Charleston Wedding Photographer
Natural, elegant wedding photography for couples celebrating their wedding, elopement or intimate ceremony in Charleston.
Wedding photography fromUS$1,650
Weddings & elopements · Charleston · Available worldwide
Your Charleston wedding, beautifully documented
From the quiet moments before the ceremony to the last dance, we capture the atmosphere, emotions and people that make your wedding yours.
Packages · Charleston
Choose your Charleston wedding coverage
Final pricing depends on your date, location and coverage. Travel, where there is any, is itemised at cost.
1–2 hours
Elopement
FromUS$950
For intimate ceremonies and destination elopements.
- 1–2 hours of photography
- A planning consultation and location guidance
- Timing planned around sunrise or sunset for your date
- Help with permits where a location needs one
4–5 hours
Half Day
FromUS$1,650
For couples who want the ceremony, portraits and key moments of the celebration.
- 4–5 hours of photography
- A planning call and a written photography timeline
- Ceremony, family photographs, portraits and the start of the celebration
- A preview set within seven days
8–10 hours
Full Day
FromUS$2,550
Complete coverage from preparations through the reception.
- 8–10 hours of photography
- A second photographer available as an addition
- A planning call, a written timeline and a family list agreed in advance
- A preview set within seven days
Marrying away from home? Destination Wedding coverage — the full day, with travel planned around it — from US$3,350. How destination weddings work
Why couples choose us
More than beautiful photographs
01
A calm experience
Guidance when you need it, without turning your wedding into a photoshoot. Most of the day we are simply there, and you will forget we are.
02
Destination experience
Comfortable working with international couples, travel schedules and unfamiliar venues — including the ones none of us has seen until the week of the wedding.
03
Professional backup
Professional equipment, every frame written to two memory cards at once, and your images backed up off-site within twenty-four hours.
04
Clear communication
Straightforward packages, transparent pricing and a simple booking process. You always know what happens next, and what it costs.
Our promises
What every couple can count on
Nothing is published without your consent
No blog post, no portfolio entry, no social post, no submission to a publication. Your wedding is private by default and stays private unless you write to say otherwise. A non-disclosure agreement is signed on request and at no cost.
You meet your photographer before the day
The photographer on your wedding is the one you spoke to, and if a second is added you are told who they are in advance. Both have read the timeline and know the venue. Nobody learns your names that morning.
A preview in seven days, everything in eight weeks
A preview set within seven days of the wedding, and the complete edited set within eight weeks — four for an elopement. Those are commitments rather than estimates. If we are ever going to miss one, you hear it from us before the date passes.
Your archive is kept, and it is yours
Full-resolution files, a private online archive, and a print release for personal use with no expiry and no territory limit. You are never asked to buy back your own photographs.
How it works
From your first message to your wedding gallery
01
Tell us about your plans
Send your date, location and a few details about your wedding. It takes two minutes.
02
Check availability
We confirm availability — usually within 24 hours — and recommend the coverage that fits your plans.
03
Plan your photography
We discuss the timeline, locations, light and anything important to you, and a booking deposit holds the date.
04
Enjoy your day
We photograph the moments naturally and deliver your finished gallery after the wedding — a preview within a week.
Local knowledge
Getting married in Charleston?
What matters for your photographs here: the places, the hours and the practicalities — from planning weddings in Charleston, not from a travel guide.
Portrait locations
- Rainbow Row. A run of pastel Georgian houses on East Bay Street, lit by the morning sun off the harbour.
- The Battery and White Point Garden. Live oaks, a seawall promenade and the harbour, with grand houses behind.
- Waterfront Park. The Pineapple Fountain, a long pier with swings and the Cooper River beyond.
The best light
- March to May. The season.
- June to August. Hot and very humid, with afternoon thunderstorms that arrive fast and clear fast.
- October to November. The second season and arguably the better one.
Popular venues
- William Aiken House — Antebellum house and ballroom, Upper King
- Legare Waring House — Historic house and oak avenue, Charles Towne Landing
- Lowndes Grove — Waterfront estate, Ashley River
- Cannon Green — Courtyard and hall, downtown
Good to know
- The historic district has rules about what may be done on its streets, and the smaller old churches have their own restrictions on where a photographer may stand during a ceremony.
- Summer thunderstorms here are heavy and short.
