Brookgreen Gardens wedding on the Night of a Thousand Candles

I always love photographing weddings at Brookgreen Gardens. However, I’ve never had the opportunity to shoot a wedding during the Night of a Thousand Candles. During these special evenings in December, thousands of lights hang from the trees, and hand-lit candles light the paths and pools around the gardens. It’s a beautiful time to be in Brookgreen. We were fortunate enough to have a private moment after the wedding ceremony to capture some breathtaking photos of Riley and Hunter, the bride and groom, under the lights before the gardens opened to the public.

Getting ready pictures in the Holliday Cottage

Hunter and the groomsmen arrived at the cottage, already dressed. After taking pictures of the bride’s dress and other details, I took the groomsmen out by the lake for some pre-ceremony photos. The little ring-bearer, the bride and groom’s son, was dressed in a suit and bowtie, and I got some adorable shots of him and dad helping each other with their ties and dad putting on the ring security badge.

After taking pictures with the guys, I went back upstairs to capture Riley’s mom, helping her put on the dress and then a first look with the bridesmaids. The light streaming in from the upstairs windows adds a beautiful, soft glow to the images. I also really liked the picture of the bride sitting on the couch in front of the window with her dress flowing out all around her.

Dress hanging in the upstairs window - Brookgreen Gardens — Dress hanging in the upstairs window – Brookgreen Gardens

Rings laying on the table - Brookgreen Gardens — Rings laying on the table – Brookgreen Gardens

Brides sparkly shoes - Brookgreen Gardens — Brides sparkly shoes – Brookgreen Gardens

Groom and little boy before the ceremony - Brookgreen Gardens — Groom and little boy before the ceremony – Brookgreen Gardens

Groom helping son with his bowtie - Brookgreen Gardens — Groom helping son with his bowtie – Brookgreen Gardens

Son helping dad with tie - Brookgreen Gardens — Son helping dad with tie – Brookgreen Gardens

Groom with father and son - Brookgreen Gardens — Groom with father and son – Brookgreen Gardens

Groom with brother - Brookgreen Gardens — Groom with brother – Brookgreen Gardens

Groomsmen looking cool together - Brookgreen Gardens — Groomsmen looking cool together – Brookgreen Gardens

Groomsmen lifting up the groom - Brookgreen Gardens — Groomsmen lifting up the groom – Brookgreen Gardens

Groom putting on the Ring Security badge - Brookgreen Gardens — Groom putting on the Ring Security badge – Brookgreen Gardens

Invitation details - Brookgreen Gardens — Invitation details – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride on the lap of the bridesmaids in the window - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride on the lap of the bridesmaids in the window – Brookgreen Gardens

Rings laying on the flowers - Brookgreen Gardens — Rings laying on the flowers – Brookgreen Gardens

Mom helping bride with her dress - Brookgreen Gardens — Mom helping bride with her dress – Brookgreen Gardens

Mom touching bride on her shoulder - Brookgreen Gardens — Mom touching bride on her shoulder – Brookgreen Gardens

First look with the girls - Brookgreen Gardens — First look with the girls – Brookgreen Gardens

Bridesmaids helping bride fluff her dress - Brookgreen Gardens — Bridesmaids helping bride fluff her dress – Brookgreen Gardens

Pictures with bridesmaids before the ceremony - Brookgreen Gardens — Pictures with bridesmaids before the ceremony – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride posing in the window light - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride posing in the window light – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride looking out the window - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride looking out the window – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride sitting on the couch in the window light - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride sitting on the couch in the window light – Brookgreen Gardens

Wedding sign - Brookgreen Gardens — Wedding sign – Brookgreen Gardens

Ceremony by the wrought iron gates on the Live Oak Allee

If you continue walking away from the Live Oak Allee towards the Youth Taming the Wild Statue, you will arrive at wrought iron gates connected to an old brick wall. These gates are one of the beautiful wedding ceremony spots in Brookgreen Gardens. Looking back, my first wedding at this location was over 12 years ago! It’s crazy how time flies.

The ring-bearer was so cute walking down the aisle holding a bridesmaid’s hand. He had a little smirk on his face and knew he was looking good with his Ring Security badge on. Erik Hunt, one of my favorite wedding officiants, was hosting the ceremony. I got many beautiful shots of the ceremony and the happy expressions on the bride and groom’s faces as they gave their vows.

