Downtown Charleston wedding with a reception at the historic Francis Marion Hotel

February 20, 2024Ryan Smith

Happy couple walking out of the cathedral in black and white - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

I love going to the historic downtown Charleston area for weddings. The city atmosphere gives me an opportunity for a different style of photography from my typical garden, golf course, and beach weddings. This winter wedding with Sarah & Alec on February 10th was so much fun, with perfect weather for pictures. The ceremony was held at the Saint John the Baptist Cathedral, and the reception was at the historic Francis Marion Hotel. We also went to Chalmers Street in downtown Charleston to use the cobblestone road for fun pictures with the bridal party.

Ceremony at the Saint John the Baptist Cathedral

I briefly met Sarah and Alec at the hotel before heading to Saint John’s Cathedral with the groomsmen. Sarah was putting on her dress at the cathedral, so we took most of the getting-ready pictures there. There is some beautiful classic architecture in the cathedral, so I made sure to take lots of photos before any guests arrived.

As is usual with church weddings, I was limited in where I was allowed to take pictures. When the wedding party and the bride and her father walked down the aisle, I had to be behind the last row of guests. Because the guests sat so far back, I had to use my wide-angle lens and take pictures from over to the side. On the one hand, it limited the images I could take of everyone walking in, but I got some beautiful photos from the back as everyone walked down the aisle. I especially loved the one of the flower girl and ringbearer walking down the aisle toward the ceremony.

I also had to stay in the back during the ceremony, but I’m always prepared for that. I’m primarily a prime lens shooter, but I have a telephoto zoom lens for this exact situation. I could zoom in from the back of the cathedral and get some great shots of the vows and exchanging of the rings. There is also a little winding stairway that goes up to the balcony. I quickly made my way up the steps to the balcony several times to get some beautiful overhead shots. I especially liked the wide-angle shot of everyone standing at the altar that I converted to black and white.

Bride doing her makeup in the getting-ready room - Francis Marion Charleston — Getting ready pictures with the bride – Francis Marion Charleston

Bridesmaids getting their hair done before the wedding - Francis Marion Charleston — Getting ready pictures with the bride – Francis Marion Charleston

Bride putting on lipstick in a small round mirror - Francis Marion Charleston — Getting ready pictures with the bride – Francis Marion Charleston

Engagement ring tucked into the white rose bouquet - Francis Marion Charleston — Ring in the bouquet – Francis Marion Charleston

Bridesmaids fixing the bride's hair - Francis Marion Charleston — Getting ready pictures with the bride – Francis Marion Charleston

Groomsmen before the ceremony - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Groomsmen before the ceremony – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Wide angle pictures inside the Cathedral - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Wide angle pictures inside the Cathedral – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Vertical wide-angle view down the aisle of the cathedral - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Wide angle pictures inside the Cathedral – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Rings in box - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Rings in box – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Wedding bands resting on an engraved wooden ring box - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Rings in box – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Groomsmen lined up on the cathedral steps - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Groomsmen before the ceremony – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Vertical panorama of the Cathedral - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Vertical panorama of the Cathedral – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Bridesmaids buttoning the back of the bride's dress - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Bridesmaids helping bride with her dress – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Bridesmaids and flower girl spreading out the bride's train - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Bridesmaids helping bride with her dress – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Bride standing with her long train spread across the floor - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Bridesmaids helping bride with her dress – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Bride laughing with bridesmaids - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Bride laughing with bridesmaids – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Groom walking down the aisle - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Groom walking down the aisle – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Wedding party walking to the ceremony - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Wedding party walking to the ceremony – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Ring bearer and flower girl walking up the aisle toward the camera - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Ring bearer and flower girl – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Ring bearer and flower girl walking down the long aisle toward the altar - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Ring bearer and flower girl – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Bride and father starting down the aisle - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Bride and father walking down the aisle – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Father smiling as he walks the veiled bride down the aisle - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Bride and father walking down the aisle – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Bride and father walking toward the altar, seen from behind - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Bride and father walking down the aisle – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Bride and groom at the altar, seen from the back of the cathedral - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Bride and groom during the ceremony – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Vertical wide view of the ceremony under the cathedral's painted ceiling - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Bride and groom during the ceremony – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Black and white view of the ceremony from the balcony - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Pictures from the balcony – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Wedding party at the altar seen from the balcony - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Pictures from the balcony – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Wide view of the ceremony from the back of the cathedral - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Ceremony from the back of the cathedral – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Exchanging of rings - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Exchanging of rings – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Wedding vows - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Wedding vows – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

First kiss - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — First kiss – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Happy couple after the ceremony - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Happy couple after the ceremony – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Wedding pictures after the ceremony on Chalmers Street and the Francis Marion Hotel

After signing the marriage license, Sarah and Alec made a grand exit from the cathedral, surrounded by their family and friends. Someone said it looked like a royal wedding with her classic gown and the cathedral’s architecture. We took a few wedding party pictures on the steps and at the next-door courtyard, then headed to Chalmers Street for pictures. Chalmers Street is a popular location in downtown Charleston for wedding pictures because of the classic homes and cobblestones. We had to avoid a few cars, but otherwise, it was very calm around the area.

