous home like The Notebook and North and South with Patrick Swayze. When we pulled up the long drive lined with Oak trees, I felt like I was going to explode with excitement. The only way I know how to put it is I felt like I was "home." When we made our way to the house, our jaws dropped. We always joke and call our house the plantation, but we didn't know just how much it resembled an actual plantation home. The brick exterior and the white column posts on the large front porch reminded us of our house. When we walked inside, it was almost uncanny how much it looked like our house. Even the layout of the house is like my home. My mother is a true southern belle y'all! I always knew she had the grace and good cooking required of a belle, but now she has the house too! Boone Hall left a lasting impression on me, and it is easily my favorite plantation home I have ever visited.

After such an amazing trip with my family, I knew I just HAD to take Ty to my favorite place on earth. Between school and work, neither of us have much free time. The most convenient time for us to go was on my Spring Break which is in March. South Carolina is always warmer than where I am from, so we figured the weather would be decent. Well y'all, we were wrong! It was rainy, dreary, and freezing the entire trip. In fact, the only day that it warmed up and was sunny was the day we left. Still, a yucky day in Charleston is better than a pretty day anywhere else. 

First stop was of course Boone Hall. Unfortunately, it looks a little different in 80 degree weather than it did on the day I took Tyler. The "Avenue of The Oaks" is not paved, and we did not think Ty's car was going to make it down the long drive of deep mud puddles. It had been raining for days, so the entire property was like one big mud pit. After we toured the house, we walked the grounds. A little rain and cold wasn't going to stop me from showing him "my" plantation home! We only got one picture at Boone Hall that day, and we looked like little wet rats. Still, I loved being back in my favorite city, rain or shine. 

The next day, we took a tour of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. This day was much colder, but at least it did not rain on us. I had heard of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens on my first trip to Charleston, but this was the first time I had ever seen it in person. I knew the intriguing back story of Thomas Drayton, so I just had to see this property. If you've never heard of Magnolia and its history, look it up! It is a very interesting story! My cousin Taylor had a private wedding at Magnolia, and all of her wedding pictures were stunning! After I saw it in person, I knew I wanted to have some photographs of Ty and me there too. We ended up arranging to have our engagement pictures taken there later in the year. 

One unique aspect of the garden at Magnolia is that it is an English style garden, and it was thought that Thomas Drayton introduced the first azaleas to America. Unlike most gardens at this time, the garden at Magnolia was designed to grow freely without being cut/trimmed. The garden has a very romantic feel, and the surrounding waters and bridges make you forget you are just in a garden on someone's yard. It almost feels like you are in another world. One section of the garden is the Biblical Garden that has plants mentioned in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. 

We had such a great day at Magnolia. Our tour guide for the day was a hoot, and I could have listened to her say "Ashley Riva" all day. She was very informative but kept us laughing. At one point, she misplaced the keys to the tour bus, and Tyler had to help her find them. We had lunch at the Peacock Cafe on the grounds at Magnolia, and we were able to watch a short film about the property and family that owned Magnolia. Despite the chilly weather, Ty and I loved Magnolia Plantation, and we were very excited to return that summer for our engagement pictures! 

Ty's birthday is in March, so we decided to celebrate on this trip. I was our "tour guide" since I had visited Charleston a couple times before, but I promised Ty he could pick what we do for an entire day. We toured The Charleston Museum on Meeting Street, and Tyler got to dress up like a confederate soldier! How cute is he?!

Next, we got in the car and headed toward Charleston Harbor. We took a short boat ride out to Fort Sumter, the starting place of the Civil War on April 12, 1861. Since we were out on the water, the wind was blowing like crazy. I thought I was going to tip over it was blowing so hard! We took a quick walk around the grounds, and then I made my way to the indoor museum. The picture below shows the before and after of our Fort Sumter visit! I was freezing and not happy, but we really did enjoy it. I am glad I can say I visited the actual place of the start of the Civil War.  

We finished the trip off with an amazing dinner at Hall's Chophouse. If you ever go to Charleston, SC and don't stop at Hall's, you're doing it all wrong. This place has the best steaks ever hands down! The restaurant is ran by a family (father, mother, and their two sons). They greet you at the door when you walk in, and they always have a pianist there playing and singing to entertain you. They will come around and see if you would like a drink while you wait for your table. It is just a top of the line experience. We have visited Hall's again since this trip, and they remembered us. I was in complete shock the second time we went there when they recognized us since we are not locals or regulars. That just shows you how attentive this family is to their customers and the service this restaurant offers! 

It was great to take my favorite person to my favorite city! We had a great time, and Tyler has a newfound love for Charleston, SC.