A Piney Grove Ranch Wedding in Gray Court, SC | Sophia & Josh

As Sophia walked up to meet Josh on their very first date, a street musician began playing "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran - a message from the universe if I've ever heard one.

It was only fitting that years later, as Sophia once again walked towards Josh, this time in a beautiful white gown, that song played yet again.

Sophia and Josh were married at Piney Grove Ranch in Gray Court, South Carolina, on an October afternoon that gave us soft light and beautiful weather the entire day. As a wedding photographer who works across Upstate SC, Greenville, and the Blue Ridge Mountains region, I'm always glad for a reason to shoot at Piney Grove Ranch — the pond, the open space, and the tucked-away wooded spaces give a day like this a lot to work with.

Before the ceremony, Sophia and Josh exchanged private vows to each other, just the two of them. I love photographing this for a lot of my couples because it tends to bring out something more unguarded than the ceremony itself. This day was no exception; there were plenty of tears before they'd even made it down to the pond.

The couple held their ceremony down by the pond, with the water and tree line as the backdrop.  Sophia's mother officiated the wedding, lending the ceremony a personal emotional weight and much warm love for her daughter and new son-in-law. Sophia's family is from Argentina, and a number of her relatives traveled in for the wedding. It's always worth noting when a guest list represents that kind of distance; it emphasizes that the wedding day is about the couple, yes, but all the many forces that shaped them as individuals and brought them together, and a love that crosses space and time. Josh's wedding ring was a family heirloom, his late father's, representing his presence and love across space and time as well.

The father-daughter dance was one of my favorite moments of the evening; Sophia danced with her father to "Color Esperanza" by Diego Torres. It was one of the more emotional moments of the day as they both sang along and danced under the lights of the deck. And then - the real partying began!

Sophia and Josh - it was absolutely a joy working with you for your wedding day. May your lives together be as blessed as your wedding day was!

A huge shoutout to my assistant photographer for this wedding, Kayla of Kayla Susie Photography! Many of her gorgeous shots are included below. A full vendor list can be found at the bottom of the post.