White Point Garden Elopement Ideas
01 Gazebo
02 The ceremony
03 Marriage license signing
04 Beside the gazebo
05 Family photos
06 Photos with your dog
07 Palms in Battery Park, Charleston
08 The benches
09 Flowers in the background
10 Avenue of oaks
11 The Battery Park in Charleston SC
12 Carriage
13 Church Street
14 Hunley Monument
15 Lamboll Street
16 Meeting Street
17 Photos with props
01. Gazebo
The central location of the White Point Garden. Here we should mention that you need to contact local authorities to arrange the elopement ceremony in the gazebo. This will help to keep the location for you at the exact time, and our garden elopement package with officiant takes care of that for you. The gazebo looks fantastic. Booking it, the officiant and the photographer in one go is what our Charleston elopement packages are for. The stylish ivory color columns add a special charm and romance to the photos. Due to its position, the gazebo has a consistent natural lighting, which is predictable and comfortable for photo shooting. The gazebo is walk-through, so the couple can choose any side of it for photo shooting. After the ceremony we can take the photos on the footsteps or beside the gazebo.
02. The ceremony
Your elopement ceremony can take place inside the gazebo, on the footsteps or near the gazebo. Here we would like to remind you that this location should be booked in advance. Please make sure you called the City of Charleston and arranged the gazebo. If you did it, then your special day will go as planned. Even if you forgot to book the location, it’s not a problem at all. White Point Gardens has plenty of beautiful places for elopement ceremony. We know majestic locations where your heart will be full of happiness.
03. Marriage license signing
At first sight this part of the elopement day does not seem so exciting or interesting. But a team of professional photographers can make the most of every moment. Think differently: this is the official beginning of your happily ever after. The signing can look romantic or funny, depending on your preferences. The years will pass and a nice photo will bring up heart-warming memories about this special day.
Eloping in Charleston?
We photograph intimate ceremonies at White Point Garden and can bring a licensed officiant — see our Charleston elopement photography and all-in-one elopement packages from $695, or check if your date is still open:
04. Beside the gazebo
Taking photos inside the gazebo is great, no doubts. But when the couple is inside, it’s hard to understand how the whole gazebo looks. That’s why we also suggest photo shoots from a distance. In that case the gazebo will be a part of the background. Also in front of the gazebo you will see a stylish old-style lantern, which can participate in the photo shooting. Surrounded by the trees, the sage green roof of the gazebo provides a wonderful background for the photos.
05. Family photos
If you plan to invite your family and friends to the elopement it’s an amazing opportunity for taking emotional family photos. The White Point Garden gazebo is a spacious location. Therefore we can easily take group photos here. Usually we take classic photos and funny photos. For example, the funny photo can include all your guests standing around the kissing couple with thumbs up or saying “Finally! They got married!”. Based on our rich experience, this is very entertaining for all the involved.
06. Photos with your dog
White Point Garden is a dog-friendly place. So if your fluffy friend will take part in your big day, this is absolutely fine here. A piece of advice: it would be great if there will be someone who will take care of your dog during the elopement day. This will be a great help. Thus the couple and the dog will have a much more comfortable photo session. Even a very calm dog will need a break during the photo shooting. Having a helper will allow you to eliminate any possible stress. Nice and happy pet is a priceless participant in any event.
07. Palms in Battery Park, Charleston
If you come to Charleston from the places where palms are not so common, you will get a wonderful experience at the Battery. Here you will see the palms growing on both sides of the road. They create a green tunnel that provides an amazing effect for photo shooting. These trees are an important element of local life and culture. The palms have even become a part of Charleston’s emblem.
08. The benches
Every public park has a lot of benches. White Point Garden is not an exception. Neat and comfortable they become a very good prop for the photo shooting. They are especially useful if the couple has a significant height difference. In such a case the taller one will sit on the bench and the other one will stand behind. It helps to neutralize height difference. Besides, we know the park area very well. Be sure, we will show you the best elopement locations among the benches with the most beautiful backgrounds.
