I’m so excited to share these photos, today. Not just because it was my first-ever time visiting the absolutely charming city of Charleston (that completely lived up to all the hype, by the way) but because of what these photos, and this trip, represent.

For anyone who may have been following me (and any of these other ladies) on Instagram and saw the hashtag #UnitedInCharleston….you may have wondered just what it was we were all doing together for the week. Simply put, it was vacation. A retreat. Time away. It was a reunion of sorts. While many of us already knew each other, we were brought together in a specific way last year (that DID happen to be during a conference) through late night conversations, sharing of hearts, and God doing some amazing work in our lives. Though it was photography that took us all to that same conference, it was the Lord that bonded us together during those few days in a way that had nothing to do with photography. And that has been so beautiful to see.

So we wanted to take some intentional time together to give room for the Lord to continue those bonds, deepen those friendships, and refresh our hearts before the craziness of wedding season sets in. A trip set up with no expectations, no sessions to attend, no required photography shoots, and it couldn’t have been more perfectly what we all needed. I’m so grateful for the time we had together, for the conversations, the laughter, the spontaneous photo opportunities, the devotional times, and even the tears. These girls are each such a gift in my life. So grateful I got to explore such a beautiful city with such beautiful souls! And I know this is way too many photos to share….but I just couldn’t help myself!

After exploring the city on the first day, we headed out to Boone Hall Plantation for a full afternoon on the second day. The grounds are so beautiful, especially the driveway of trees covered in Spanish Moss. I’m pretty sure we could have all photographed there all day!

And then, of course, we spent much more time wandering the charming downtown area for the rest of the week. Thanks to Jill for grabbing some shots of me with my camera! I love how colorful everything is and how well my mustard yellow accented the fun houses. ;)

We all joked that Katelyn is destined to live in Charleston at some point because the whole city is full of “Katelyn colored” houses!

Seriously, it was such an amazing week. I love each of these girls with all my heart! Annamarie, Ali, Anna, Caroline, Katelyn, Katie, Natalie, Nikki, Jill, and Lauren – thank you for your friendships, your encouragement, and your beautiful hearts! (If you don’t already follow them and their work, you should probably fix that asap…)

Happy Thursday, friends!