- Humidity is a genuine factor for hair, linen and lenses alike.
The full Charleston guide
Wedding photography in Charleston
We photograph weddings and elopements in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Johns Island and Kiawah — walled gardens and historic houses on the peninsula, eighteenth-century churches, oak-avenue estates on the Ashley River and waterfront rooms on the harbour.
The peninsula is small and flat enough to walk, so the ceremony, the portraits and the reception can often sit within a few streets of each other, and the time saved on transfers goes into the evening light.
Charleston is the rare American city that was built before cars and has not been rebuilt since. The peninsula is a grid of narrow streets, pastel stucco, wrought iron and walled gardens, and it is small enough to walk — which for a wedding means the ceremony, the portraits and the reception can genuinely be close together, and the day is not spent in a car.
The light is soft here in a way that is specific to the Lowcountry: humidity in the air diffuses it, the live oaks break it into pieces, and the pale stucco bounces it back up under the brim of a hat. Even at noon in June there is usable shade everywhere, which is not true of anywhere else on this list.
What has to be planned for is the season. Charleston in April is one of the loveliest places on earth. Charleston in August is genuinely difficult — heat and humidity that no schedule defeats — and the wedding calendar reflects that honestly.
The best wedding photography locations in Charleston
01
Rainbow Row
A run of pastel Georgian houses on East Bay Street, lit by the morning sun off the harbour. Busy by mid-morning.
02
The Battery and White Point Garden
Live oaks, a seawall promenade and the harbour, with grand houses behind. Shade under the oaks at midday and open water light at the end of the day.
03
Waterfront Park
The Pineapple Fountain, a long pier with swings and the Cooper River beyond. A sunrise location, when it is quiet.
04
Church Street and Philadelphia Alley
Cobbles, brick and narrow passages in the French Quarter, in open shade for most of the day. Uneven underfoot in heels.
05
Angel Oak, Johns Island
A vast, very old live oak in a small public park with its own opening hours and rules, which the city sets. The canopy gives even shade at any hour.
Popular wedding venues in Charleston
Places couples choose between here, and how each behaves for photographs. A list, not a list of partners: we recommend nowhere for a fee.
William Aiken House
Antebellum house and ballroom, Upper King
A brick courtyard and a long ballroom with tall windows down one side, which gives you daylight indoors for most of the afternoon.
Legare Waring House
Historic house and oak avenue, Charles Towne Landing
The avenue of live oaks is the Lowcountry photograph, and the moss breaks midday sun into a shifting pattern rather than a glare.
Lowndes Grove
Waterfront estate, Ashley River
A lawn on the river facing west, so the sunset arrives across the water in front of the house rather than behind it.
Cannon Green
Courtyard and hall, downtown
A stucco courtyard enclosed on four sides, which is shelter from a Lowcountry thunderstorm and even light at the same time.
The French Huguenot Church
Gothic Revival church, French Quarter
Pale stucco outside, box pews and a dark interior, with its own rules about where a photographer may stand during the ceremony. Established with the church in advance rather than assumed.
When to marry in Charleston, and at what hour
March to May
The season. Azalea and wisteria, warm but not heavy, and the gardens at their peak. It books first and for good reason.
June to August
Hot and very humid, with afternoon thunderstorms that arrive fast and clear fast. Early morning and the last hour are the usable ones.
October to November
The second season and arguably the better one. Dry, warm, low light through the oaks, and fewer crowds.
The kind of place
- Antebellum plantation properties outside the city, under avenues of live oak
- Historic houses and walled gardens on the peninsula itself
- Churches in the old town, several of them eighteenth-century and very dark inside
- Waterfront rooms on the harbour, facing the light across the water
Planning a wedding in Charleston
- The historic district has rules about what may be done on its streets, and the smaller old churches have their own restrictions on where a photographer may stand during a ceremony. Both are established in advance.
- Summer thunderstorms here are heavy and short. The plan is to wait them out rather than to work around them.
- Humidity is a genuine factor for hair, linen and lenses alike. We carry for it.
- The peninsula is walkable, which is its great advantage. Portrait routes are planned on foot.
