10 secret places to take wedding photos in Charleston SC
Charleston is a wonderful city on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean with interesting architecture and history. It attracts just married couples with its large number of all kinds of museums-residences and ancient plantations. Each house breathes the history of its owners from the distant past. When you enter the city, it might seem to you that you are somewhere in the past. It is a very romantic city, and for those, who looking for secret places to take wedding photos in Charleston SC, each corner of it can be attractive. Those, who love “time traveling” and photos near historical places, old houses with ghosts, castles, and cathedrals, should read this review on the best places to take wedding pictures in Charleston SC. The beauty of the city is penetrating inside each soul. It preserved the history with picturesque houses and buildings made in the style of colonial, classical and Victorian architecture. Walking along the narrow streets of the city you can see a large number of church steeples visible from a low-rise horizon and take photos for your wedding album.
Calhoun House
One of these houses, which can be chosen for a photo session, is Calhoun House. It all packed from top to bottom with unique, expensive and very interesting things, which, in fact, makes it, as they say, bad manners. Entrance doors from Tiffany; highchairs made of elephant feet, etc. And yet — there are just cool antique shops. Really ancient things, which have a place in museums, while in most of America the antique is 100-120 years old. It is allowed to take photos inside, especially if a couple of loving people wants to do it.
Charleston hotels and luxurious houses
Charleston was founded by the British in 1670, and naturally the European style with its narrow streets is clearly visible in the old part of the city. This is a typical U.S. city with colonial architecture and lots of palm trees. The historic city center is located on a peninsula that overlooks Charleston Bay (Charleston Harbor). The city has many picturesque streets, which are nice to walk on foot. An architectural feature of Charleston is that the facades of some houses are very narrow. This is due to the fact that in the XIX century Charleston was one of the most prosperous cities in southern America, and the government decided to replenish the treasury by introducing an increased tax on luxury buildings, linking the tax rate to the width of the facade of the house. When building such constructions not typical for us, the residents simply avoided paying tax, leaving the useful area of the house unchanged. But this, of course, does not apply to the homes of wealthy colonizers. Many of them have become museums or hotels. They can be also chosen as the best places to take wedding pictures Charleston SC.
Fort Sumter
Charleston’s most famous defensive structure is Fort Sumter, it is a national treasure, and it can become one of the coolest Charleston wedding photo spots. The fort is located on a small island near the city. You will not just visit the place of historical events, you will literally touch them: shells of forts Johnson, Moltri and Confederate mortars stick out of the walls. 60 Sumter guns, like 155 years ago, are directed in all directions as if warning uninvited guests, they say, we are still alive. Its construction began in 1829 and it is the youngest fortification of the city. The construction of Fort Sumter was not completed when its siege began in 1861. At that time, the fort was a brick fortification in the shape of a pentagon, designed to accommodate 650 people and 135 guns in three tiers. Now he looks like this.
However, the first in the line of defense of Charleston was Fort Moultrie, which the Americans began to build in 1776 on Sullivan Island. It is interesting that in 1827 the famous American writer and poet Edgar Alan Poe served there. And the events described by him in the story “Golden Beetle” take place precisely on the island of Sullivan. Besides, Sullivan Island has the most expensive homes in Charleston. If you like Poe’ haunting stories or simply wish to feel the history of the USA in the day of your wedding, this is a good idea to take photos here.
Pineapple Fountain
Choosing the places to wedding photograph in Charleston SC, visit Waterfront Park and see the original Pineapple Fountain. The Park was built in 1990 and stretches 1,000 feet along the coast. This is a popular family vacation spot that delights visitors with stunning views of Charleston Harbor. There are a bunch of old-style benches for relaxation there. Vacationers can watch the boats sailing in the harbor and ceremoniously sailing vessels. Waterfront Park has been awarded by the National Monument Preservation Fund and the American Society of Landscape Architects for its beautiful design. Its original attraction is the beautiful Pineapple Fountain, made in the shape of a large pineapple.
Charleston College
Charleston College was founded in 1770, and it will be interesting to take a look at its campus, and even more so, take a picture there. It has become a popular location for filming Civil War movies. It is a recognized national university for the humanities and sciences. The college offers a distinctive combination of a beautiful and historic campus, modern amenities and advanced programs. The actor Matt Chuhri, who starred in the television shows The Gilmore Girls and The Good Wife, as well as writer Pagett Powell, author of Edisto, are famous college graduates. The location of Charleston allows students to live both in the city center and on the beach. No student is required to live on campus. The area is a picturesque place to live, as the campus can be seen in the Patriot movie.
