South Carolina is one of the nation’s top destinations for weddings. From the myrtle-draped streets of Charleston to the rustic charm of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the state offers tons of locations ideal for just about any type of wedding.
While there are several luxury options with dramatic interiors and candlelit lawns reminiscent of a Hollywood movie, you can also find tons of contemporary and romantic locations for your event.
If you’re concerned about costs, you’re not alone — the average couple in the United States ends up spending around $28,000 to tie the knot. Couples who get married in South Carolina, on the other hand, dish out $26,000 on average for their big day!
Whether you’re looking for a grand venue just right for a traditional southern wedding or a simple but elegant country affair, you have plenty of options when it comes to getting hitched in the Palmetto State.
Read on for our take on the best wedding venues in South Carolina…
Tanglewood Plantation
South Lynchburg
Tanglewood Plantation is a stunning setting for a traditional southern wedding.
The white Greek Revival mansion at the heart of the plantation dates from the 1830s and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was once home to a senator, and even President Theodore Roosevelt has graced its halls!
The mansion features a stairway leading to the porch surrounding the first floor, and a charming second-floor balcony which adds a bit of extra drama to the view.
Located on 25 acres of land, the mansion has two red brick patios, each with a water feature – perfect for outdoor ceremonies. And the distressed wooden barn on the property makes a gorgeous backdrop for romantic wedding pictures.
Venue rental comes with access to the grounds and the home’s first floor, and the package deal comes with a reception followed by dinner on the red brick patio.
Price Range: Starting at $2,000.
Capacity: 800 guests.
Find Tanglewood Plantation at Tanglewood or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Cannon Green
Charleston
Cannon Green is the ultimate event location in Charleston for sharp, sophisticated modern weddings.
Located just blocks from the city’s historic district, Cannon Green was developed as an event center and has spaces appropriate for large ceremonies and small intimate rehearsal dinners.
Get hitched in the Trolly Room, an expansive 3000 square foot space featuring high exposed ceilings, polished hardwood floors, and a gorgeous view of the patio.
Treat your guests to drinks and appetizers either before or after your ceremony in The Cannon Green Courtyard, with a dramatic portico and living wall featuring sinuous greenery.
The Mezzanine also has room for small formal dining events such as rehearsal dinners.
Price Range: Starting at $34,634.
Capacity: 250 guests.
Find Cannon Green at Cannon Green or check out Facebook or Instagram.
The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Charleston, South Carolina
Kiawah Island
Kiawah Island’s miles of gorgeous white beaches and the Golf Resort’s sheer attention to detail have made The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort one of the top destinations in the world for beachfront and destination weddings.
Lots of couples choose to also spend their honeymoon at the resort, spending the week playing golf and tennis and sampling the local cuisine.
At Kiawah Island, you can say your vows on the Ocean Course Lawn with the waves of the Atlantic crashing in the background and the 18th hole of the resort’s most storied golf course — site of the 2012 PGA Championship — in the distance.
The Grand Oaks Ballroom in the Sanctuary Hotel offers room for large indoor-outdoor receptions, as it opens directly onto a garden where your guests can enjoy a bit of the fresh southern night air.
For smaller wedding parties, the venue offers a package with a seaside ceremony followed by a reception for up to 20 people in the resort’s wine room.
Price Range: $2,500 –$12,000.
Capacity: 300 guests.
Find The Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Resort or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Aurora Farms
Taylor
Aurora Farms is a stunning option for a farmhouse-chic outdoor wedding.
Located in Taylor, the venue is approximately 11 miles away from Greenville, giving out-of-town guests plenty of accommodation, entertainment, and dining options.
Set on an old horse farm, the venue features dramatic sweeping oaks and a grand lawn with a white gazebo that looks amazing in photos.
Venue rental includes access to the entire grounds and the renovated barn, featuring two-story-high exposed ceilings painted a cheery white. Dramatic doors lead from the interior of the barn to a semi-paved area just right for post-ceremony cocktails.
The venue offers transparent pricing, with rental costs displayed on the website. To keep things super simple, you can opt for one of the farm’s all-inclusive packages, where the venue will take care of everything from the cake to the catering!
Price Range: $5450 – $6950.
Capacity: 250 guests.
Find Aurora Farms at Aurora Farms or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Wildberry Farm
Marion
located approximately 50 miles west of Myrtle Beach, Wildberry Farm’s green lawn and stunning renovated white farmhouse provide an unforgettable background for an elegant farmhouse wedding.
Exchange vows al fresco by the venue’s charming pond featuring a fountain, or in the updated barn with its high ceilings, exposed wooden supports, and iron chandeliers. The 9,300 square-foot space also has rough yet polished wooden bars and white walls.
Atkinson House is a charming white cottage on-site with a vaulted ceiling set in the middle of old-growth trees. A truly delightful reception space!
To end the night, continue to the venue’s charming loft with exposed light brown rafters and distressed wooden rustic decor!
Price Range: $1,500–5,500.
Capacity: 300 guests.
Find Wildberry Farm at Wildberry Farm or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Legare Waring House
Charleston
This stunning house from the 1840s is easily one of the most picturesque locations for a traditional outdoor ceremony.
