Top Kiawah Island Wedding Venues
I’m Tanya, half of the team at McSween Photography, wedding photographers in Charleston, bringing you a guide to Kiawah Island Wedding Venues, a place that is near and dear to our hearts! Harry and I are a husband-and-wife team with over 16 years behind the lens, photographing weddings in Charleston and across the Carolinas. I bring the attention to detail. Harry goes with the flow and captures the best candids. Both of us bring a quiet, reassuring presence to a wedding day. Before any wedding, the two of us scout the light and think through the day, which is exactly how I’d approach touring a venue with you. In my guide to Charleston wedding venues, I kept Kiawah to a short list. Here, I’m going deeper, in the order couples usually ask.
One note before we begin. Capacities, policies, and rates change, so treat this as a starting point and confirm the details with each venue directly.
The Big Picture at Kiawah Island
What makes Kiawah Island a good place for a wedding?
Variety, mostly. Kiawah Island wedding venues sit within a few miles of the Atlantic, tidal marsh, a river, and old live oaks. The light is wide and soft, the pace slows down, and couples here tend to plan a weekend rather than an afternoon. For us, that means room to let the weekend unfold.
How far is Kiawah from downtown Charleston?
About 25 miles to the island’s entrance gate, and typically 35 to 45 minutes by car. Weekend traffic can add time, especially on summer Sunday afternoons, so build in a cushion. If your guests are flying in, the Charleston airport is about 45 minutes from the island.
Do we need to plan around the gate?
Yes. Kiawah is a gated community, and vehicles and drivers for your event need to be cleared in advance. Ask your planner how that works, and share the details with any shuttle company early. A Charleston transportation company that specializes in Kiawah weddings suggests allowing 20 to 30 minutes of buffer for every shuttle run to cover the gate, loading, and traffic on the approach roads. I’d treat that as a minimum.
Where will our guests stay?
You have a few options. The Sanctuary, on the island, has 255 guest rooms and suites. The Dunlin has 74 rooms, suites and bungalows, and a resort buyout gives you exclusive access to the whole property. The Andell Inn, a Marriott property in Freshfields Village, is a good option for guests who want to stay on the island without staying at the resort. Its studios and suites come with kitchens, which suits families and groups traveling together, and the inn has a wedding room block program, so ask about that early. The beach is about two miles away by bike, and the inn runs a daily shuttle to the beach. Vacation rentals on Vrbo and Airbnb are another popular choice, especially for families and groups who want to share a house for the weekend. Before you book, ask about check-in times, minimum stays, and gate access for your guests. A rental can also double as a getting-ready space, so look for photos of the main rooms and for plenty of natural light. Or guests can stay in downtown Charleston, about 30 to 45 minutes away, and take a shuttle. Plan on a mix, and arrange transportation for the guests who need it rather than assuming everyone will drive.
Contact the Andell Inn:
The Sanctuary
The Sanctuary is a five-star hotel overlooking the Atlantic, with access to the resort’s private beach. The architecture is meant to feel like a grand seaside mansion, with hand-textured walnut flooring and Southern antiques throughout. If you’d like to see more from this venue, head over to Hayden and Clay’s summer celebration at the Sanctuary.
Where can we have the ceremony?
A few places. The Sanctuary Chapel is a nondenominational chapel designed to recall the historic churches of the Lowcountry. It is connected by a courtyard garden and a covered walkway to the hotel’s Grand Oaks Ballroom. The resort lists it at up to 150 guests, though one resort page says 130, so confirm the number. You can also marry on the oceanfront lawns, with wide sky and water behind you, or inside one of the ballrooms.
Where do we celebrate?
The Grand Oaks Ballroom is the largest indoor space, at about 6,050 square feet, and it can be divided into up to four sections. It has an adjoining foyer and access to the garden. The Terrace Ballroom is an oceanview room of 2,880 square feet, divisible into two rooms, that opens to a seaside courtyard. The Heron Room, at 1,853 square feet, is a flexible space near the Grand Oaks. For a tented reception, the Terrace Lower Lawn can host up to 250 guests. French doors and garden access let the evening move between inside and out, and I love a reception that does that, because the light changes as the night goes on.
Where do we get ready?
On site, in the resort’s rooms and suites, and the hotel has a spa and salon that can be useful for a bridal party. Ask which suites have the most room and the best natural light, and when you can have access.
Who is it best for?
Couples who want everything in one place: ceremony, reception, and lodging for the wedding party, all with the ocean nearby.
