South Carolina
Elopement photography · Charleston
In short
Elopement photography in Charleston starts at $2,200: 4 hours on location with a photographer who works in Charleston, and 200 edited photos delivered to a private gallery within 3 weeks.
Why choose Elopement photography in Charleston?
An elopement in Charleston is a walking elopement, and that changes what four hours buys. Because the peninsula is compact, the same four hours that would be consumed by driving in a mountain market are spent photographing — a ceremony in a garden, portraits at the Battery, an alley, the waterfront, and dinner somewhere neither of you has to drive to afterwards.
Worth knowing about Charleston
The Angel Oak is the location most couples want for an elopement here and it comes with restrictions worth knowing: wedding and engagement shoots need a City of Charleston Recreation Department permit, tripods and props are not allowed on or around the tree, and the park opens at 9am, or 1pm on Sundays. It also photographs badly in direct sun — the canopy is dense enough that dappled light across a face is unmanageable. An overcast morning is the session.
What does the session in Charleston look like?
- White Point Garden
- Live oaks and a seawall. The most-used ceremony location on the peninsula; weddings there are capped at 25 people.
- Angel Oak, Johns Island
- A live oak three to four hundred years old. Twenty minutes out, and best on an overcast day.
- A French Quarter courtyard
- For a ceremony of two or four that wants walls rather than sky.
What does elopement photography in Charleston include?
- 200+ retouched photographs
- Four hours of coverage
- Guidance on which permit you need, where and when to apply
- Location and timing planned around sunrise or sunset
- Private online gallery within 3 weeks
- Print release for personal use
Permits at these locations: Angel Oak, Johns Island: City of Charleston Recreation Department permit required for wedding and engagement shoots. Tripods and props are not allowed on or around the tree.
FAQ — Elopement photography in Charleston
Do we need a permit to elope in Charleston?
For a ceremony in a Charleston city park — White Point Garden, the Battery, Waterfront Park — yes, from the City of Charleston, with the Recreation Department contacted at least 21 business days ahead and 25 people at most. The Angel Oak requires its own permit and allows no tripods or props. A ceremony on private property or in a courtyard is arranged with the owner instead. Which of these applies to your ceremony is set out for you at booking.
Why is an overcast day better at the Angel Oak?
Because the canopy is almost continuous. In direct sun the light through it breaks into hard, high-contrast dapple that falls across faces in patches no exposure reconciles. Under overcast the whole tree lights evenly and the shape of the limbs reads properly, which is the photograph people came for.