The wedding party was a lot of fun, and they even had a few ideas they wanted to try, which I’m always happy about. Because of the cars and distractions in the background, I opened my 85mm lens all the way up to its maximum aperture of f1.4 for closeups of the bride and groom. This gives the maximum blur to the out-of-focus background of a picture. I usually wouldn’t shoot this wide open because I’m used to the old days when I had to shoot at a smaller aperture, like f2, to get sharp images. With these modern lenses on a Sony camera body with eye tracking, it’s amazing how sharp the pictures are wide open. Check out the dreamy look of some of the closeup pictures with the blurry background bokeh and the eyes still being perfectly sharp.

After dropping off the wedding party, we planned to go to The Battery for more pictures. However, with the traffic in downtown Charleston, we realized we were running out of time. So, instead, we just went to Marion Square across the street from the hotel. For some reason, many white tents were set up in the park, but we found a nice brick path between the trees and out of view of the tents. Again, I used my prime lens wide open to blur out any unwanted details in the background and get the dreamy look of a path going off into the distance. Sarah forgot her flowers, and I got a cute shot of Alec coming to the rescue, walking across the street with the bouquet. After a few more pictures on the street in front of the Francis Marion Hotel, we headed in for the reception.

Happy couple walking out of the cathedral - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Happy couple walking out of the cathedral – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Kiss on the steps of the cathedral - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Kiss on the steps of the cathedral – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Big group picture outside the cathedral - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Big group picture outside the cathedral – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Cheers with the bridesmaid - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Cheers with the bridesmaid – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Bridal party picture in front of the cathedral - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Bridal party picture in front of the cathedral – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Kiss with the bridal party - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Kiss with the bridal party – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Bride and groom on the steps - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Bride and groom on the steps – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Groom with the bridesmaids - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Groom with the bridesmaids – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Groomsmen picking up the bride - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Groomsmen picking up the bride – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Bride and groom in the courtyard of the cathedral - Cathedral of Saint John Charleston — Bride and groom in the courtyard of the cathedral – Cathedral of Saint John Charleston

Dip back for a kiss with the bridal party cheering - Chalmers Street — Dip back for a kiss with the bridal party cheering – Chalmers Street

Bridal party cheering as the groom dips the bride on the cobblestones - Chalmers Street — Dip back for a kiss with the bridal party cheering – Chalmers Street

Wedding party on the street - Chalmers Street — Wedding party on the street – Chalmers Street

Wedding party walking down the street - Chalmers Street — Wedding party walking down the street – Chalmers Street

Bride surrounded by the bridesmaids' flowers - Chalmers Street — Bride surrounded by the bridesmaids’ flowers – Chalmers Street

Groomsmen trying to look cool walking down the street - Chalmers Street — Groomsmen trying to look cool walking down the street – Chalmers Street

Bridesmaids with flowers behind their back - Chalmers Street — Bridesmaids with flowers behind their back – Chalmers Street

Bride and bridesmaids holding their bouquets on the cobblestone street - Chalmers Street — Portraits with the bride and bridesmaids – Chalmers Street

Bridesmaids leaning in around the bride with bouquets on her train - Chalmers Street — Portraits with the bride and bridesmaids – Chalmers Street

Bride and bridesmaids raising their bouquets in the middle of the street - Chalmers Street — Portraits with the bride and bridesmaids – Chalmers Street

Bride and bridesmaids standing in a line on the cobblestones - Chalmers Street — Portraits with the bride and bridesmaids – Chalmers Street

Bridesmaids leaning in with their bouquets together around the bride - Chalmers Street — Portraits with the bride and bridesmaids – Chalmers Street

Bride and groom touching noses under the veil - Chalmers Street — Bride and groom touching noses under the veil – Chalmers Street

Kiss under the veil - Chalmers Street — Kiss under the veil – Chalmers Street

Romance on the street - Chalmers Street — Romance on the street – Chalmers Street

Looking into each other's eyes - Chalmers Street — Looking into each other’s eyes – Chalmers Street

