Hilton Head Island Wedding Planners and Vendors

A planner earns the fee on a destination wedding. Couples flying in usually choose a venue and vendors they have never seen, and a local planner knows the venues, books the caterer, florist and rentals, files the Town’s beach wedding permit and runs the day. Most offer three levels: full planning and design, partial planning, and day-of coordination for couples who have done the planning themselves.

The resorts and Sea Pines have their own wedding coordinators, so a couple marrying at one of them may need only the resort’s team. For a beach ceremony, a private home or a venue that hands you an empty room, a Hilton Head wedding planner is worth hiring. These are the planners couples marrying in Hilton Head, SC call most often.

Book the photographer early, since spring and fall Saturdays go first. When you compare Hilton Head wedding photographers, ask to see full galleries from the venue you have chosen, and ask whether the price includes a second shooter and an engagement session on the beach. A Hilton Head wedding photographer who knows the island will also know which beach access gets the best evening light.

Beach Photography Hilton Head books its wedding photography and portrait packages online below. For family photos the morning after, or for every other photographer on the island, see our photography guide.

A Hilton Head wedding DJ usually handles the ceremony sound and the toasts as well as the dancing, so ask about microphones for an outdoor ceremony. On the beach, the wind and surf carry sound away: a small speaker for the officiant makes a real difference. Lighting companies add uplighting, cafe lights over a tent or patio, and a monogram on the dance floor.

Many venues require their own catering: the resorts, Sea Pines and the private clubs all cook in house. At a venue that lets you bring a caterer, or for a wedding at a rental house, the island’s caterers handle everything from a Lowcountry boil to a plated dinner. Our catering guide lists them, and a private chef suits a rehearsal dinner or a small wedding at home.

Rentals. Hilton Head wedding rentals cover tents, tables, chairs, linens, dance floors and lighting. A beach or lawn wedding with no venue behind it needs all of them, and your planner will usually book them. See our wedding rentals notes on the planning guide.

Invitations. Hilton Head wedding invitations are often ordered at home by couples planning from out of town. Send save-the-dates early: guests need to book flights and rooms, and island lodging fills up on spring and summer weekends.

Officiants. In South Carolina a ceremony can be performed by clergy or by an officer authorized to administer oaths, such as a judge or a notary public, and no witnesses are required. Many island notaries and ministers officiate beach weddings. For the licence itself, see our Beaufort County marriage licence section.

For a Lowcountry wedding just over the bridge, see Bluffton wedding venues. For where to hold the day on the island, see our Hilton Head wedding venues.