eileen and i first visited palmetto bluff early last year during our savannah “babymoon,” to explore the place’s photographic possibilities. we were booked to shoot a wedding here, and we hadn’t even met the bride yet. living in north carolina, kristi began following our blog and became our self-proclaimed “biggest fan.” we met only later when she and michael came down to georgia for their engagement shoot. so the pressure was on to create something exceptional, a goal we constantly challenge ourselves with. but in this case it quickly became clear, the question wasn’t whether we could find beautiful settings to shoot in — but which ones we would have to omit for sheer lack of time. every corner of this destination is a magazine cover! the resort community seems to spring from the pages of history  — that is, an idealized history of american coastal life with every imaginable amenity. half the size of hilton head island, palmetto bluff is sustained internally by a picturesque small town grocery, pharmacy, restaurant, post office (above), chapel (below), a handful of boutique shops (probably should be spelled “shoppes”), and — of course — a real estate office. these small town storefronts are neatly arranged around a grassy quad, inside of which lie the romanesque ruins of a once spectacular plantation house, which oversaw the waterfront property nearly two centuries ago. for me, just being in a place like this quiets the mind. watching residents ride bicycles to and fro past wrap-around porches hung with vines and set with rocking chairs, i thought to myself, “yup, i could live here.” it all speaks to the value of simplicity. until you stroll down a beaten path that leads to the resort pool and spa, and a modern marina stacked with yachts and jet boats. after that revelation, i was forced to question on matter of principle whether i’d be willing to live with such indulgences within arm’s reach. after brief consideration, i thought to myself, “yup, i could live here!” besides, i figure we could walk to work with all the weddings that take place here. in fact, recent wedding parties here included magic johnson and reese witherspoon. so, yeah, it’s kinda a nice place.

of course, if kristi and michael moved to palmetto bluff with us as neighbors, we’d have a lot more fun! we wish these two didn’t live so far away. the moments eileen and i have spent with kristi and michael have been wonderful and unforgettable — the common thread in all our meetings has been the emotional high we always leave with. kristi radiates a warmness and love for life that is infectious. we love hanging out with her and michael, soaking in all the good vibes and observing the deep affection they share; their shared love for moxie and nyah, their beautiful dogs; their passion for experiencing life and adventure, like their honeymoon dogsledding and hiking glaciers in alaska; their devotion to and love for the family and friends who gathered to support them on this momentous day. we are thankful to have been part of it. thanks, kristi and michael! it’s been indescribably good. we hope to see you sometime and catch up on stories from your arctic adventures. funny thing about that; since the honeymoon destination was going to be a complete surprise to you kristi, i was joking michael planned to take you to the cold heart of sibera (you know, the place where they send government agents who know too much about covert operations). hope i didn’t spoil the surprise. ;P

a couple cool details i forgot to mention about this particular wedding. ashlee perkins of custom cakes, who’s been featured on food network, was awesome. check out the “dog food” she devised — err.. that is, the groom’s cake made to look exactly like moxie and nyah. and how ’bout that swiss family robinson-style tree house!? amazing, right? it’s actually the smaller of the community treehouse playgrounds palmetto bluff kids get to share. (i’d happily live in one of them!)