This was my first wedding at The Cooper House Event Venue. This is located right near an old swing bridge on the Intracoastal Waterway in a town called Socastee, which is a little inland from Myrtle Beach. I live very close to this area, and I always drive by this location. I’ve seen signs for The Cooper House, but I had no idea there was such a lovely wedding venue at the site.
The Cooper House is a rustic, southern farm-style venue with a historic house for the bride and groom to get ready and an open barn area for the reception. The reception hall is beautifully decorated with hardwood floors, wood planks on the walls, and many shelves with glassware, vases, and other knick-knacks decorating the walls. I would say that this venue could comfortably hold about 75 guests so it would be great for a more intimate wedding or event.
This was also my first time working with the wedding planner, Kennedy Doss Event Management. They had everything beautifully decorated and well organized. I hope I get a chance to work with them again.
Pictures before the ceremony and an emotional first look
When I first arrived, I met with the bride, who was getting ready upstairs in the main house. While she was finishing up her makeup, I took some photos of the location and the detail shots of the jewelry, flowers, dress, and invitations. Since this was my first time at The Cooper House, I also scouted out the area to find some great spots for pictures. What caught my eye were the ivy-covered steps behind the house, the old barn door and steps positioned on the grass, and of course, the giant oak tree in the ceremony area.
The wedding party was made up of the bride and groom’s children. Amber, the bride, had a son and a daughter. The groom, Rocco, also had two sons. I always love when a wedding brings together two very happy families. There was something special about the shots I took with Amber’s daughter helping her mom put on the veil with the light pouring in from the window. I also loved the portraits of Amber standing on the steps behind the house, surrounded by ivy and other greenery.
Amber and Rocco were not planning on seeing each other before the ceremony. However, with the wedding timing, I realized we would only have about 20 minutes after the ceremony before sunset. I explained there wasn’t enough time for pictures, and they agreed to do whatever I thought was best. So we did a “first look” with the two of them on the walkway to the ceremony area. They were both crying and just so happy to see each other. I got a lot of beautiful shots of them and their children before the ceremony, and they ended up very happy we did the first look.
Table details in the ballroom - The Cooper House
Table details in the ballroom - The Cooper House
Glasses and details of items on the shelf - The Cooper House
Glasses and details of items on the shelf - The Cooper House
Mint to be - The Cooper House
Table details in the farmhouse - The Cooper House
Cooper House front - The Cooper House
Ring closeups on the flowers - The Cooper House
Ring closeups on the flowers - The Cooper House
Ring detail pictures - The Cooper House
Ring detail pictures - The Cooper House
Bride getting hair ready in the mirror - The Cooper House
Invitation details - The Cooper House
Wedding dress hanging on the lamp post - The Cooper House
Son helping dad with his tie - The Cooper House
Old oak tree behind the house - The Cooper House
Bride's daughter helping with the veil - The Cooper House
Bride's daughter helping with the veil - The Cooper House
Bride's daughter putting on bride's shoes - The Cooper House
Bride's brother helping son with his tie - The Cooper House
Groom helping sons with their ties - The Cooper House
Groom helping sons with their ties - The Cooper House
First look with bride and groom behind the house - The Cooper House
First look with bride and groom behind the house - The Cooper House
First look with bride and groom behind the house - The Cooper House
First look with bride and groom behind the house - The Cooper House
First look with bride and groom behind the house - The Cooper House
First look with bride and groom behind the house - The Cooper House
First look with bride and groom behind the house - The Cooper House
First look with bride and groom behind the house - The Cooper House
Couple standing in front of the oak tree smiling - The Cooper House
Kiss under the oak - The Cooper House
Big smiles looking into each other's eyes - The Cooper House
Portraits of the bride and groom in front of the old door - The Cooper House
Portraits of the bride and groom in front of the old door - The Cooper House
Portraits of the bride and groom in front of the old door - The Cooper House
Portraits of the bride and groom in front of the old door - The Cooper House
Bridal portraits in front of the ceremony area - The Cooper House
Bridal portraits in front of the ceremony area - The Cooper House
