How much does a Charleston wedding cost?

Total budgets typically run $35,000–$120,000 for a 100–150-guest Charleston wedding. Venue rentals alone are often $5,000–$25,000+; full-service planners $5,000–$15,000; plated catering $90–$160/person; photography $4,500–$10,000; florals 8–12% of total budget. Downtown historic venues and plantations sit at the upper end; smaller-house and waterfront-restaurant weddings come in lower.

When is wedding season in Charleston?

April through early June and mid-September through early November. Spring and fall avoid Charleston's intense summer humidity and hurricane season. Top venues, planners, and photographers regularly book 12–18 months out for these windows; July and August are off-peak (and cheaper) but heat-and-humidity intense.

What kind of wedding venues does Charleston have?

Five major categories: historic downtown mansions (e.g. Thomas Bennett House, William Aiken House), waterfront and harbor venues (Lowndes Grove, Harborside East), plantations (Magnolia, Boone Hall, Middleton, McLeod), beach venues (Wild Dunes, Sullivan's, Folly), and hotels/inns (Wentworth Mansion, Hotel Bennett, Belmond Charleston Place). Most accommodate 100–250 guests; a handful go above 300.

Do I need a SC marriage license to get married in Charleston?

Yes. Both partners must apply in person at a South Carolina probate court — most Charleston couples use Charleston County Probate Court at 84 Broad Street. There's a 24-hour waiting period after applying before the license is issued. The license is valid statewide and never expires once issued. Out-of-state couples are welcome to apply.

How far in advance should I book a Charleston wedding venue?

Premier venues (Lowndes Grove, William Aiken House, Magnolia Plantation) book 12–18 months out for prime-season Saturdays. Smaller venues and weeknight bookings can sometimes be secured 6–9 months out. If your dates are flexible, off-peak winter weekends and shoulder-season Sundays open up much faster.

Are Charleston wedding planners worth it?

For most Charleston weddings, yes — Charleston has a tight vendor ecosystem and venue-specific permits, traffic patterns, and weather contingencies that local planners know cold. Month-of coordination ($2,500–$5,000) is the most-recommended minimum; full-service planning ($5,000–$15,000+) is standard for downtown and plantation weddings.

What's the typical Charleston wedding catering style?

Lowcountry-driven — oyster roasts, shrimp boils, she-crab soup stations, and seasonal seafood are the locally-distinctive moves. Plated dinners and heavy-passed-hors-d'oeuvres receptions are the most common reception formats; many full-service venues require an approved-caterer list.

The Charleston Wedding Guide · Locals’ Edition

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Every Charleston, SC wedding venue, planner, photographer, florist, caterer, baker, band, and DJ that matters — aggregated from Charleston Wedding Guide, Charleston Magazine, and on-the-ground local reporting. 311 vendors and growing. Free to browse, free to use.

Top Charleston wedding venues right now: Lowndes Grove, William Aiken House, Wentworth Mansion, The Cedar Room, and Middleton Place.

Updated May 9, 2026 · Ranked by Charleston locals

When to book

12–18 months out, in spring or fall.

Charleston wedding season is April–early June and mid-September–early November. Premier venues book a year-plus in advance for prime-season Saturdays. If your dates are flexible, off-peak winter and shoulder-season Sundays open up faster — and run cheaper.

What it costs

$35K–$120K for 100–150 guests.

Venue rentals run $5K–$25K+. Full-service planners $5K–$15K. Plated catering $90–$160/person. Photography $4.5K–$10K. Florals 8–12% of total. Downtown historic and plantation weddings sit at the upper end; waterfront restaurants and smaller houses come in lower.

Marriage license

Charleston County Probate, 24-hour wait.

Both partners apply in person at the Charleston County Probate Court at 84 Broad Street. The license is valid statewide and never expires once issued — there’s a 24-hour waiting period after applying. Out-of-state couples are welcome.

Charleston · Wedding Venues

Wedding Venues

From plantation lawns and waterfront ballrooms to historic downtown mansions and barefoot beach ceremonies — every kind of room a Charleston wedding gets held in.

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All 116 Charleston wedding venues →

Charleston · Wedding Planners

Wedding Planners

Full-service designers, partial planners, and month-of coordinators. The names couples keep recommending after the fact.

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All 50 Charleston wedding planners →

Charleston · Wedding Photographers

Wedding Photographers

Editorial, documentary, fine-art, and film — the photographers Charleston brides actually book for prime-season Saturdays.