Contact The Sanctuary:
- Address: 1 Sanctuary Beach Dr, Kiawah Island, SC 29455
- Phone: (800) 654-2924 (Kiawah Island Golf Resort weddings)
- Website: kiawahresort.com/weddings/request-info
The Ocean Course
The Ocean Course clubhouse sits at the edge of the island, with coastal-style architecture and a wraparound veranda that looks over the golf course and the beaches. The course has hosted major golf championships, and the clubhouse even has a Ryder Cup Bar, which can be part of a full clubhouse buyout.
Where is the ceremony?
On the upper lawn, with views of the golf course and the ocean. It is an open coastal site, so the sky does a lot of the work, and the timing of your ceremony matters. Ask which direction the lawn faces and where the sun will be at your start time.
Where do we have cocktails and the reception?
The veranda is set up for cocktails and sunset gatherings. For dinner, the Atlantic Room in the clubhouse is for larger seated meals, and the PGA Room upstairs suits a smaller, more intimate dinner. The lower lawn is for tented receptions, with dancing under the stars. Dinner can be plated, buffet or station-style.
What about the wind?
Ask about it. The resort notes that the course is exposed to ocean winds, so talk through hair, florals, signage and tent plans with your planner, and ask what the backup is if the weather turns.
Where do we get ready?
Because the Ocean Course is part of the same resort as The Sanctuary, I’d ask about getting ready and lodging there, and how the transfer to the clubhouse works.
Contact The Ocean Course:
- Address: 1000 Ocean Course Drive, Kiawah Island, SC 29455
- Phone: (800) 654-2924 (Kiawah Island Golf Resort weddings)
- Website: kiawahresort.com/weddings/request-info
The River Course
The River Course sits within the Kiawah Island Club, and it welcomes both club members and their guests, so ask how access works for your date. The clubhouse interior is described as relaxed but elegant, with wide views of the river and the marshlands. Mature live oaks and open grounds surround it. The setting suits both intimate gatherings and larger celebrations, and the marsh and river views give you a very different feel from the ocean side of the island. Picture a ceremony on the grounds, a reception inside with those views behind your guests, and portraits at the water’s edge.
Can anyone book it?
Check before you fall in love. The Kiawah Island Club is a private club, and one local guide lists the River Course as for members only, while another says it welcomes members and their invited guests. Call the club and ask how access works for your date.
Where is the ceremony?
Outdoors, beneath the oaks, with a view of the golf course and the river.
Where do we celebrate?
The clubhouse has a ballroom of about 4,500 square feet and a veranda overlooking the golf course and the river. Menus range from plated dinners to buffets. A photographer’s guide to the island describes cocktails and dancing in a tented backyard, with dinner in the ballroom, which is a flow I like because it gives you a few different settings in one evening.
Contact the River Course:
- Address: 10 River Course Lane, Kiawah Island, SC 29455
- Phone: (843) 768-6120
- Website: members.kiawahislandclub.com
The Dunlin
The Dunlin, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, sits on the Kiawah River, about 20 miles from Charleston. The grounds run along the coast, with river views and a Lowcountry feel.
Where do we get ready?
The River Cottage is set aside for bridal preparation. It is a small space, 435 square feet with room for about 15 people, so it works best for a close group. The property has 74 rooms, suites and bungalows.
Where is the ceremony?
Beneath live oaks along the riverbank, or in a field setting. The Riverbank is a lawn of just over 5,400 square feet, and Yarrow Field is 7,000 square feet.
Where do we celebrate?
The Shippon is the largest space, at 5,583 square feet, with a capacity of up to 525 guests. The resort notes that its largest indoor reception seats 300 for dinner, so ask how that translates to your guest list. Lime House is a smaller room of 2,575 square feet, with capacity for 236. Receptions can use several venues at once for a larger celebration, or a patio or outdoor space for something more intimate.
Can we take over the whole property?
Yes. A resort buyout gives you exclusive access to the accommodations, venues and amenities for a fully private celebration. That makes a weekend-long wedding straightforward, because your guests are on site and the timeline is yours.
Contact The Dunlin:
- Address: 6000 Kiawah River Drive, Johns Island, SC 29455
- Phone: (855) 472-3188 (weddings and events)
- Website: auberge.com/the-dunlin/events/weddings
Osprey Point
A clubhouse at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, set beside a lagoon within the private Vanderhorst Plantation community. Its covered veranda overlooks a Tom Fazio golf course and the water, and the course winds past lagoons, a stretch of Lowcountry salt marsh, and live oaks. The resort notes that guests may spot an alligator, which makes for a good story at the cocktail hour.
Where is the ceremony?
The resort says the clubhouse can host the ceremony, the reception, or the rehearsal dinner, but it doesn’t name a ceremony site. Ask exactly where the ceremony would be set up, which way it faces, and what the backup plan is.
Where do we celebrate?