Bride and groom standing with their sons and daughter - The Cooper House
Bride with her daughter - The Cooper House
Bride with her son - The Cooper House
Groom with his son - The Cooper House
Groom with sons - The Cooper House
Grooms sons and daughter lifting him up - The Cooper House
Groom with daughter - The Cooper House
Bride's son and daughter lifting her in the air - The Cooper House
Bride with her brother - The Cooper House
Bride posing in front of the mossy oak - The Cooper House
Portraits of bride on the ivy covered steps - The Cooper House
Portraits of bride on the ivy covered steps - The Cooper House
Portraits of bride on the ivy covered steps - The Cooper House
Groom shaking hands with his father - The Cooper House
Bride and groom standing in front of the old oak tree - The Cooper House
Kiss in front of the oak tree - The Cooper House
Bride pulling groom in for a kiss - The Cooper House
Groom lifting bride into the air - The Cooper House
Sitting together on the porch swing - The Cooper House
Kiss in front of the porch swing - The Cooper House
Giving bride a spin - The Cooper House
Ceremony in front of the live oak behind The Cooper House
The wedding ceremony was held on the lawn in front of the enormous moss-covered live oak, a key feature of The Cooper House venue. This really is a beautiful location for a ceremony. It was getting so late in the evening that the light from the lanterns began to glow softly. I took many pictures of the bride and groom’s faces during the ceremony, and you can see the emotions and happiness in their expressions. It was also sweet that the kids were so happy and cheering for their parents.
The one thing we couldn’t do with the pictures before the ceremony was to take a shot of the bride and groom in front of the live oak without all the ceremony chairs in the background. It was almost dark when the ceremony ended, so all the guests helped quickly move all the chairs so I could take some final pictures with Amber and Rocco. With it getting past sunset, I loved the warm glow of the lanterns with the beautiful oak tree in the background.
After the ceremony, we went quickly into introductions and the reception. It was great working again with the DJ Southern Flair Entertainment. I haven’t seen the Shoelywed game in a while, where the bride and groom are asked questions to see how well they know each other. It’s always a lot of fun and gets tons of laughs from all the guests. They only had me staying for a short while during the reception, but it was enough time to get some fun dancing, and they did a fake exit before going back inside for more fun.
I hope you enjoy the pictures. If you are planning a wedding at The Cooper House and like my work, please get in touch with me. I would be happy to discuss your wedding as well. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about the venue.
Walking to the ceremony - The Cooper House
Walking to the ceremony - The Cooper House
Tearful bride walking with sons to the ceremony - The Cooper House
Bride tearing up during the ceremony - The Cooper House
Groom smiling at bride during the ceremony - The Cooper House
Parents watching the ceremony - The Cooper House
Wide angle picture of ceremony under the live oak - The Cooper House
Bride giving vows to the groom - The Cooper House
Emotional vows - The Cooper House
Emotional vows - The Cooper House
Holding hands during the ceremony - The Cooper House
Bride smiling at groom during the ceremony - The Cooper House
Saying I Do - The Cooper House
Putting on the ring - The Cooper House
First kiss - The Cooper House
Cheers after the ceremony - The Cooper House
Cheers after the ceremony - The Cooper House
Cheers after the ceremony - The Cooper House
Portraits under the oak after the ceremony - The Cooper House
Portraits under the oak after the ceremony - The Cooper House
Portraits under the oak after the ceremony - The Cooper House
Dip back for a kiss - The Cooper House
Dip back for a kiss - The Cooper House
Groom picking up the bride - The Cooper House
Bride holding on to groom's arm - The Cooper House
Holding hands walking down the path - The Cooper House
Kiss in front of the oak - The Cooper House
Big similes at sunset - The Cooper House
Cigar bar - The Cooper House
Cake details - The Cooper House
Cupcakes - The Cooper House
Ceremony introductions - The Cooper House
Ceremony introductions - The Cooper House
First dance - The Cooper House
First dance - The Cooper House
First dance - The Cooper House
Kiss at the sweetheart table - The Cooper House
Shoelywed game - The Cooper House
Kiss after cake cutting - The Cooper House
Parents dancing - The Cooper House
Groom dancing with his sister - The Cooper House
Fun on the dance floor - The Cooper House
Fun on the dance floor - The Cooper House
Fun on the dance floor - The Cooper House
Wedding exit - The Cooper House
Wedding exit - The Cooper House