The Yarborough Wedding at The Lace House
I had an amazing time with Gretchen and Phil for their beautiful wedding at the Lace House at the Governor's Mansion in November. I've done many portraits at the Lace House, but this was my first wedding - and I had been waiting a long time for this venue! I believe Gretchen was referred to me by a previous client, and when her and Phil came in for the consultation, I knew I recognized Phil from somewhere! I've been doing the Lexington County Council's inauguration for the last 10 years or so, and Phil has served a few terms on the Council! And Gretchen has just started her own dental practice in Peak, SC called Peak Dental. Be sure to check her out for your dental needs!
We did their engagement portraits at the Botanical Gardens and her bridals at the Lace House. Most of her family came in from Ohio, where she's originally from. The girls started the day in the bridal suite of the Lace House, and I have to say it is probably the best bridal suite I've ever been in. It's HUGE! And there's so much beautiful light from the windows, and a gorgeous wrap-around porch! It's a dream to shoot in. The boys started the day across the street at a groomsman's law office. After getting some great coverage of the girls, the team and I crossed the street to get some footage of the groomsmen.
Right as we walked in the door of the law office, the first thing I hear is a groomsman yelling "we gotta take you to the ER now!" The fellas were wrestling around a little bit, because you know - boys will be boys, and Phil ended up with a big gash in his eyebrow! Phil asks me "You don't think I need to go to the ER, do you?" I had no idea what to say, we were about an hour away from the ceremony! Finally, the guys make the call that they have to try and get him to the doctor, and luckily we saw Gretchen's parents on the way to the car. We didn't want to freak Gretchen out, so the parents, groomsmen, and I decided we'd keep this little incident to ourselves for now.
Luckily, about 5 minutes prior to the ceremony (and after Gretchen asking about Phil's whereabouts like 10 times lol!), Phil comes in with 12 stitches just in the knick of time! And the best part - you couldn't even see that he had stitches! I won't lie, about 15 minutes prior to the ceremony, I was really worried if we were going to pull this off, and then everything went SO smoothly!
After a beautiful ceremony in the garden, the couple took a quick carriage ride. We knocked out the formals in the courtyard area, and the food was being served inside the Lace House. Carol from By Invitation Only had the reception looking absolutely stunning, and kept the party moving right along. The entire event had a beautiful elegance, and I was very impressed with Carol's professionalism. One of my favorite DJ's, Dave Gilbert from Party Time DJ's kept the guests entertained and the dance floor packed. "Sandstorm" kicked off the open dance party, and everyone was waving their shirts! He always has great interaction with the crowd, and this time did something I hadn't seen yet, a lip-sync karaoke battle! Gretchen and the bridesmaids ended up taking it down in a close race!
I love when a wedding has great speeches during the toasts. And this wedding party delivered! All of the speeches were heartfelt, funny, and had everyone in tears. Gretchen and Phil are both so incredibly photogenic, especially together, that our portrait sessions were all top notch! I especially love the portrait by the fountain at the end of the night. I love how the Lace House has so many different "segments" to the setup. They had an outdoor dance floor, with a giant, overlooking porch. They had the buffet on the bottom floor, and the cake cutting on the second floor - with a pretty epic cake smash. Party Time DJ's also provided the event lighting, and it looked SO AWESOME on the trees and side of the Lace House. It really looked like an outdoor nightclub in the middle of the Governor's Mansion!
I became very close with Gretchen and Phil during the course of their wedding. This is a young, fun couple destined for great things! You can see and feel the passion and raw emotion in these images. Also be on the lookout for the wedding highlight film in the coming months! I'm so happy for these two, and I'm honored to have been a part of your celebration. I hope you and your loved ones enjoy these images for the rest of your lives!
Thanks for reading! I'm Trevor Mercer, a wedding photographer from Columbia, SC. I've been photographing weddings for over 10 years, and as a second-generation wedding photographer, I literally grew up in the business. I'm now providing wedding photography and videography for weddings in my state and well beyond, and I'm a 2016 & 2017 winner in the Knot's Best of Weddings. I decided to start a blog and share everything I've learned about weddings through the years, and I hope it helps make your wedding planning a little easier. Please subscribe, share, and comment with your input or questions! See everything about me at www.TrevorMercer.com
