HOW TO ELOPE IN CHARLESTON

Of course you want to know HOW TO ELOPE IN CHARLESTON, SC! 

Charleston is one of the most sought-after wedding destinations! The perfect weather, iconic Charleston wedding venues, dreamy greenery and coastal backdrops! The decision to choose Charleston as your elopement destination is easy, the hard part is knowing where to start! Don’t worry, I’ve got you! Let’s talk all things Charleston elopements and how to elope in Charleston with ease and structure!

Before you even begin reading, I want you to start a word doc and title it “How to Elope in Charleston.” Yes, I’m already giving you homework because I don’t want you to miss a thing! Charleston elopements are seriously magical, I may be biased, and you can have the no stress Charleston elopement your heart desires with a little preparation. Take notes while reading this blog and save yourself the trouble and just bookmark it on your computer or phone. I truly want to set you up in an organized way to reach your Charleston elopement dreams! First up, if you’re taking notes here’s your first section title, Charleston elopement venues!

HOW TO ELOPE IN CHARLESTON ON A BUDGET?

Oh snap! The big bad B word! 

Wait, I know you’re probably thinking, ‘how did we go from Charleston Elopement Venues to budget?? Give me the good stuff girl!’ We will get there I promise! But hear me out! Why overwhelm yourself with endless venue options without first knowing your budget? Everyone, even if you’re Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, who got married in the CHS area, who elopes in Charleston has a BUDGET! Unlimited, is still a budget! Budget just means, here is what I’m willing to spend. It doesn’t have to be this negative, buzz kill term that crushes your perfect Pinterest vision!

It’s NOT helpful to just google “How much does it cost to elope in Charleston?”, because that doesn’t answer the question of how much will it cost for YOU to elope in Charleston. Your budget depends on your taste, your preferences, and your savings… and only YOU know those answers. 

When you have a budget, you are actually respecting your time and setting yourself up for success! Several well-known films put Charleston weddings and elopements on the map, and that’s great! But if you don’t know the answer to some key questions, like budget and style, you can get lost in a sea of choices. Maybe you’re unsure of what your budget should be, so start by answering the question, “What is my elopement style?” This could be small and intimate (eekk I wanna come), traditional, chapel, modern, garden, rustic, coastal, farmhouse, elegant, or even luxury. You get the idea! Gage your style and then prioritize using these key words when searching for venues (I told you we would get there) in this style. This could look like Charleston farmhouse venues, Charleston wedding venues for small elopements, rustic Charleston wedding venues, Charleston waterfront wedding venues… You get the idea! 

Pause: Take a moment to write down your ideal budget. Then look up some of your style keywords for Charleston Elopement Venues! Look at you already on your way to a stress free CHS elopement!

Finding your Charleston Elopement Photographer

Since you are finding your elopement style and learning to use keywords to search for your ideal Charleston elopement venues, let’s capitalize on that! Using this same keyword approach, let’s make sure we capture the essence that goes beyond style! Let’s find you the perfect Charleston elopement photographer (note takers write that down for your next section title) that aligns with your vision! Do you want to capture that nature themed elopement with the perfect golden highlights, then maybe you want a golden style photographer - look no further, shoot me an email so we can check this one off your list! Your photographer should make it clear what they stand for, what they bring to the table, what your experience will be like, and be open to questions and providing you with a portfolio and pricing guide. I know it’s tempting to trust your cousin’s wife’s daughter who dabbles in photography, and maybe she’s amazing! But do NOT leave your elopement in the hands of anyone without a contract. PLEASE! This is the reason I have no professional photos from my wedding day in 2010 after my photographer ghosted me. Learn from my mistakes.

I do believe that weddings and elopements are a worthy investment! But, unpopular opinion, I don’t think you should go into marriage in debt! So, I want you to find your realistic monetary values and see where you’re comfortable pushing the limits! If you couldn’t tell already, I believe your venue and your photographer should be your first bookings! Before we leave this section, I want to talk hidden gems. Some photographers and venues may still be working on their google search optimization. That’s just a fancy way of saying you may not be able to easily find your dream Charleston photographer or venue on Google alone, but I bet you someone else already has! Utilize those Facebook groups and Instagram hashtags to find the photographer and venue that’s right for you! Maybe you’re looking for a #blackcharlestonphotographer or a #charlestonchristianphotogrpaher. Use those free search engines and Facebook groups. Ask style and budget specific questions. One Facebook group is Charleston Photographers. Quick tip: there are a ton of amateurs in this group. No shade, we all start somewhere! However, make sure your photographer is licensed as most Charleston venues will require your photographer be licensed and insured, and make sure you have a CONTRACT! Some other Charleston wedding Facebook groups are Charleston wedding + vendors, Charleston Wedding and Event Venues, and Charleston Recycled Bride.

