Kat & Joe know how to get the adrenaline pumping for their traveling wedding photographers. We are wanderlusters at heart. Bouncing around from one stunning destination to the next. And it’s because of couples like Kat & Joe that we are lucky enough to see new places and explore to our hearts’ content. Their Charleston South Carolina wedding took us on a road trip from New England to Alexandria, VA and on to Charlotte, NC.
We visited the Wired Goat in Columbia, SC with $54 coffee from Yemen. Visited past and future couples, discovered amazing vegan spots like Fresca on Addison in Richmond, VA. And rung in the New Year with a amazing nighttime wedding on a former ferry terminal, Alhambra Hall.
It’s because of our travels that Kat & Joe came into our lives. Spending chunks of our winter on Oahu, we were introduced to them by another couple. Kat had recently moved to Hawaii to be with Joe, a submariner stationed at Pearl Harbor on the USS Texas. They met while Joe was stationed in South Carolina, where Kat is from. When he was relocated to Hawaii, Kat followed, getting a job at an orthopedic office.
We have great admiration for Kat in her adventurous spirit. Moving 5,000 miles from family to an island where she knew virtually no one to be with a man who was gone for months at a time is nothing short of courageous. Knowing Kat, you’d have no hesitation believing she could thrive anywhere. With a hint of Southern drawl and a love for fried Oreos, she is willing to try most anything and eager to explore. Her time in Hawaii quickly became filled with bike rides around town, hikes along mountain ridges, discovery of the best acai bowls and sweet treats, and a loving group of friends.
Kat’s smile is infectious, with a calm fun-loving personality to match. Joe is goofy, adventurous and the type you’d put in charge when stranded on a desert island. We can say this with certainty after the time we spent with him on the USS Texas. Having just docked from months offshore, Kat brought us on base for a private tour. Joe led us through the entire sub answering our oodles of questions and enduring our references to The Hunt for Red October. We were blown away by his depth of knowledge, ability to live in a dark claustrophobic cave, and patience with our childlike giddiness.
You can imagine how difficult it is to succeed in a long distance relationship. Try doing it with your partner under water and out of communication. Kat & Joe pull it off with a sense of ease and fun. When Joe pops up on the coast of Japan, Kat flies to Tokyo for a few days of exploration.
During Joe’s time at home, they take their dog, Indy, on hikes, island hop to see volcanoes and waterfalls. Or hit up food truck events, concerts, navy balls. Their adventures pop up in our Instagram feeds with total fun randomness. From sitting cross-legged at temples in Korea, orange-clad at Clemson football games in SC, and hipster outfits for a Monsters & Men concert. They are downright fun.
The wedding was no exception. Bringing Joe’s Rochester, NY roots together with Kat’s South Carolina clan, it was a merge of cultures and talent. High school band friends played for the processional. Joe’s childhood buddies mixed with the Navy Dress Blues. A table full of donuts in the shape of the USS-Texas. A buffet of shrimp & grits, chicken & waffles. And a cake cutting with a naval sword. Not to mention the ceremony below a chandelier at the edge of the Charleston Harbor.
The wedding gathered the people in their lives that brought them to that moment, and filled the night with celebration and love. Brought to life with an incredible South Carolina band and capping in a New Year’s celebration. In a sense it was a last hurrah. Having just packed up their Hawaii home, said goodbye to the USS-Texas and friends made along the way, life was about to take an entirely new direction.
Three days after the wedding, Kat moved to Rhode Island to start PA school. Joe moved into an apartment near his new assignment in Norfolk, VA. Typically marriage is the beginning of a new chapter that involves a heightened level of togetherness. The fact that these two will be starting new lives so far apart is really par for their course. Doing things in a traditional manner really isn’t their style. To drive across country they didn’t just feel the drag of being stuck in a car for 2500 miles, they got face paint and made themselves up to look like zombies.
So marriage might not look like a white picket fence and Volvo in the driveway, but it promises plenty of adventure for these two. We can only imagine the future posts, random happenings at border crossings, street food from questionable vendors, and maybe even relocating to the same zip code! These two inspire us to keep venturing outside of our comfort zone, embrace life’s lemons with two glasses and some sweetener, and always keep smiling. Adventure on!
Traveling wedding photographers Charleston SC. details:
Alhambra Hall – Wedding Venue
Ultimate Sound Band – The Band
Beautiful Bride Events – Wedding Planner
Charleston Uplighting – Lighting
Maggie Sottero – Bridal Gown
Madison Jewelers – Wedding Bands
Artistic Eye Productions – Videography
Invitations by Dawn – Stationery
Publix – Bakery
Charleston Cafe – Catering
Bring Your Own Bartender – Bartender
Looking for traveling wedding photographers for your far away wedding? Or maybe your planning your adventure a little closer to home, give us a call and see if we’re the right photographers for you.
