Hilton Head Wedding Venues

BY CAITLIN MCGETTIGAN / WWW.CAITANDJULES.COM / CONTRIBUTING: LEAH MCCARTHY

Nearly a year and a half in the making and laden with Southern style, the June wedding of Lauren Daniels and Dave Jarman was an event unprecedented in Palmetto Bluff history.

For many families, weddings are reunions. For weddings in the Lowcountry, weddings are a weeklong affair, a chance to not only spend quality time with loved ones but to see the sites. Imagine a wedding ceremony and reception that occurs all in one place amid live oaks draped by Spanish moss and a picturesque bridge crossing a lake.

It's a place where family members stay together in luxury homes walking distance from tennis and bocce courts, a Pete Dye gulf course, a spa, a swimming pool and health and fitness center and driving distance from Hilton Head Island, Savannah and Beaufort. You can expect all of this and more at Hampton Hall, a luxury gated community in Bluffton.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the wedding albums from Colleton River Plantation Club are priceless. The private community in Bluffton offers the quintessential Lowcountry backdrop of towering live oaks, meandering marshes, tidal creeks, lakes and the majestic Colleton and Chechessee rivers flowing into Port Royal Sound.

“The views are fabulous for a wedding ceremony,” said David Spivey, director of operations. “We are blessed with the best property in the Lowcountry.”

Indeed, Colleton River is one of South Carolina’s most prestigious private golf communities located only a few miles from Hilton Head Island. It’s tucked back more than four miles off U.S. 278 into a natural preserve, where it’s common to see some of the Lowcountry’s finest wildlife, including foxes, deer and wild turkey.

Colleton River plays host to a very select 10 to 12 weddings a year, and it serves more than the ceremony and reception. “Due to our close proximity to the island, we attract destination weddings,” Spivey said. “Frequently what happens is a bridal luncheon on Friday afternoon, a rehearsal dinner at one of the clubhouses that night, a golf outing for the groomsmen Saturday morning, ceremony and reception that evening and sometimes a party or brunch the next day. We really can manage everything. The fact that we have two different clubhouses really changes it up and provides the feeling of distinct locations. They make it feel like you’re not in the same location.”

Planning an intimate wedding? Sure, the beaches on Hilton Head Island are nice, but what if a sand-between-your-toes ceremony isn’t your style? If you’re looking for a more personal, luxurious touch, consider Main Street Inn & Spa. Couples and their guests can step into a different world at this small luxury hotel, known for its lavish amenities and Southern hospitality. It’s the perfect place to make lasting memories — a wedding ceremony in the gardens, a bridal luncheon in the dining room to the honeymoon night in the elegant bridal suite. “It makes it nice when you’re bragging about your wedding,” says Denise Hatcher, general manager. “How many couples can say they booked the entire hotel for their wedding?”

By HEATHER BRAGG • Photos By SCOTT MOODY, PRO PHOTO

It didn't take long for Alyson and Ryan Vaughan to choose the perfect spot to have their wedding reception. The Charlotte couple tied the knot in October near Hilton Head Island at Moss Creek Clubhouse.

"We visited other places," says Alyson, whose husband is from Hilton Head. "We liked Moss Creek better than some of the others. I liked that it was on the marsh. It made our wedding pictures beautiful. Some of our best pictures were taken at the Bostwick house, which is right on the Intracoastal Waterway."

Churches

Most area churches are available only to members and their families for weddings, although a few will perform the ceremony for non-members for a fee. If you decide you want a traditional church ceremony, contact the church office to inquire about availability and any special requirements. Some ministers will ask that the couple participate in one or more pre-marriage counseling sessions.

Home or Home Away from Home

If you are fortunate enough to live in the Lowcountry, your own home could provide the perfect setting for your wedding—a staircase, your backyard, a garden, the pool deck…