Quick tip: Avoid saying “I’m looking for a budget friendly______.” Remember, everything is budget friendly to someone somewhere. Be specific in price range and style you’re looking for. Hit my DMs if you’d like some recommendations of my favorite venues to shoot at! Now let’s head back to your notes and add in our next topic section: Rules & Regulations.

WHAT PERMITS DO I NEED TO ELOPE IN CHARLESTON?

When looking at ‘How to Elope in Charleston’, 

one of the primary questions you need to answer is how to LEGALLY elope in Charleston. Charleston area officials are not ignorant of the fact that this is a weddings and elopement destination spot. In fact, they’re pretty clear about it. Like venues. each vicinity in the area has its own rules and regulations regarding weddings and elopements. For example, I have a Charleston County business license, but I also have a license for the town of Isle of Palms (I.O.P); even though I.O.P is in fact IN Charleston County! Yes, that’s hundreds of dollars doled out to the same county. Fun Fun. All that to say, you can’t simple search “Charleston County elopement permits” and be all set. You have to get specific. Wedding rules and permits for the city of __________. In addition, each beach, venue, and park have their own set of rules. Don’t ever pull the rules from a random Facebook post or Pinterest article. Go directly to the source! Each vicinity has its own governing website, and they typically have a section dedicated to weddings and elopement regulations. They also answer questions pretty quickly through calls or email. You could easily avoid a fine on things like having glass candles at your beach wedding (glass is prohibited on many beaches in the area) by doing a simple search. If you’re dreaming of an intimate Charleston private property or backyard elopement, there are many Airbnbs here that allow weddings. Just be up front and honest. Don’t lie about guest count or décor, etc. You don’t want to be stressed about having to hide anything. Pick a place that will accommodate your vision!

Here are some tips: commercial photography is prohibited on Sullivan’s Island. Edisto Beach seemed to be the most lenient in the Lowcountry area on small & intimate weddings and elopements from my experience. Isle of Palms is so beautiful and a great location, but they do have the strictest patrol from what I’ve seen, so just follow the rules and you’ll be fine! There are parks inside of Charleston County (for example Hampton Park) that may have rules in addition to the city regulations so be sure to start location specific and then go up from there to city and county regulations. Once you find the link to each rules and regulations page for your top 3 location, copy that link and paste it in your notes and bookmark it on your phone so it’s easily accessible to refer back to. This will help you compare your dreams to reality. You want a large arch, with live rose petals, and glass candles? Well does your dream location allow fire? If not, are you willing to switch to wicker and battery power candles or is that a deal breaker? You and your spouse get to decide but it makes the conversation so much easier when you have everything laid out in one page! List those extra notes under your venue (provides caterer, allows sparkler exit, prohibits rice thrown after ceremony… etc. etc.). Now go ahead and add a Charleston Elopement Vendors section to your notes!

CHARLESTON WEDDING PLANNERS: HOW TO ELOPE IN CHARLESTON STRESS FREE

Yes, I know we throw around the term “weddings are stressful,” a lot, but I think we can all agree STRESS IS NOT THE GOAL!

A great way to avoid stress on your wedding day is to frankly hand it off to someone else and hire a Charleston elopement planner or coordinator. I know you may think, but I’m low maintenance I don’t think I need a planner, I hear you. I also want to ask you would you rather be a Bride or Groom on your wedding day OR a problem solver/decorator/timeline coordinator/director/all around point of contact?

All right let’s end here for now, because I don’t want to overload you! What other topics would you like to see covered on Charleston Elopements? I’m so excited you’ve chosen Charleston for your elopement, and I want to hear how your notes are serving you! Hit my DMs and let’s chat all things CHS elopements!