RF Wedding of the Week: Melanie Nashan Gets Personal in Charleston

September 18, 2014

By Jacqueline Tobin

Melanie Nashan is a pal of ours from way back, and we always see her at WPPI usually wearing her adorable camera cowboy boots. But the reason for this Livingston, Montana, photographer’s longevity is clear in her images: she develops a relationship with her clients and photographs them in a personal, loving way. Such is the case with Josh and Stefani—who were married in Charleston, S.C.

Nashan happened to have a personal connection to the groom: Also a photographer, he and Nashan both worked with Palmetto Medical Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating self-sustaining medical facilities around the world.

“[Josh] and I travelled to Uganda to photograph and create a video of their efforts,” Nashan says. “We spent a lot of time wandering the countryside, with and without armed body guards photographing the landscape and people. When Josh got engaged, he asked me to photograph the wedding.”

“One of the moments I loved the most was when Stefani gave Josh his wedding present,” Nashan says. “We went outside under an awning so he could open it and I could photograph him in the natural light.  His gift was a perfectly chosen vintage camera and Josh’s expressions were so emotive, even if his hair and boxes were being blown everywhere.

Although the rain and wind forced the ceremony inside at Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens, Nashan made do.

Calling herself a “minimalist,” her gear bag included a: Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 430EX II Speedlite with 17-40mm 4L, 35 MM 1.4L, 50 MM 1.2L, 24-70 2.8L and 70-200 MM 2.8L lenses. Of course she also toted a backup camera and flash in her Lowepro Nova 4AW bag.

 “One of the other details that I loved about the wedding was that instead of cutting a cake Josh and Stefani roasted their first S’mores together,” Nashan says.

Congrats to Stefani and Josh! Visit Nashan Photographers to see more of Melanie Nashan’s work.

To submit a Wedding of the Week, email Jessica Gordon.

Past Weddings of the Week:

Illinois Apple Orchard Wedding Ceremony by Steve Sangalang 

There Will Be Props—Mauro Cantelmi Photography

Tec Petaja Shoots Lifestyle Photographer Justin Chung in Carmel