The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards Lakehouse

Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

Our Wedding

Our story begins as many do, with a moment of great fortune and a bit of bad luck. It should come as no great surprise to those that know Val that once I met her, there was no turning back. The only problem was, at the time, she was living in Charleston and I in Baltimore. Oh that, and the fact that she had no interest in me, but that's a small detail. At about this same time my sister had just moved to the Charleston area, so it came to my attention that I should visit her more frequently. I made sure to let Val know I would be in the area and that my sister is often very busy so I might appreciate having someone to meet up with. I can still remember waiting on the access ramp to the beach on Sullivan's Island watching the minutes tick past the time we were supposed to meet. Of course now I know that Val isn't the type to be a no show, but at the time, you can only imagine my nerves. Apparently there was traffic, but eventually we got to go for our walk, where I think both of us were surprised at how well we got along. Now at this point, I was all in. Val, on the other hand, had to think about moving to Florida and starting a new life at grad school and some other excuses. Oh, and she still wasn't convinced about me! That said, I continued to find ways to talk with her and continued to "visit" my sister. While it took me a total of 6 months to get Val to admit she may actually kinda maybe like me, it opened up a whole new chapter in our lives. One where, even though we were now (Baltimore - Florida) a 12.5 hour drive away we could still be supportive and kind and honest, and while I do not pine for the days of long distance I do think it was pivotal in shaping who we are together. The next chapter in our lives involved a lot of car rides and plane trips but eventually I found a pretty compelling reason to apply to grad school at UF. Oh, and Val just happened to be going there as well… Grad school was a fun time for us, not because we were in a "party town" but because our flexible schedules allowed us to explore some new interests. Val's friend Will, (who I subsequently stole as my friend), introduced us to fish tanks. We started climbing, diving in the springs, and making trips to the keys for Val's research. Exploring the last four (five? Yikes.) years with Austin has been such a joy. Upon first meeting him, all I could think about was, "wow he has HUGE hair", but I soon learned that his huge curls matched his huge heart. I am so incredibly glad he gave me no choice but to fall for him and as we settle into our new life in Greenville, SC I can't imagine having anyone else by my side.

Our Story

Sunday Brunch

A brunch will be held on Sunday from 9:00 to 12:00 at the Cliffs Vineyards Clubhouse. This will be set up in a buffet style so please feel free to come and go as you please! Dress: Sunday Brunch casual.

Details

Photos

Wedding Party

Q + A

Registry

Greenville-Spartanburg Airport - 33 miles awayAsheville Airport - 35 miles away

Airports

Our wedding ceremony and reception will be held at the Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards in Sunset, SC. A limited number of cottages are available to rent which range from 2 to 8 bedrooms. This would be ideal for families and friends traveling together! You would have full access to all the amenities the Cliffs offers (golf course, spa, lake, boats, fitness center, ect...). Houses must be rented as a whole, but even if you don't have enough people to rent a full house, please get in touch and we will orchestrate a beneficial arrangement for all (We think this is the best option and are planning the logistics with the assumption that people will be staying at the Cliffs)! Please contact Karen and Mark Upham at karenmyersupham@gmail.com for housing information.

At the wedding/reception site

There are a few cabins that are located at Table Rock State Park. This would be about a 20 minute drive from our wedding ceremony. If this is something that interests you, reserve soon as as possible as October is a popular camping/hiking season up here!

Table Rock State Park Cabins

There are a variety of hotel options if you should choose to stay in Greenville, SC. The drive to our wedding venue will take approximately an hour. We recommend staying downtown as the city has lots to offer, but if you are looking for more affordable options, Woodruff road has some great hotels as well.

Greenville, SC

Travel

The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards offers plenty of activities on site (check out their webpage <a href="http://cliffsliving.com/communities/the-cliffs-at-keowee-vineyards/">http://cliffsliving.com/communities/the-cliffs-at-...</a>), but there is also tons to do around the area! This is a great spot for hiking up in the mountains. Some of our favorite hiking spots are at Paris Mountain. Easy half mile loops as well longer, more strenuous hikes are available. Biking is huge up here, with several mountain trails extending into the Blue ridge Mountains. If city life is what you crave, then we highly recommend checking out downtown Greenville. A long main street houses several restaurants and ends up at the beautiful Falls park. We like to walk the bridge and watch kayakers streak through the miniature "rapids". Asheville is also a great artsy town located in the NC mountains. Asheville has a strong music scene and you can find lot's of farm-to-table restaurants downtown.

Austin & Valeska

Austin & Valeska

Details

Sunday Brunch

Sunday Brunch