Top Wedding Venues in South Carolina | Bluffton, Beaufort, Hilton Head, Lowcountry | Wedding Photographer
Planning a wedding can be daunting, especially if you don’t work in the industry or know much about it at all. In this series I’m going to walk you through the steps to plan a perfect wedding! In this post I’m going to tell you about the top venues in the Lowcountry, and in other posts I’ll share the top Planners, DJs, Caterers, and Rental Suppliers so buckle up because it’s going to be a wild ride!
Before you even look for a venue, the first thing you need to do is figure out a date. Here are some things to consider when choosing a date for your big day:
- Will you have to work around school or family schedules? (this was the biggest issue for me because I had 2 sisters in college on opposite sides of the country, PLUS my own school schedule to work around).
- What is the weather going to be like? (My dates were narrowed down between the end of December and the beginning of August. If you’ve never been to the south in the middle of August…. well let’s just say you’re missing out ?).
- Also the weather and time of year will determine if you can have it indoors, outdoors or mix of both.
- Are you budget conscious? Sometimes venues will give you a discount for having your wedding on a Friday or Sunday.
- What does the accessibility need to be? Does grandma need a wheelchair to get around? Will that be an issue?
Once you have answers for these questions you can go tour some of your potential venues without wasting anyones time if they won’t be available for your date!
Here are a list of the top wedding venues I’ve worked with, in no particular order, except I definitely put my favorites towards the top ?.
Honey Horn Plantation
Indoor/Outdoor situation: Totally outdoors. There is a large pavilion with a fireplace that receptions happen under. Ceremonies usually happen under a big oak.
Price: $$ *
Pros: Beautiful oak trees, romantic & droopy Spanish moss, a gorgeous view of the river. Has indoor restrooms on site and a kitchen that will be convenient for your caterer.
Cons: If it rains your ceremony will have to be moved under the pavilion, which wouldn’t be the end of the world, but it won’t be as good a view. The gnats can get pretty bad so a good favor for guests or something to include in your centerpieces would be this spray! Everyone who lives down here swears by it.
Links: Their website & contact information
The Beaufort Inn / Tabby Place
Indoor/Outdoor situation: I have worked many weddings at this venue. The ceremony happens in Tabby Garden in front of a beautiful, jasmine-covered pergola. If you catch it in the right season you’ll even get the blossoms. The reception happens at the other end of the Garden and usually requires a tent rental so you can drape cafe lights back and forth for some mood lighting once the sun goes down.
Price: $$$$ *
Pros: Guests have the option to stay at the inn and will receive a discount if you reserve a block. That means they can party all night, and walk right back to their rooms! There are also bathrooms inside the main building that are easily accessible. This venue also offers more diverse picture spots than you could imagine! They also have a very close relationship with Downtown Catering (who I’ll talk about in a later post) and Bangs salon. It’s really important that your vendors work well together, and it’s even better if they have a history!
Cons: If it rains, the ceremony will have to be moved under the tent. If it doesn’t rain during the ceremony but has been raining for a while before, the grounds will be soggy. See above about the gnats as well. There will always be gnats as long as the sun is up and the weather is warm.
Links: Their website & more details. Check out this post from Karen & Nick’s wedding at the inn.
Venue 1223
Indoor/Outdoor situation: The reception space for this venue is inside a remodeled warehouse that has Joanna Gaines written all over it. If you choose to have your ceremony here as well, that will happen in the courtyard. Once the sun goes down they’ll turn on the beautiful cafe lighting to keep the fun going!
Price: $$$ *
Pros: Downtown Deli & Catering is who owns this space so the food is guaranteed to be amazing! I had my reception here and it was everything I could have wanted. There are basket chandeliers hanging from the ceiling that are dimmable to set whatever mood you want. The walls are covered in shiplap, and you can also have access to the deli and classroom area to spread out. All of it is beautiful designed and decorated. There are also bathrooms! If you have a guest with limited accessibility this is the perfect venue for them. You can also save money on a dance floor rental since the ground is concrete! This venue is also a good option for your rehearsal dinner.
Cons: Your count will have to be under 130 people to fit in here. And with the way things are going with restrictions right now, I wouldn’t recommend more than 75 guests.
Links: Here’s their Flipbook with current pricing and services. Here’s the website for Downtown Catering Company (who owns Venue 1223)
Oyster Factory Park
Indoor/Outdoor situation: Both sides of the park are outdoor. There is a covered pavilion on the left side that has picnic tables in it. There are also bathrooms on site. This park doubles as a boat landing, so guests can wander all the way down to the water.
Price: $ *
Pros: If this is a location that is special to you and your SO, or if you’ve lived in Bluffton your entire life, this will be the perfect venue for you. It looks over the beautiful May River and you can watch the sun set over the horizon. If you’re lucky you’ll even be blessed with a gorgeous sunset! There are oyster shells everywhere and they’re so pretty! Although it’s technically illegal to take any home, I doubt they’ll notice one or two missing…
Cons: The Town of Bluffton requires you to take out a 1 million dollar insurance policy to cover any damages that may happen during your time there. This seems like a big thing, but it’s really not. I think the policy I got only cost $230 and I just went through USAA, my normal insurance agency. There’s also dirt. A lot of dirt. If you have your reception on the left side, your guests shoes will be filled with dirt by the end of the night. I had my ceremony on the right side under the big tree, next to the historic house, and it was wonderfully grassy.
Links: Julie will be your contact here and her information is at the bottom of this page!
Hewitt Oaks
Indoor/Outdoor situation: This venue features a ballroom that is typically used as a reception space (Gracie Hall), there are a few oak canopies to choose from for the ceremony, an open courtyard for your guests to dance away cocktail hour, a chapel for a more traditional ceremony space, as well as suites for each party to get ready in. You can enjoy the beauty of the lowcountry outdoors during any season, or you can be accomodated indoors for a rain contingency plan!
Price: $$$ *
Pros: This venue is amazing because it’s all inclusive. Caterer, baker, florist all under one roof! The ladies who run this show are so kind and extremely talented. They will listen to your vision and help bring it to life!
Cons: The only con I can come up with is the minimum spend requirements. But if you’re considering everything that you get, I think it’s totally worth it!
Links: Check out their website here. Jump straight to their contact form here. Or get some inspiration on their Instragram or facebook.
The Mackey House
Indoor/Outdoor situation: There is plenty of space to go around at this venue. Each bridal party has their own private area to get ready. There’s a covered patio thing upstairs where you can dance the night away under the stars with an illuminated dance floor!
Price: $$ *
Pros: The venue is set up with their own sound system for the ceremony and reception, and conveniently comes with their own DJ. This venue also has their weddings down to a T and help things to go off without a hitch. They also have their own in house catering.
Cons: Driving out of the venue at night can get a little hairy, especially for older people.
Links: Their website. Contact form. Instagram. Facebook.
Is there a venue you’d like to see me feature? Comment below!
Coming Soon: Agapae Oaks
Indoor/Outdoor situation:
Price: $ *
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Coming Soon: Red Gate Farms
Indoor/Outdoor situation:
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Coming Soon: Old Bay Marketplace
Indoor/Outdoor situation:
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Coming Soon: The Westin hhi
Indoor/Outdoor situation:
Price: $$$$ *
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*Each $ represents $1,000 respectively. Rounded up when necessary and only includes the venue space; no rentals or food, etc.