Most Charleston couples book Full Day coverage, from $2,550: one photographer for up to ten hours, with a second photographer available as an addition for a large church and reception. Couples bringing guests from elsewhere often choose Destination Wedding, from $3,350, for the full day. Travel and accommodation are quoted separately and itemised at cost, and the exact price comes in reply to your inquiry.
The peninsula is walkable and flat, so the portrait route here is planned on foot rather than as a series of drives. That is worth more than it sounds: a day without transfers is a day with more time in it, and that time goes into the golden hour rather than into a van.
Summer thunderstorms are heavy, short and reliable, and the plan is to wait them out — the half hour afterwards is frequently the best light of the day. Preview within seven days, the full set within eight weeks, a private online gallery, full-resolution downloads and a personal print release.
More questions about Charleston
- How much does a wedding photographer cost in Charleston?
- Full Day coverage starts at $2,550 for one photographer and up to ten hours, and suits most Charleston weddings with a church and a reception. Half Day coverage starts at $1,650 for up to five hours, and a full-day Destination Wedding at $3,350. Travel is itemised at cost, and every wedding is quoted individually, with exact pricing on request.
- Which month would you choose for Charleston?
- Late April or the first half of November. April gives you the gardens and the warmth; November gives you the light and a quieter city. August gives you a heat index that changes how everyone looks and feels by the middle of the afternoon.
- How far ahead should we book?
- Spring and autumn Saturdays go well ahead, often more than a year, because the peninsula’s venues are small and the season is short. Summer and winter dates are easier to find.
- Are the historic churches difficult to photograph in?
- Some are, and it is worth knowing which before the invitations go out. Several will not permit a photographer forward of a certain point and the interiors are dark. We work without flash and with fast lenses, and we establish the specific rules rather than assuming.
- Can we elope in Charleston?
- Yes. The Elopement booking starts at $950 for two hours with one photographer, with location and timing planning. White Point Garden, the oaks and the old streets make a walkable morning; a ceremony in a public park may need a city permit, which the City of Charleston or your planner will confirm.
- What happens in a thunderstorm?
- We wait it out. Summer storms here arrive fast, drop a great deal of water and pass quickly, and the light in the half hour afterwards is frequently the best of the whole day.
- Can the whole day be walkable?
- On the peninsula, often yes, and it is the reason to be married downtown rather than out of town. It buys you time that would otherwise be spent in transfers.
Questions
Something else on your mind? Ask it when you check your date — every inquiry is answered personally.
Wedding photography in Charleston: your questions
How much does wedding photography in Charleston cost?
Elopements start from US$950 for one to two hours, a Half Day from US$1,650 and a Full Day from US$2,550. The final price depends on your date, location and coverage, and any travel is itemised at cost — we send an exact quote when we reply.
How far in advance should we book?
Nine to fifteen months ahead is usual for a weekend between May and October, and the most popular dates go first. Weekdays and elopements can often be arranged with less notice, so a closer date is always worth asking about.
Do you photograph intimate weddings and elopements?
Yes — often. An elopement or a wedding of a dozen guests gets the same care as a large one, with coverage from US$950 for one to two hours and help choosing the places and the hour.
Can you photograph weddings at our venue?
Almost certainly. We work at venues across Charleston and beyond, and if we have not photographed yours we plan it from the light, the layout and the timeline before the day. Tell us the venue when you check your date.
Do you travel outside Charleston?
Yes. We photograph weddings across the United States, the rest of Europe and the United States. Travel is quoted separately, itemised and at cost, so you can see exactly what it adds.
How many photographs will we receive?
It depends on the day rather than the clock: a full day usually comes to several hundred edited photographs, an elopement fewer. We do not set a minimum, because a number becomes a target — everything worth keeping is delivered.
When will we receive our gallery?
A preview within seven days, then the complete edited gallery within eight weeks for a wedding and four weeks for an elopement, with high-resolution downloads and personal printing rights.
Do you require a deposit to book?
Yes. A short agreement and a booking deposit reserve your date, and the deposit is part of the total, not added to it. The balance is due before the wedding.
What happens if the weather changes?
We plan a covered alternative for the portraits with you before the day and adapt the timing on the day itself. Soft rain and cloud can make beautiful photographs; nobody is sent out into a storm.
Check availability
Planning your wedding in Charleston?
Tell us your date, location and plans. We’ll check availability and help you choose the right coverage for your day.
No obligation · Fast response