I think a beach house wedding is a great idea if you plan a smaller, more intimate ceremony and if it is the time of the year when the weather is nice. I’ve had a lot of previous clients that will rent a large beach house, have the wedding down on the beach, and then have the reception in the house’s backyard. I’m sure this has to be a lot easier on a budget than many of the popular hotel and club locations. Sometimes I can even get better pictures of a couple at a smaller, less involved event because time is usually more flexible, and everyone is more relaxed.
The couple I’m featuring in this post had a small ceremony in the Garden City area. There are some great wedding spots when you get far enough south in Garden City. I enjoyed photographing the couple on the small rock jetty that was within walking distance from the beach house. We were able to do some fun and probably a little bit dangerous pictures up on the rocks. I wish we had done it a bit closer to sunset to cut down on some of the shadows, but it still turned out nice. After doing some beach pictures, we hopped on a golf cart and found an empty house on the inlet side where we could do a few more sunset pictures.
A picture I really liked from the collection below is a simple one of the bride standing in the window light. There is nothing technically difficult about this shot. It’s just the camera exposed to the light coming in the window. The light coming in is so much brighter than the room that it gives some nice drama to the picture. The couple also, I believe, due to my suggestion, hung up many small decorative lights that made a nice background for some of the dancing shots at the end of this gallery. I hope you enjoy some of the pictures below!
![Guys getting ready](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/guys-getting-ready-1500x498.jpg)
![Guys getting ready](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/wedding-beach-house-garden-city-sc002-1500x498.jpg)
![Bride getting ready](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/bride-getting-ready-1500x1093.jpg)
![Bride putting on earrings in the mirror](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/bride-putting-on-earrings-in-the-mirror-1500x982.jpg)
![Window light on the bride](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/window-light-on-the-bride-1500x1079.jpg)
![Bride getting a before wedding gift from the groom](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/bride-getting-a-before-wedding-gift-from-the-groom-1500x557.jpg)
![Bride in front of ocean](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/bride-in-front-of-ocean-1500x1048.jpg)
![On the beach wedding ceremony - Garden City, SC](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/on-the-beach-wedding-ceremony-garden-city-sc-1500x691.jpg)
![On the beach wedding ceremony - Garden City, SC](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/wedding-beach-house-garden-city-sc009-1500x746.jpg)
![Putting on the rings - Garden City](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/putting-on-the-rings-garden-city-1500x1059.jpg)
![Happy just married couple](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/happy-just-married-couple-1500x1095.jpg)
![Kiss on a beach walkway](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/kiss-on-a-beach-walkway-1500x691.jpg)
![Walking in the edge of the ocean](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/walking-in-the-edge-of-the-ocean-1500x503.jpg)
![Couple on a rock jetty - Garden City, SC](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/couple-on-a-rock-jetty-garden-city-sc-1500x1032.jpg)
![Bride and Groom on a rock jetty - Garden City, SC](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/bride-and-groom-on-a-rock-jetty-garden-city-sc-1500x745.jpg)
![Groom lifting bride off the ground for a kiss - Garden City, SC](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/groom-lifting-bride-off-the-ground-for-a-kiss-garden-city-sc-1045x1500.jpg)
![Kissing on the beach](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/kissing-on-the-beach-1500x1305.jpg)
![Groom dipping back bride](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/groom-dipping-back-bride-1500x1001.jpg)
![Groom dipping back bride](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/wedding-beach-house-garden-city-sc019-1500x1001.jpg)
![Groom giving bride a piggy back ride](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/groom-giving-bride-a-piggy-back-ride-1500x748.jpg)
![Kiss on a boardwalk](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/kiss-on-a-boardwalk-1500x744.jpg)
![Sunset on the Inlet - Garden City](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/sunset-on-the-inlet-garden-city-1500x1059.jpg)
![Sunset on the Inlet - Garden City](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/wedding-beach-house-garden-city-sc023-1500x691.jpg)
![First Dance - Beach House Garden City](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/first-dance-beach-house-garden-city-1500x686.jpg)
![First Dance - Beach House Garden City](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/wedding-beach-house-garden-city-sc025-1500x1059.jpg)
![Dancing backlit by lights](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/dancing-backlit-by-lights-1500x1058.jpg)
![Dancing backlit by lights](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/wedding-beach-house-garden-city-sc027-1500x1120.jpg)
Beautiful photos and wedding. What location is this? We are planning a similar ceremony.