The Osprey Point Ballroom has water and golf course views, and it can stay open as one room or be divided into three. The resort suggests it for everything from the rehearsal dinner to the farewell brunch. You can also book the whole clubhouse, starting with cocktail hour at Cherrywood BBQ and Ale House and moving into dinner in the ballroom. That kind of flow gives you a few different settings in one evening, and it makes for varied photographs.
Where do we get ready?
The resort doesn’t list getting-ready space at the clubhouse, so ask. Because Osprey Point is part of the same resort as The Sanctuary, ask about getting ready and lodging there, and how the transfer to the clubhouse works.
What should I ask about capacity?
The resort doesn’t publish guest counts on its wedding page, so ask for capacities for the ballroom, the veranda, and any tented option, for both a seated dinner and a cocktail reception.
Who is it best for?
Couples who like the idea of one relaxed clubhouse for the whole weekend of events, from the rehearsal dinner through the farewell brunch.
Contact Osprey Point:
- Address: 700 Governors Drive, Kiawah Island, SC 29455
- Phone: (800) 654-2924 (Kiawah Island Golf Resort weddings)
- Website: kiawahresort.com/weddings/venues/golf-clubhouses/osprey-point
Mingo Point
An outdoor venue at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, on the banks of the Kiawah River and shaded by moss-draped trees. It is best known as the home of the resort’s long-running Oyster Roast and BBQ, and it has the relaxed, riverside feel you would expect from that. The resort markets it for rehearsal dinners, ceremonies and receptions.
Where do we celebrate?
The resort lists a capacity of up to 300 guests for a larger outdoor party. The site includes a sheltered area, decking for live bands, and bonfire pits. The food can be a relaxed Lowcountry oyster roast or barbecue, or a more formal outdoor dinner. As a photographer, I like a setting where the party is allowed to be a party, with a fire, a band, and the river behind it.
What if it rains?
There is a rustic pole barn as a weather backup, so confirm what the backup space is for your date, how many guests it holds, and how quickly the switch can happen.
Who is it best for?
Couples who want a casual, outdoor, very Lowcountry evening, whether for the wedding itself or for a rehearsal dinner or welcome party earlier in the weekend.
Contact Mingo Point:
- Booking: Kiawah Island Golf Resort, 1 Sanctuary Beach Drive, Kiawah Island, SC 29455
- Phone: (800) 654-2924 (Kiawah Island Golf Resort weddings)
- Website: kiawahresort.com/weddings/venues/lowcountry-experience
Choosing and Planning
How do I choose between them?
Start with what you want to see behind you.
- Ocean views: The Sanctuary and the Ocean Course
- Marsh and river views: The River Course and The Dunlin
- Lodging on site: The Sanctuary and The Dunlin
- The largest guest list: The Dunlin, with the Shippon listed up to 525 guests. At The Sanctuary, a tented reception on the Terrace Lower Lawn holds up to 250.
- A chapel: The Sanctuary Chapel
If you’re comparing Kiawah Island wedding venues, tour at the hour your ceremony would happen. A lawn that feels bright at noon can look very different at five.
What if it rains?
Ask every venue the same question: where does the ceremony move, and what does that room look like? The Sanctuary has the chapel and ballrooms, and tents come up at several of these venues. Hurricane season runs from June through November, so if your date falls in that window, ask about contingency plans and read your contracts carefully.
How should I build the timeline?
Around travel. If guests are coming from downtown, schedule shuttles with a generous buffer, and plan to have everyone seated before the ceremony starts. Build portrait time around the light, and if you can, plan a first look so that you have time with each other before the ceremony rather than racing the sun after it.
What should I ask my photographer about my venue?
Where will the sun be at the ceremony and during cocktail hour? What are the quiet spots on the property for portraits? How much time do we need after the ceremony? Harry and I try to scout moments ahead of time, so we’re not searching for good light on the fly. It keeps the day moving and gives us a little magic we already know is there.
How many days should we plan for?
Many couples treat Kiawah as a long weekend. A typical weekend might include a welcome gathering, a rehearsal dinner, the wedding, and a farewell brunch. The more time your guests spend on the island, the more photographs you’ll have of the people who traveled to be there. If you’d like us at the events around the wedding, tell us when you reach out. My guide to Charleston wedding venues also covers rehearsal dinner spots in the city.
Looking for a wedding photographer for your Kiawah Island wedding?
Couples have told Harry and I that spending the day with us felt like hanging out with friends, and that is exactly the feeling we’re after. If you’re still choosing among Kiawah Island wedding venues, take a look through our work on our home page, and when you’re ready to talk about your day on the island, reach out through our contact page. We can’t wait to hear your story.
