Experience Southern Elegance With Charleston’s Lovegrove Estate

Nestled onto the banks of the Ashley River, surrounded by beautiful gardens, and home to a historic colonial mansion, Lovegrove Estate has become a popular wedding venue. This stunning location just 20 minutes from downtown Charleston is as convenient as it is charming and may be the perfect place for you and your partner to host a wedding full of Southern glamor and beauty. 

About The Lovegrove Estate Wedding Venue

Lovegrove Estate has beautiful, historic roots here in Charleston. The property served as a family farm as early as 1850, and the family who owned it took loving care of its land and estate. Today, it sits on the National Register for Historic Places, a testament to its history and the stories of the people who had loved it. 

Today, the space is a beautiful venue for hosting grand events that exude Southern charm and elegance. Still family-owned, albeit by a new family, Lovegrove estate was reimagined to be a place that could be shared with couples looking for the perfect place to host their dream wedding. Owner Andrea Lovegrove, who has an extensive background in events and hospitality, operates the venue. That’s why every event they host is approached with positivity and Southern hospitality, so you can have peace of mind that your wedding day will be everything you’ve dreamed of. 

Photo from The Knot

Details of the Grounds

Lovegrove Estate sits on 25 private acres of stunning gardens, all of which you can use for your wedding photos on the day of your event. 

On your wedding day, you and your party can get ready in the beautiful Azalea Room, which has plenty of comfy, cozy furniture for everyone to relax and unwind. There are also vanity mirrors, perfect for hair and makeup, a full kitchen, and plenty more amenities to make getting ready for your wedding a celebration in and of itself. Its light décor and natural lighting make it a great space for traditional getting-ready photos with your closest friends and family. And don’t worry about your partner and their party; the Vintage Lounge is a great extra space for them to lounge and get ready for the main event. 

For your ceremony, you can choose from several beautiful locations that will help you curate your dream wedding. You can say “I do” surrounded by a grove of moss-covered oak trees, standing as steadfast as your commitment to your partner. You can also exchange vows on the banks of the Ashley River, with the water creating a beautiful backdrop for this important moment. If a garden wedding is more your vibe, there are plenty of spaces to gather surrounded by the property’s gorgeous and pristinely maintained gardens. 

Reception & More

For your reception, you can rent a tent for a sheltered but outdoor celebration you and your guests will never forget. The tent pad has access to electricity and beautiful gardens that will feel like they are part of your decor. The beauty of a tent is that it is a blank canvas that you can use to bring your dream wedding to life. Whatever your design aesthetic, color palette, or grand vision, you can make it happen in a beautiful, clean tent. The cement tent area can accommodate about 200 seated guests. 

Curious about cocktail hour? Lovegrove Estate has a new indoor reception hall that is temperature-controlled and can accommodate 200 guests cocktail-style. You can also host your reception here, with a guest list of up to 150. 

Want to make a dramatic entrance or exit to your wedding? Consider taking advantage of Lovegrove Estate’s private dock and boat landing for a fairytale moment that will take everyone’s breath away.

Photography Opportunities

The amount of photo opportunities available at Lovegrove Estate is absolutely astounding. Their 25-acre property is full of magical and mysterious corners and alcoves ideal for intimate, romantic photos. The river’s winding curves and bends are perfect for outdoor waterfront pictures, with visions of the surrounding trees reflecting off the river’s surface. 

The private dock is another great place to play with portraits, particularly during Golden Hour, when the sun’s glow makes everything even more beautiful. Of course, their beautiful gardens are also exquisite photo backdrops featuring beautiful landscaping and inherent Southern beauty. 

The Lovegrove Estate mansion also provides some great photo ops, with a huge, elevated front porch and views of the surrounding property. The home’s incredible front staircases are also an excellent option for dramatic first-look photos or even pictures with your entire wedding party surrounding you. 

Wedding Details

While Lovegrove Estate’s rental fees seem relatively low for the events they host, there are a few things to remember while considering them as your venue. 

First and foremost, to host your wedding here, you’ll need to enlist the help of a professional wedding planner or coordinator. While they offer these services in-house for an additional fee, you are welcome to bring your own planner, too. This person will be such a gift to you and your partner on your wedding day (as well as the days leading up to it), so they can handle the details. You can focus on being present in the moment. It’s worth giving them the heads-up that they’ll be in charge of setting up and breaking down the entire event, too, so they can prep their team. 

Packages & Rentals

Lovegrove Estate does include a package of tables and chairs. However, if you invite more than 100 guests, you must rent additional ones from an outside vendor. You can also rent their gorgeous 15×15 black and white checkered dance floor for an added fee and a golf cart rental with a driver to help transport your guests from the parking lot to your ceremony site.

Your tent is one of the biggest additional rentals you’ll need to account for. It can be tempting to forgo a tent and celebrate al fresco under the stars, but you may rest easier knowing that with a tent, you and your guests will be protected from any unexpected weather (or direct sunlight.)

For the most part, you’ll be able to choose your own vendors for your wedding, with the exception of caterers and bar service. That said, they do offer a variety of caterers from which you can choose, so you can still decide which one best suits the needs of your unique wedding.

Lovegrove Estate

Lovegrove Estate has been a part of many love stories and can just as easily play a part in yours. Schedule a tour to see the estate in person, but be forewarned. You may fall in love as soon as you drive onto the property. 

It would be my honor to photograph your Lovegrove Estate wedding. As an experienced Charleston wedding photographer, I know how to capture the best of every wedding. Reach out so we can see if your wedding date is available!