Been wondering why go the extra mile for a bridal portrait shoot? While the tradition began in Southern Europe, at a time when affluent families would hire an artist to paint the picture, we’ve come...
The Cottages on Charleston Harbor
Cottage No. 4, 5, or 6
Loved because: each serves as your own private cottage on Charleston Harbor with a screened porch, hammock, and semi-exclusive beach.
Rates: $300-$700/night
Contact: (843) 849-2300, www.TheCottagesOnCharlestonHarbor.com
Photograph courtesy of the venue
Aloft Charleston Airport &Convention Center
King Guest Rooms
Loved because: the rooms look as hip and modern as can be, and include a 42-inch TVs and platform beds. Bonus for that honeymoon flight? The hotel’s just down the road from the airport in North Charleston.
Rates: starts at $109/night
Contact: (843) 566-7300; www.AloftHotels.com
Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina
Sumter Deluxe Suite
Loved because: this corner suite at the Patriots Point hotel is decorated like a sweet summer cottage, albeit one with killer views of the Charleston Harbor and downtown and easy access to a host of sea excursions.
Rates: $219-$399/night
Contact: (843) 856-0028; www.CharlestonHarborResort.com
Charleston Place Hotel
Presidential Suite
Renowned because: this 1,200 square-foot-suite on the Orient Express hotel’s Club Level includes Italian marble, antique furniture and artwork, and a private concierge, plus afternoon tea and cocktails.
Rate: $1,500-$2,200
Contact: (843) 722-4900; www.CharlestonPlace.com
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
King Guest Suites
Renowned because: amenities include the plushest beds in town and warm chocolate chip cookies, and the suites are set in an historic building just a few feet from the City Market.
Rates: $139-$400/night
Contact: (843) 577-2644; www.CharlestonDoubletree.com
Embassy Suites Hotel—Historic Charleston
King Jacuzzi Suites
Loved because: with colonial-styled mahogany furniture and spa tubs, the two-room suites are gems set inside a 200-plus-year-old castle-like structure in the heart of Marion Square.
Rates: $200-$400/night.
Contact: (843) 723-6900; www.HistoricCharleston.EmbassySuites.com
Fulton Lane Inn
Cathedral Suite
Loved because: tucked in Lower King’s antique district, this suite includes a king-size canopied bed, vaulted ceilings, and a two-person whirlpool bath—not to mention spectacular views of Charleston’s most famed shopping street.
Rates: $265-$355/night
Contact: (843) 720-2600; www.FultonLaneInn.com
Francis Marion Hotel
Harborview Suite
Loved because: the 985-square-foot suite (complete with two baths and a kitchen) on the penthouse floor of the grand 1920s hotel offers a bird’s-eye view of the downtown and the Cooper River.
Rates: $499-$629/night
Contact: (843) 722-0600; www.FrancisMarionHotel.com
The Inn at Palmetto Bluff
Cottage Suites
Loved because: the two-room 1,340-square-foot luxury cottage suites (with screened-in porches, bikes, steam showers, and more) epitomizes the luxe life at this Auberge Resort in Bluffton.
Rates: starts at $550/night
Contact: (866) 706-6565; www.PalmettoBluffResort.com
John Robinson Cookhouse Suites
Suite One
Loved because: housed on the top floor of this hideaway cookhouse in downtown’s Mazyck-Wraggborough district, the suite holds immaculate trappings, including 19th-century finds and vintage Irish prints
Rates: $169-$199/night
Contact: (843) 789-3174; www.CharlestonCookhouse.com
John Rutledge House Inn
Main House Grand Suite
Loved because: with original
hardwood floors, period antiques, and 10-foot ceilings, staying in the suite is akin to playing lord and lady of the manor.
Rates: $370-$445/night
Contact: (800) 476-9741; www.JohnRutledgeHouseInn.com
Kings Courtyard Inn
Parlor Suite
Loved because: the suite, in this hotel set on King Street, includes a cozy living room and elegant, 18th-century reproduction furniture.
Rates: $255-$345/night
Contact: (843) 723-7000; www.KingsCourtyardInn.com
Marina Inn at Grande Dunes
Studio Suite Deluxe
Loved because: the room’s private terrace affords a priceless view of the Intracoastal Waterway, and there’s a cozy fireplace for snuggling.
Rates: $150-$300/night
Contact: (877) 913-1333; www.MarinaInnAtGrandeDunes.com
The Inn at Middleton Place
Ashley River Suite
Loved because: the top-floor suite sports French doors that open onto a private, wraparound deck, plus a wood-burning fireplace, and its guests enjoy complimentary bicycle rentals, champagne, and access to Middleton Place plantation, a short walk away.
Rates: $325-$570/night.
Contact: (800) 543-4774, www.TheInnAtMiddletonPlace.com
The Mills House Wyndham Grand
King Junior Suites
Loved because: the homey suites come stocked with a wet bar, lounge, and tea maker, and are decorated with 18th- and 19th-century antiques a French Quarter manse would envy.
Rates: $179-$309/night
Contact: (843) 577-2400; www.MillsHouse.com
Planters Inn
Penthouse King Guest Room
Loved because: it’s decorated in inviting splendor (including a marble bathroom) and the private rooftop terrace overlooks the historic City Market.
Rates: $439-$769/night
Contact: (843) 722-2345; www.PlantersInn.com
Renaissance Charleston Historic District Hotel
Two-Room Suite (Upper Floor)
Loved because: with its cozy living area and marble bathroom, this suite offers a luxe reprieve from the excitement of lower King Street’s shopping district.
Rates: call for pricing
Contact: (843) 534-0300; www.Marriott.com
The Sanctuary At Kiawah Island golf resort
Oceanfront Suite
Loved for: views of the Atlantic and Kiawah Island Golf Resort from two private balconies, a rose-petal turndown service, and being set in “America’s Happiest Seaside Town”, according to Coastal Living magazine in 2012.
Rates: $895-$1650/night
Contact: (843) 768-6000; www.KiawahResort.com
Tides Folly Beach
Beachfront Patio Rooms
Loved because: the suites, set in Folly Beach’s only waterfront hotel, have private patios that put you steps away from the lapping waters of the Atlantic.
Rates: $209-$359/night
Contact: (843) 588-6464; www.TidesFollyBeach.com
Two Meeting Street Inn
The Spell Room
Loved because: the romantic suite holds a working 1890 fireplace, period antiques, Oriental rugs, and a straight-shot view of historic Meeting Street, while this charming bed and breakfast is merely steps from the Battery's famed White Point Garden.
Rates: $379-$489/night
Contact: (843) 723-7322; www.TwoMeetingStreet.com
Wentworth Mansion
Grand Mansion Suite
Loved because: the 1,000-square-foot room was once the parlor of a decadent 19th-century home, Italian crystal chandeliers and marble fireplaces included.
Rate: $760/night
Contact: (843) 466-1886, www.WentworthMansion.com
Wild Dunes Resort
Boardwalk Inn Presidential Suite
Loved because: the two-story 1,434-square-foot suite is a hop, skip, and a jump from the Isle of Palms beach, the resort’s cabana-lined ocean-front pool, and surrounding boardwalk shops.
Rates: starts at $250-$600/night
Contact: (888) 778-1876; www.WildDunes.com
Zero George Street
Garden Suite
Loved because: the hotel, just blocks from King Street, is an early 19th-century-building with a Euro-chic interior, and this suite affords access to a quiet courtyard that’s perfect for romancing couples.
Rates: $399-$539/night
Contact: (843) 817-7900; www.ZeroGeorge.com
