Preparation for the wedding day started months, maybe years ago … and it is finally here! The bride walks down the aisle to her smiling (or crying) groom and everything is perfect. But where will the biggest and happiest day of your life take place? And how do you choose?

Here in Hilton Head, weddings are more of a weekend getaway rather than a single day event. They can involve a rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception and even a farewell brunch for the family and friends of the bride and groom. Because of the trending multi-event wedding, couples are booking at all-in-one venues more often to simplify wedding planning. An all-in-one venue is most often a full-service hotel, country club or private club that is capable of hosting all the weekend events the bride and groom are looking for.

It’s no secret that Hilton Head Island and Bluffton are full of wedding venues. Couples travel from all over the country to get married here for that very reason. Depending on the size of your wedding, your budget and the style and vibe you are looking for, you are sure to be able to find something in the area. One of the most sought-after venues is The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa. Stretched along the island’s pristine sandy beaches, this AAA Four-Diamond oceanfront resort is an ideal wedding location for a variety of reasons. Because of the endless options, exceptional food and service, comfort of the resort, and oh — that spa! — The Westin is one venue that should not be missed.

Hilton Head wedding venuesThe bride enters the room and walks down a long petal-speckled aisle. Waiting at the end is her husband-to-be. Everything is perfect in that moment.

But what will that moment look like? And where will it take place?

In the South, weddings are reunions. They are a weekend-long affair where friends and family on both sides spend the weekend dining, dancing and sharing memories. They often feel more like a mini-vacation than a one-day event.

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.

Inspired by the rustic charm of the surroundings, the event was planned by the Caitlin McGettigan and Julianne Austin of New York City-based outfit Cait and Jules Fresh Events, along with mother of the bride Lisa Daniels. Together the group developed a decor that used allnatural and indigenous materials, including birch bark, cotton pods, magnolia leaves and lots and lots of moss.

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.

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…

aqualogo

Aqua Grill & Lounge
Hilton Head, (843) 341-3331
www.aquagrilleandlounge.com

Beachside Getaway Beachside Getaway
Hilton Head, (866) 443-5922,
www.beachsidegetaway.com
belfair Belfair Plantation
Bluffton, (843) 757-0701
belfair1811.com
berkeley_hall Berkeley Hall Club
Bluffton, (843) 815-8494
www.berkeleyhallsc.com
callawassie

Callawassie Island Club
Callawassie Island, (843) 987-2142

callawassieisland.org

colleton_river_crest

Colleton River Plantation
Bluffton, SC, (843) 836-4400
www.colletonriver.com

hhcclub

Country Club of Hilton Head
Hilton Head, (843) 681-2582
hiltonheadclub.com

crowne-plaza--logo

Crowne Plaza Hilton Head Island Beach Resort
Hilton Head, (843) 842-2400
www.cphiltonhead.com

dolphin_club

Dolphin Head Golf Club
Hilton Head, (843) 681-5550,
dolphinheadgc.com

palmetto_dunes

Dunes House
Hilton Head, (866) 726-9825,
palmettodunes.com

indigo_run The Golf Club at Indigo Run
Bluffton, (843) 689-3500,
thegolfclub-indigorun.com
hamptonhall

Hampton Hall Clubhouse
Bluffton, (843) 208-9000
www.hamptonhallsc.com

heritage Heritage Golf Group
Hilton Head, (843) 681-1747
coastaldiscover Honey Horn
Hilton Head, (843) 689-6767,
coastaldiscovery.org
seapinesresort

Inn at Harbour Town
Hilton Head, (866) 561-8802
www.seapines.com

longcove Long Cove Club
Hilton Head, (843) 686-1070,
longcoveclub.org
mainst03

Main Street Inn & Spa
Hilton Head, (800) 471-3001
http://msi.festiva.travel/

marriott

Marriott Resort & Spa
Hilton Head, (843) 686-8400
www.marriott.com

mosscreekvenuepic Moss Creek Clubhouse
Hilton Head Island, (843) 836-6121,
mosscreek-hiltonhead.com
oldfield

Oldfield Plantation
Okatie, (866) 653-3435

www.oldfield1732.com

hiltonlogo

Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort
(800) 845-8001,
www.omnihotels.com/findahotel/hiltonhead.aspx

Pau Hana & Flying Circus Catamaran

Pau Hana & Flying Circus Catamaran
Hilton Head, (843) 686-2582

www.hiltonheadisland.com/sailing

rosehill

Rose Hill Mansion
Bluffton, (843) 757-6046
www.rosehillmansion.com

seapinescc

Sea Pines Country Club
Hilton Head, (843) 671-2345,
seapinescc.com

seapinesresort

Sea Pines Resort
Hilton Head, (866) 561-8802,
seapines.com/weddings

seaturtle

Sea Turtle Getaway
Hilton Head, (843) 842-6000
www.seaturtlegetaways.com

palmetto_dunes

Shore House
Hilton Head, (866) 726-9825,
palmettodunes.com

spanish_wells_club

Spanish Wells Club
Hilton Head, (843) 681-2819,
spanishwellsclub.com

Vacation Company
Hilton Head, (843) 845-7018
www.hiltonheadvacationrentals.com

vagabondcruises

Vagabond Cruise
Hilton Head, (843) 785-2662,
vagabondcruise.com

westin_logo2 The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa
Hilton Head, (843) 681-4000
Click here for Web site.
wexfordplantation

Wexford Plantation
Hilton Head,
wexfordplantation.com

windowonwaterway

Windows on the Waterway
Hilton Head, (843) 689-PLAN

celebrationevents.net