09. Flowers in the background
Flowers make everything better. Including the elopement photo session. Blooming season is a magical period of the year when the park is full of all kinds of flowers. Vibrant and romantic, they can make the photos more emotional and colorful. As the time passes these pictures will not only bring up pleasant memories, but also can take their place as a bright accent in your home interior.
10. Avenue of oaks
The living oaks were planted in a certain way. So if we choose a specific shooting angle, they will look like an avenue or natural tunnel. As the trees are old and massive, they look solid and impressive. Trust us, not many places in Charleston have such a natural feature. Repeating objects create a balanced composition in the background. As a result, all the attention will be attracted to the couple.
11. The Battery Park in Charleston SC
Battery Park is a waterfront location decorated with living palms. The view here is spectacular. This place is a huge advantage of the White Point Garden. One more detail: the gazebo is not so far from the Battery. Thus you will have a chance to enjoy the embankment and the greenery of the park. If the weather is good (it is usually so) and the day is not very windy, we always suggest taking photos by the water. Such photos are full of freshness, it looks phenomenal.
12. Carriage
Look! How unusual this one, right? Some couples prefer taking a carriage at the end of the elopement day. The roads are very comfortable for such transport. Besides, it’s a nice way to get to the restaurant and celebrate with your beloved. If we shoot the moving carriage, the photo will be framed by the old houses of downtown. Who can resist?
13. Church Street
This is one of the oldest streets in the city. There are beautiful old houses located on both sides of the street. In the morning or in the evening the lighting here is majestic. We have our favorite locations on this street. For example, the green gates and the old black gates both look stylish and a bit mysterious. We adore such backgrounds as every couple makes them look different due to the people’s uniqueness.
14. Hunley Monument
White Point Garden statues are famous all over the US. For example, this one is called The Hunley Memorial or The Hunley Monument. As many of the statues you will find in the park, this one is dedicated to military events. The granite monument is decorated with black mythologic fish. It recognizes the first successful submarine and its crew. We will see this monument if we move from the gazebo to downtown. A couple of photos beside this extraordinary monument will become a remarkable part of your elopement album.
15. Lamboll Street
One more street for those who like the old architecture of historical districts. The street is located not so far from the White Point Garden, so we can easily get there and take amazing photos. We will show you charming backgrounds for your elopement photos. Besides, the street has a huge advantage – there is almost no traffic. It means nothing will hinder our photo session. Sounds great, right?
16. Meeting Street
As we go from the gazebo to downtown, Meeting Street will be the first street we see. All our photo sessions outside the park usually start at Meeting Street. To be honest, this place is a gem for professional photographers. The houses on this street are so beautiful! We can literally use every house as a background for the photo. The good lighting combined with the sophisticated architecture and manicured greenery results in a batch of stunning photos.
17. Photos with props
Props are nice elements that will help to add some variety to the photos. What can be used as props? Whatever you want! The bridal bouquet or shoes, wooden signs that say “We eloped”, balloons orsoap bubbles, a bottle of champagne. The only limit is your imagination. Basically everything can become a part of your photo composition. All these simple (at first sight) objects can make your photo session truly unique.
Real Elopements at White Point Garden
Elopements we have photographed at White Point Garden — each story opens the full gallery: Elizabeth & Timothy, Jorge & Mavis, Courtney & Ryan, Chelsea & Nicholas, Michael & Jake, Kristen & Gregory, Victoria & Garret and Olivia & Jared.
About the author
Dennis Aliaksandrou
Founder & lead photographer, Charleston Photo Art · Member of the Professional Photographers of America · The Knot Best of Weddings 2025
Dennis has photographed more than 350 weddings as lead photographer over the past ten years, along with countless elopements, proposals and engagement sessions across Charleston and the Lowcountry. Based in Mount Pleasant, SC, he writes about the venues, locations and planning details he has worked with first-hand.