Kiss with flowers behind the groom - Chalmers Street — Kiss with flowers behind the groom – Chalmers Street

Bride and groom with big smiles - Chalmers Street — Bride and groom with big smiles – Chalmers Street

Dip on the street - Chalmers Street — Dip on the street – Chalmers Street

Holding hands - Chalmers Street — Holding hands – Chalmers Street

Closeup of bride pulling in groom for a kiss - Chalmers Street — Closeup of bride pulling in groom for a kiss – Chalmers Street

Touching noses - Chalmers Street — Touching noses – Chalmers Street

Kiss on the cheek - Chalmers Street — Kiss on the cheek – Chalmers Street

Kiss on the cheek with bride looking at the camera - Chalmers Street — Kiss on the cheek with bride looking at the camera – Chalmers Street

Bride looking into groom's eyes - Chalmers Street — Bride looking into groom’s eyes – Chalmers Street

Lifting bride into the air - Chalmers Street — Lifting bride into the air – Chalmers Street

Holding hands walking away down the cobblestone street - Chalmers Street — Holding hands walking down the cobblestone street – Chalmers Street

Holding hands on the cobblestone street, facing the camera - Chalmers Street — Holding hands walking down the cobblestone street – Chalmers Street

Giving his bride a spin - Chalmers Street — Giving his bride a spin – Chalmers Street

Low angle view over the cobblestone - Chalmers Street — Low angle view over the cobblestone – Chalmers Street

Bride and groom under the Francis Marion hotel awning - Francis Marion Charleston — Bride and groom under the Francis Marion hotel awning – Francis Marion Charleston

Bride and groom kissing under the Francis Marion hotel awning - Francis Marion Charleston — Bride and groom kissing under the Francis Marion hotel awning – Francis Marion Charleston

Bride and groom standing together on the brick walkway in the park - Marion Square Charleston — Bride and groom on the walkway in the park – Marion Square Charleston

Bride and groom facing each other on the walkway in the park - Marion Square Charleston — Bride and groom on the walkway in the park – Marion Square Charleston

Bride and groom kissing on the walkway in the park - Marion Square Charleston — Bride and groom on the walkway in the park – Marion Square Charleston

Bride holding the groom's face as they smile at each other - Marion Square Charleston — Bride touching groom’s face pulling him in for a kiss – Marion Square Charleston

Bride pulling the groom in for a kiss - Marion Square Charleston — Bride touching groom’s face pulling him in for a kiss – Marion Square Charleston

Kiss on the cheek - Marion Square Charleston — Kiss on the cheek – Marion Square Charleston

Bride and groom smiling at each other on the brick path - Marion Square Charleston — Bride and groom smiling at each other on the brick path – Marion Square Charleston

Holding hands walking down the path - Marion Square Charleston — Holding hands walking down the path – Marion Square Charleston

Groom went to get the flowers - Marion Square Charleston — Groom went to get the flowers – Marion Square Charleston

Bride looking off to the side on the park walkway - Marion Square Charleston — Bridal portraits – Marion Square Charleston

Bride smiling with her bouquet on the park walkway - Marion Square Charleston — Bridal portraits – Marion Square Charleston

Bride and groom with Francis Marion Hotel in the background - Marion Square Charleston — Bride and groom with Francis Marion Hotel in the background – Marion Square Charleston

Bride and groom smiling by the street next to the park - Marion Square Charleston — Bride and groom on the busy street – Marion Square Charleston

Bride and groom embracing by the busy street - Marion Square Charleston — Bride and groom on the busy street – Marion Square Charleston

Bride and groom crossing the street back to the hotel - Marion Square Charleston — Bride and groom on the crosswalk running back to hotel – Marion Square Charleston

Bride and groom laughing as they hurry across the crosswalk - Marion Square Charleston — Bride and groom on the crosswalk running back to hotel – Marion Square Charleston

Fun dancing at the historic Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston

This wedding reception was the first I’ve photographed at the Francis Marion Hotel. It has a classic ballroom with hanging chandeliers, many windows, and warm lighting. The interior was stunning, so I made sure to take a lot of pictures. After introductions and toasts, I followed Sarah and Alec to the tables as they hugged and talked to the guests. This is always a great time to get pictures with friends and family that were not in the formal pictures earlier in the day. After dinner, they turned down the lights, and the party started. This was also my first time working with the Bunn DJ Company, and he did a great job getting everyone on the dance floor.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. If you are planning a wedding in downtown Charleston, I never mind the drive and am happy to travel. Please let me know so I can share more pictures and information with you.