Charleston is one of the most photographed wedding cities in the South, with cobblestone streets, pastel houses, church steeples and oak-lined gardens. The charm is real, and so is the climate, so planning around the heat and humidity makes the day more comfortable and the pictures better.
Reading the Lowcountry calendar
Spring and fall are the most popular seasons for good reason. March through May brings blooming gardens and warm, comfortable days, and October and November offer milder air and lower humidity. Because these months are in demand, popular venues and photographers often book a year or more ahead.
Summer is hot and humid, with afternoon thunderstorms common, and the hurricane season runs from June through November, with the greatest risk in late summer and early fall. Couples who marry then often choose evening ceremonies, air-conditioned spaces and flexible travel insurance. Winter weddings are milder here than in most of the country, and dates are usually easier to find.
A weekday or Sunday date is worth considering, since it widens your choice of venues and vendors. If a Saturday in April or October is out of reach, a Friday evening can be a pleasant alternative.
Venues from downtown to plantation grounds
Downtown Charleston offers historic churches, hotels, private gardens, courtyards and waterfront spaces, many with the iron gates and balconies the city is known for. Outside the peninsula, couples look at nearby islands, beaches, and the plantation-style estates in the surrounding Lowcountry, where live oaks draped in Spanish moss provide the setting.
Some of these estates carry a difficult history, so research a property before booking and decide how you want to acknowledge it. Whatever you choose, ask about rain plans, power for air conditioning or fans, and whether the venue has a limit on how late music can play.
Visit your shortlisted spaces at the time of day your ceremony would happen. The glow in a garden at five in the afternoon is very different from midday, and you will want to know where the shade falls.
Planning your schedule around the weather
Humidity changes everything from hair to flowers to photographs. Build time for touch-ups, provide water and shade for guests, and consider a cool indoor spot for portraits. Fans, programs and shaded seating are not just thoughtful; they keep your guests happy through a long ceremony.
Downtown logistics matter too. Narrow streets, limited parking and horse-and-carriage traffic can slow arrivals, so leave extra time between the ceremony and the reception, and consider arranging shuttles for older guests. Share a simple map with your photographer, including where to park.
Out-of-town guests are common in Charleston, so a welcome bag with water, a map and a short schedule is both useful and kind. Candid photographs of guests arriving and exploring the city are lovely additions to an album.
Covering the day so it can become an album
Tell your photographer you plan to print an album. Ask for coverage of getting ready, the ceremony, family portraits, couple portraits on the streets and in the gardens, the reception details and the send-off. A few images of the city itself, such as doors, gates and tree-lined lanes, give the book an unmistakable place.
Then design the album online with Folio Forever. Smart Auto-Layout designs every spread from your photos, you can edit anything, and you approve every page before printing. Sizes are 12×24, 16×24, 15×30 and 20×30 inches, with classic or lay-flat binding, and a 12×24 classic starts at $240 with 15 spreads and a photo cover.
Think about the sequence of the book as you plan. A quiet opening with the city, followed by getting ready, the ceremony, portraits and the party, gives you a natural structure before a single photo is chosen.
A smaller keepsake for the family
If several families will want a copy, a magazine is the easy answer. The Folio Forever wedding magazine is 20 pages at 8.5×11 inches, in an editorial style with 15 original styles, and costs $70. You preview every page before it prints.
Printing takes 5 to 7 business days after you approve and pay. Delivery is Express at $60, Standard at $32 or Economy at $12, and Folio Forever ships to every state with tracking.
Giving a magazine to each set of parents is a small gesture that people tend to keep for years.
Questions
When should I marry in Charleston to avoid the heat?
Spring and fall are the most comfortable. Evening ceremonies also help if you choose summer.
Should I worry about hurricane season?
Hurricane season runs from June through November, so couples marrying then often choose flexible vendor contracts and travel insurance, and keep an eye on the forecast.
Can Folio Forever ship to South Carolina?
Yes. Folio Forever is a Florida-based online studio that ships to every state with tracking.
Planning an album from your Charleston photos? Design it online; you approve every page before it prints. See wedding album sizes and prices or the 20-page wedding magazine.