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All 49 Charleston wedding photographers →

Charleston · Wedding Florists

Wedding Florists

Floral designers building Charleston bouquets, ceremony arches, tablescapes, and full-room installations.

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All 29 Charleston wedding florists →

Charleston · Wedding Caterers

Wedding Caterers

Lowcountry catering — oyster roasts, shrimp boils, plated dinners, and full bar service for Charleston weddings.

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All 37 Charleston wedding caterers →

Charleston · Wedding venues

Browse venues by setting

The Charleston wedding venue archetypes locals actually search for — the downtown mansions, plantations, waterfront halls, beach properties, and more.

South of Calhoun

Downtown Charleston

South of Calhoun: cobblestone-street ceremonies, c. 1820 ballrooms, and the harbor-light reception view.

48 venuesBrowse →

Live oaks and Spanish moss

Plantation

Avenue-of-oaks ceremonies, riverside cocktails, and the white-tent reception under three-hundred-year-old Spanish moss.

16 venuesBrowse →

Harbor, river, marsh

Waterfront

Sunset over the Ashley, marsh-side cocktails on Shem Creek, and the harbor-light reception that closes a Charleston wedding.

25 venuesBrowse →

Sullivan's, IOP, Folly, Kiawah

Beach

Barefoot ceremony at low tide, oceanfront tent reception, and the deck-side cocktails on the four-island stretch from Sullivan’s to Kiawah.

9 venuesBrowse →

Pre-1900 architecture

Historic

Antebellum mansions, eighteenth-century halls, and the brick-courtyard ceremony Charleston has been hosting since the 1820s.

18 venuesBrowse →

Botanical & courtyard

Garden

Camellia paths, brick courtyards, and the live-oak-shaded ceremony lawn locals reserve when the weather behaves.

9 venuesBrowse →

Full-service ballrooms

Hotel & inn

Full-service ballrooms, on-property guest blocks, and the catering-included packages that simplify Charleston weddings.

14 venuesBrowse →

Need to know

Charleston weddings — frequently asked

How much does a Charleston wedding cost?: Total budgets typically run $35,000–$120,000 for a 100–150-guest Charleston wedding. Venue rentals alone are often $5,000–$25,000+; full-service planners $5,000–$15,000; plated catering $90–$160/person; photography $4,500–$10,000; florals 8–12% of total budget. Downtown historic venues and plantations sit at the upper end; smaller-house and waterfront-restaurant weddings come in lower.
When is wedding season in Charleston?: April through early June and mid-September through early November. Spring and fall avoid Charleston's intense summer humidity and hurricane season. Top venues, planners, and photographers regularly book 12–18 months out for these windows; July and August are off-peak (and cheaper) but heat-and-humidity intense.
What kind of wedding venues does Charleston have?: Five major categories: historic downtown mansions (e.g. Thomas Bennett House, William Aiken House), waterfront and harbor venues (Lowndes Grove, Harborside East), plantations (Magnolia, Boone Hall, Middleton, McLeod), beach venues (Wild Dunes, Sullivan's, Folly), and hotels/inns (Wentworth Mansion, Hotel Bennett, Belmond Charleston Place). Most accommodate 100–250 guests; a handful go above 300.
Do I need a SC marriage license to get married in Charleston?: Yes. Both partners must apply in person at a South Carolina probate court — most Charleston couples use Charleston County Probate Court at 84 Broad Street. There's a 24-hour waiting period after applying before the license is issued. The license is valid statewide and never expires once issued. Out-of-state couples are welcome to apply.
How far in advance should I book a Charleston wedding venue?: Premier venues (Lowndes Grove, William Aiken House, Magnolia Plantation) book 12–18 months out for prime-season Saturdays. Smaller venues and weeknight bookings can sometimes be secured 6–9 months out. If your dates are flexible, off-peak winter weekends and shoulder-season Sundays open up much faster.
Are Charleston wedding planners worth it?: For most Charleston weddings, yes — Charleston has a tight vendor ecosystem and venue-specific permits, traffic patterns, and weather contingencies that local planners know cold. Month-of coordination ($2,500–$5,000) is the most-recommended minimum; full-service planning ($5,000–$15,000+) is standard for downtown and plantation weddings.
What's the typical Charleston wedding catering style?: Lowcountry-driven — oyster roasts, shrimp boils, she-crab soup stations, and seasonal seafood are the locally-distinctive moves. Plated dinners and heavy-passed-hors-d'oeuvres receptions are the most common reception formats; many full-service venues require an approved-caterer list.

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