Very happy couple walking away from the ceremony - Brookgreen Gardens — Very happy couple walking away from the ceremony – Brookgreen Gardens

Grooms brothers walking to the ceremony - Brookgreen Gardens — Grooms brothers walking to the ceremony – Brookgreen Gardens

- Brookgreen Gardens — – Brookgreen Gardens

Bridesmaids walking to the ceremony - Brookgreen Gardens — Bridesmaids walking to the ceremony – Brookgreen Gardens

Ring-bearer walking with mom down the aisle - Brookgreen Gardens — Ring-bearer walking with mom down the aisle – Brookgreen Gardens

Ring Security - Brookgreen Gardens — Ring Security – Brookgreen Gardens

Groom's first look at the bride - Brookgreen Gardens — Groom’s first look at the bride – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride walking with fathers down the aisle - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride walking with fathers down the aisle – Brookgreen Gardens

Happy groom looking at the bride - Brookgreen Gardens — Happy groom looking at the bride – Brookgreen Gardens

Giving away the bride - Brookgreen Gardens — Giving away the bride – Brookgreen Gardens

Wedding party standing by the iron gates at the Holiday Cottage - Brookgreen Gardens — Wedding party standing by the iron gates at the Holiday Cottage – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride and groom holding hands during the ceremony - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride and groom holding hands during the ceremony – Brookgreen Gardens

Groom looking at bride during the vows - Brookgreen Gardens — Groom looking at bride during the vows – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride looking into grooms eyes during the vows - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride looking into grooms eyes during the vows – Brookgreen Gardens

Wide angle of the ceremony by the iron gates - Brookgreen Gardens — Wide angle of the ceremony by the iron gates – Brookgreen Gardens

Groom putting on bride's ring - Brookgreen Gardens — Groom putting on bride’s ring – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride putting on groom's ring - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride putting on groom’s ring – Brookgreen Gardens

First kiss - Brookgreen Gardens — First kiss – Brookgreen Gardens

Romantic pictures of the bride and groom under the lights hanging from the oak trees

I was getting anxious about the time during the wedding ceremony. It ended at almost 4:45 pm, and the gardens opened at 5 pm! As soon as the crowds arrived, taking pictures under the lights would be practically impossible.

I’ve learned over many years how to get a lot of pictures in a very short time. I quickly set up my off-camera flash and suggested several poses for portraits under the lights. I took almost all the photos with the Nikon Z 85mm lens. It does a great job of making the background soft and dreamy without purple fringing and other issues I used to have with older lenses.

I always make sure to step way back for some full-body shots as well as close-ups. The closer I am to the subject, the more soft and out of focus the background gets. We only had time to shoot in a couple of different locations before the gardens opened, so after the Live Oak Allee, we went to the Diana of the Chase pool for a few more photos. They have many candles floating in the pool and thousands of lights wrapped around the tree branches hanging out over the water. It is such a magical location, and someone commented that it looked like something from a fairy tale.

Dip on the Oak Allee under the lights, Night of a Thousand Candles Wedding - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Dip on the Oak Allee under the lights, Night of a Thousand Candles Wedding – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Kiss on the Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Kiss on the Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride and groom on the Live Oak Allee on the Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride and groom on the Live Oak Allee on the Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Walking together holding hands under the lights - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Walking together holding hands under the lights – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Spinning the bride - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Spinning the bride – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Big smiles under the oaks - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Big smiles under the oaks – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

So many lights hanging from the oak trees - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — So many lights hanging from the oak trees – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Big smiles under the lights - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Big smiles under the lights – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Kiss under the lights - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Kiss under the lights – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Closeup of bride and groom looking into each others eyes - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Closeup of bride and groom looking into each others eyes – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Closeup kiss with lots of bokeh from the lights - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Closeup kiss with lots of bokeh from the lights – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Kiss on the cheek - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Kiss on the cheek – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride and groom embracing without holding the flowers - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride and groom embracing without holding the flowers – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Great smiles - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Great smiles – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Lifting bride into the air - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Lifting bride into the air – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Dip under the lights - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Dip under the lights – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Walking together under the trees - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens — Walking together under the trees – Oak Allee – Night of a Thousand Candles – Brookgreen Gardens

Walkway under the foliage - Brookgreen Gardens — Walkway under the foliage – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride and groom with the candles on the water - Diana of the Chase Fountain - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride and groom with the candles on the water – Diana of the Chase Fountain – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride kissing groom on the cheek - Diana of the Chase Fountain - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride kissing groom on the cheek – Diana of the Chase Fountain – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride pulling grooms face in for a kiss - Diana of the Chase Fountain - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride pulling grooms face in for a kiss – Diana of the Chase Fountain – Brookgreen Gardens

Standing by the pool with the lights in the background - Diana of the Chase Fountain - Brookgreen Gardens — Standing by the pool with the lights in the background – Diana of the Chase Fountain – Brookgreen Gardens

Statue in the background - Diana of the Chase Fountain - Brookgreen Gardens — Statue in the background – Diana of the Chase Fountain – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride and groom looking in each others eyes - Diana of the Chase Fountain - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride and groom looking in each others eyes – Diana of the Chase Fountain – Brookgreen Gardens