Only minutes from downtown Charleston, the avenue of bent weeping oaks leading to the front door is right out of a film, and then there are the gardens — acres and acres of them! Best of all, this stunning location is affordable! Believe it or not, it’s a public park!
The real attraction here is getting married under a movie-perfect canopy of weeping oaks, but venue rental comes with access to the home, so you should be fine in case of a bit of rain.
The venue has four bridal suites, each with gorgeous decorative touches such as large mirrors, hardwood floors, and walls painted with gentle pastel colors.
The Grooms Cottage is a two-story hideaway with a private entrance and bathroom.
Price Range: $5,000 – $ 8,000.
Capacity: 200 guests.
Find Legare Waring House at Legare Waring House or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Lowndes Grove Plantation
Charleston
Lowndes Grove Plantation’s central Charleston location offers a backdrop of true natural beauty for a traditional southern wedding.
This 14-acre estate on the banks of the Ashley River features graceful oak trees and stunning views of the water.
The main house, dating from the late 18th century, features Revolutionary Era architectural touches and furnishings. President Theodore Roosevelt even spent some time at the residence and the venue even graced the cover of Martha Stewart Weddings — so yes, it’s that beautiful!
When it comes to ceremonies, the venue has indoor and outdoor options. Say “I do” under a stunning canopy of oaks in a paved grove that opens out onto a pier featuring views of the gently flowing Ashley River. This space also looks great with a tent, so you’ll be fine if there are sprinkles on your big day!
Notably, the venue has an in-house catering team that will work with you to develop the menu of your dreams sourced from fresh, local produce.
Price Range: $3,500 – $12,500.
Capacity: 500 guests.
Find Lowndes Grove Plantation at Lowndes Grove Plantation or check out Facebook or Instagram.
The Cedar Room
Charleston
Right in the heart of Charleston, The Cedar Room — set in an old cigar factory dating from around 1881 — offers a variety of venues that bridge the traditional and modern.
Between the venue’s outstanding location just steps from the Cooper River and its stunning variety of potential ceremony and reception sites, The Cedar Room is a perennial favorite for traditional weddings in a classy, updated setting that flirts with outright glamor.
Exchange vows out in the open air in the venue’s courtyard and then host a sit-down dinner or swanky cocktail reception in The Cedar Room with its warm polished hardwood floors and exposed brick walls.
Price Range: $3,500 – $7,500.
Capacity: 550 guests.
Find The Cedar Room at The Cedar Room or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Columbia Museum of Art
Columbia
The Columbia Museum of Art, located in downtown Columbia, is a classy modern venue featuring sleek lines, wide-open architecture, and fantastic art.
This innovative museum organizes its collection by theme, so visitors can see how writers from various backgrounds have worked with similar concepts. The collection features work by several important artists, including Sigmund Abeles and Michaela Pilar Brown!
The museum has everything you could want in a wedding venue, with four outdoor spaces and seven indoor settings to choose from.
Boyd Plaza, located in front of the building and featuring a bandstand and pavilion, is only one of the popular ceremony locations.
While the Loft provides a wide-open, newly renovated space with industrial accents such as wide finished support beams set off by silver railings for your reception or sit-down dinner.
Price Range: $500 – $4,500.
Capacity: 1000 guests.
Find the Columbia Museum of Art at Columbia Museum or check out Facebook or Instagram.
Wavering Place
Eastover
Wavering Place is a gorgeous estate set just minutes from Columbia.
Featuring a stunning Greek Revival home dating from the mid 19th century, oak groves, and stunning southern vistas galore, this venue is perfect for a traditional outdoor plantation wedding with all the bells and whistles.
Exchange vows under a graceful weeping oak with the gorgeous main house as your backdrop, then dance the night away in the Green Tree House, an open-sided and covered pavilion featuring polished concrete floors and a vaulted white ceiling.
There’s space for the bride, and her loved ones to get ready in the Kitchen House, a gorgeous restored building featuring white brick set off by pastel touches on doors and windows.
The venue doesn’t have overnight accommodation available for guests, but the site is only a short 20-minute drive from Columbia.
Price Range: Contact venue
Capacity: 400 guests.
Find Wavering Place at Wavering Place or check out Facebook or Instagram.
William Aiken House
Charleston
The William Aiken House is a gorgeous Greek Revival mansion dating from 1807. Believe it or not, you can get married in this historic landmark that’s garnered outstanding reviews from Brides Magazine and Martha Stewart Weddings.
The yellow brick exterior of this stunning urban mansion features contrast-creating white windows and doors. It’s a must-consider if you’re looking for a historic yet urban location to host a traditional, luxurious, southern wedding with a plantation feel.
The white wooden pergola in one of the venue’s two courtyards is a popular place for couples to exchange vows. Featuring an old magnolia tree and dramatic views of the mansion, the courtyards are also well suited to outdoor receptions.
The mansion has stunning indoor dining rooms and parlors featuring gorgeous hardwood floors and elegant chandeliers with golden touches, perfect for formal post-ceremony dinners.
Price Range: $2,500 – 8,000.
Capacity: 500 guests.
Find William Aiken House at William Aiken House or check out Facebook or Instagram.