Nathaniel Russell House Museum
Searching for the wedding photography spots in Charleston SC pick this museum (outside and inside photos). It has a lot of expensive, unique and interesting things. For example, the front door to the museum is made in the style of Tiffany. The peculiarity of the house lies in the fact that on its territory are opened store shops that sell old antiques. Nathaniel Russell’s House has been inhabited by wealthy citizens for over 100 years before this building was converted into a private residence. In 1955, the new homeowners, the Pelzer family, sold the house to the state, and today it is used as offices of the Charleston Historical Foundation and a museum open to the public.
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
Charleston has many temples and churches. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was consecrated in 1854, but in 1861 the cathedral was almost destroyed by fire, like most of Charleston. In 1890, the cornerstone of the new Cathedral was laid. The new temple building was built on the foundation of the former cathedral. The spire of the building was completed much later due to the fact that there was simply no money, and it was finally completed in 2010. At the same time, a belfry with bells was added. The interior design is famous for its magnificent stained glass windows. The walls of the cathedral are decorated with a hand-painted neo-Gothic style. This is a wonderful place to visit, relax and take photos with your beloved one together.
Husk restaurant
When picking places to take wedding pictures in Charleston SC, you can feel like eating something delicious or drinking a glass of good wine. Visit Husk restaurant, located in the historic center of Charleston, in two beautifully restored Victorian buildings. It serves Southern cuisine with an ever-changing menu of local seasonal specialties. The neighboring buildings retain their antique charm from the outside, and the interiors are a transformation of the city with original windows, modern floors and bricks. Enjoy old favorites like Russian eggs, South Carolina shrimp and bacon stew. Husk prides itself on being a meeting place for friends to enjoy Southern cuisine at a southern pace — slowly and at ease, in a laid-back but elegant setting.
Angel Oak
Being in search of good places to take wedding pictures in Charleston SC, you can go to the dense forests of John’s Island; there is an amazingly beautiful tree called Angel Oak. The age of Angel Oak reaches 1500 thousand years. The tree is truly gorgeous. The powerful twenty-meter branches of oak are so huge and heavy that they are forced to rest on the ground. Angel Oak itself, in its lifetime, has told many storms, hurricanes and earthquakes and, as you see, has survived. Even Hurricane Hugo in 1989, did not conquer the power of the tree. The part of it was damaged, but it was soon successfully restored. There is no mystery in the oak’s name. Angel is the last name of the site owner Justus Angel. Oak is the main attraction of the local park and the place, where people usually take photos. Since 1991, the tree has officially been protected by the city of Charleston. In spring and summer, theme parks are often held in the park under Angel Oak, accompanied by songs, dances and even dramatic performances.
The city of ghosts
They say there are more ghosts in Charleston than living beings. The city is old, with ancient architecture. Many who visited it, faced with a number of inexplicable phenomena. There are many of them in old hotels. Experts who deal with paranormal phenomena have repeatedly detected the presence of otherworldly forces with the help of special ghost detectors. Many residents of old houses and hotels often encounter unexplained phenomena and often see ghost silhouettes. So, in room 203 of Battery Carriage House Inn, guests met with the ghost of a young girl. It might sound scaring, but this room is booked for six months in advance. The story of the girl tells us the following: the wife of one plantation owner fell in love with a sailor and they secretly met in a hotel, in room 203. Once, when a sailor arrived from another business trip, the girl saw him in the arms of another and could not control her feelings and jumped out of the window. Her ghost still lives in this hotel. Curious that some just-married couples picking secret places to take wedding photos in Charleston SC, take photos in front of this hotel.
What is the special charm of Charleston? Perhaps it is in these ancient streets with beautiful mansions. The streets are driven by old horse-drawn carts filled with tourists. King Street’s central street is planted with proud palm trees. Small, sometimes very narrow, streets with beautiful mansions decorated with intricate iron-forged gratings and charming gardens scattered away from her. And everywhere the air is full of aromas of flowering trees and the love that the newlyweds especially feel.