Kiss in front of the lights - Diana of the Chase Fountain - Brookgreen Gardens — Kiss in front of the lights – Diana of the Chase Fountain – Brookgreen Gardens

Big smile from the groom - Diana of the Chase Fountain - Brookgreen Gardens — Big smile from the groom – Diana of the Chase Fountain – Brookgreen Gardens

Holding hands by the water - Diana of the Chase Fountain - Brookgreen Gardens — Holding hands by the water – Diana of the Chase Fountain – Brookgreen Gardens

Love by the fountain - Diana of the Chase Fountain - Brookgreen Gardens — Love by the fountain – Diana of the Chase Fountain – Brookgreen Gardens

Touching noses - Diana of the Chase Fountain - Brookgreen Gardens — Touching noses – Diana of the Chase Fountain – Brookgreen Gardens

Kiss with lots of lights in the background - Diana of the Chase Fountain - Brookgreen Gardens — Kiss with lots of lights in the background – Diana of the Chase Fountain – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride looking into grooms eyes - Diana of the Chase Fountain - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride looking into grooms eyes – Diana of the Chase Fountain – Brookgreen Gardens

Kiss in front of the ancient tree - Brookgreen Gardens — Kiss in front of the ancient tree – Brookgreen Gardens

Family and wedding party pictures back at the cottage

After our time was up in the main gardens, we returned to the Holliday Cottage gates for pictures with the family and wedding party. Even without all the hanging lights, it’s still beautiful down by the lake, with the sunset reflecting in the water and the moss hanging from the trees on the garden path. The bridesmaids even lifted the groom up for a picture, and I got a lot of fun shots with the group. We went out by the “Youth Taming the Wild” statue for a few quick pictures before heading to the reception.

Bride and groom in front of the Youth Taming the Wild Statue - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride and groom in front of the Youth Taming the Wild Statue – Brookgreen Gardens

Family portrait under the mossy oaks - Brookgreen Gardens — Family portrait under the mossy oaks – Brookgreen Gardens

Kissing dad on the cheek - Brookgreen Gardens — Kissing dad on the cheek – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride with her sisters - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride with her sisters – Brookgreen Gardens

Family portrait under the oaks - Brookgreen Gardens — Family portrait under the oaks – Brookgreen Gardens

Portraits by the lake in the sunset - Brookgreen Gardens — Portraits by the lake in the sunset – Brookgreen Gardens

Bride with bridesmaids by the pond - Brookgreen Gardens — Bride with bridesmaids by the pond – Brookgreen Gardens

Bridesmaids cheering and holding flowers in the air - Brookgreen Gardens — Bridesmaids cheering and holding flowers in the air – Brookgreen Gardens

Bridal party by the cottage - Brookgreen Gardens — Bridal party by the cottage – Brookgreen Gardens

Wedding party cheering for a kiss - Brookgreen Gardens — Wedding party cheering for a kiss – Brookgreen Gardens

Wedding party walking together having a great time - Brookgreen Gardens — Wedding party walking together having a great time – Brookgreen Gardens

Wedding party on the walkway to the gardens - Brookgreen Gardens — Wedding party on the walkway to the gardens – Brookgreen Gardens

Happy wedding party - Brookgreen Gardens — Happy wedding party – Brookgreen Gardens

Bridesmaids leaning out from behind the bride - Brookgreen Gardens — Bridesmaids leaning out from behind the bride – Brookgreen Gardens

Groomsmen lifting up the bride - Brookgreen Gardens — Groomsmen lifting up the bride – Brookgreen Gardens

Bridesmaids lifting up the groom - Brookgreen Gardens — Bridesmaids lifting up the groom – Brookgreen Gardens

Groom with his best friends from growing up - Brookgreen Gardens — Groom with his best friends from growing up – Brookgreen Gardens

Reception at the South End Bistro

This wedding reception was my first at the South End Bistro. They are a catering business in Pawleys Island and have a physical location to host wedding receptions and other events. Behind the main reception hall, they have a large wooden patio for dancing and a covered area for all the guest’s tables.

I loved the cupcake and cake table. I didn’t notice it at first, but on a closer look, I thought someone had put a finger into the cake. A guest later told me that their dog took a bite out of it! You can see the cake on the little dog figurine’s nose on the cake.

The bride and groom only had me stay for part of the reception time. So after toasts and some dancing, they did a fake exit while everyone blew bubbles. It would be hard to see the bubbles in a dark outdoor area like this. So I set up a second flash behind the couple to light up the bubbles from the background. Please let me know if you plan a wedding at Brookgreen Gardens. I know the area well and would be happy to give you more information.