Amber & Phil | Cannon Green



Amber and Phil met while working in the same nonprofit organization together in Washington, D.C. Three years later, during a hike in Great Falls, Virginia (the same place where they did their first hike together years prior), Phil surprised Amber with a blanket spread out with flowers and a video playing on a laptop, which included snippets of advice and blessings from family and friends. And what came next? You guessed it, ladies and gentlemen. He got down on one knee and asked THE question. After Amber let out the biggest “yes,” a photographer snuck out from behind her hiding place and the affianced couple had an engagement session, right there on the spot.

For their wedding, the two chose Sarah Beach Photography to capture their Cannon Green nuptials. For Amber, hiring a shutterbug who photographed interracial couples well was something at the top of her priority list and when Amber’s maid on honor found Sarah on Instagram, Amber was immediately smitten. “My mom is dark-skinned, I’m medium-skinned, Phil, his family, and my dad’s family are fair-skinned,” she tells us. “It can be really hard to capture that range well without washing anyone out or turning anyone into a shadow.”

As for our favorite part about this wedding? The incredibly fun portraits that Sarah captured on the sidewalk near the venue. Amber tells us that she isn’t a fan of typical wedding poses so she asked Sarah to focus on the spontaneous, candid shots. (Those are a little more enjoyable anyway, right?) And, since everyone in the bridal party just so happens to be a ham in front of the camera, the photos turned out better than expected. “I think we’ll definitely hang some in our living room and bedroom,” Amber says. “We realized we don’t have any pictures of us hanging at all, so it’ll be a nice addition.” Cheers to the new Mr. and Mrs. on a lifetime of happiness.

Photographer: Sarah Beach Photography | Wedding Coordinator: Bouquets and Bowties | Venue: Cannon Green | Photo Location:  86 Cannon | DJ: Bunn DJ Company | Floral: We Are Petaloso | Hair and Makeup: Shadows and Shears | Bridal Attire: BHLDN | Bridesmaid Attire: Show Me Your Mumu | Groom and Groomsmen Attire: Zara | Getting ready location: Planter’s Inn

The Wedding Row

August 12 2019
We love it when Charleston is the backdrop for a budding romance, and we love it even more when a couple who started here returns for their “I do’s.” So it went with Amanda and Joey, who both...

August 12 2019
When a gal can name how many days she’s dated her beau (“One thousand and nine, but who’s counting?” laughs Erin), you know she’s ready for him to put a ring on it. When Matthew obliged, he and his...

August 8 2019
Sometimes it’s just so better said coming straight from the bride, so away we go into hearing it all from Houstin, Texas, resident Megan… (besides, we’re pretty sure we couldn’t get away with calling...

August 8 2019
We’re sure that Laura and Brian wanted their wedding day at Lowndes Grove Plantation to go on forever, because, duh, but we have to say we want it to, too! Why, now? Take a look at their insanely...

August 7 2019
Leave it to a couple from Texas to make a big splash of a wedding here in Charleston. Not only did Alicia and Walker pick an iconic mansion, the William Aiken House, for their reception, but they...

August 6 2019
“For months before the wedding,” says Mike, “Taryn would say, ‘Just wait! You won’t believe how amazing this day is going to be.’ ”And amazing it was. From the perfectly planned pink palette to the...

July 31 2019
August is just around the corner (like tomorrow, oh-em-gee) and school is about to be back in session. Do we hear all of those moms emitting a sigh of relief? To celebrate the end of this dreadfully...

July 30 2019
Kelly and Will met in an elementary school in 2013 … not while they were attending, of course, but while they were both teaching in Cleveland, Mississippi, for Teach for America Corps. Every...