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Magnolia Plantation And Gardens: One Of Charleston's Prettiest Wedding Venues

11 October 2018

If you are just hitting my blog for the first time, welcome! You've actually caught me at my 2nd stop on my exclusive Charleston Wedding DJ tour of some of the most popular and most gorgeous wedding venues.  It's hard to find a place in Charleston to have your wedding that is not rich with history and beauty. Charleston is one of the most romantic cities in the world with it's vast history and numerous other offerings making it a huge draw for couples coming here from large cities like Chicago, New York City, Boston, and beyond. As one of the best Charleston wedding DJs, I wanted to add some more helpful content into my website to assist clients who might be searching for the ideal place to hold their Charleston wedding. 

There are so many wonderful wedding venues in Charleston, and so little time, but I ended up stealing a little "time" in the middle of the week on a rather hot early October afternoon to take a walk around Magnolia Plantation. During my visit, I also sat down with Leanza Kaufman, who oversees the event sales team, and who will help you get your wedding date saved at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. Before I get into the details of my conversation with Leanza, let's first have a brief history lesson about this truly beautiful plantation.

Magnolia Plantation And Gardens: The Beginnings
Magnolia Plantation is actually one of the oldest plantations in the South, and no matter if you are traveling to it from Charleston, or from points north or west of the city, the drive out to the plantation is one of the most beautiful and peaceful. Located off Ashley River Road (scenic Highway 61 to us locals), your trip out Magnolia Plantation will be a shaded one with large oak trees lining the road. Charleston, SC was founded in 1670, and it was only 6 years later that Thomas and Ann Drayton came to the Charleston area from Barbados and created Magnolia Plantation along the Ashley River. Late in the 17th century, the famous gardens you see on the plantation were developed, and that growth continued well into the 18th and 19th centuries.

Your Charleston Wedding Among The Flowers & Gardens
Since the late 1800s, Magnolia Plantation has been open to guests showcasing its acres and acres of beautiful flowers and gardens, making it the oldest public garden in the United States, Spread out across nearly 500 acres, Magnolia Plantation And Gardens has within it three spectacular areas for you to consider when planning your Charleston wedding ceremony and reception. When you contact Leanza at Magnolia Plantation, she'll gladly take you around the plantation to show you "The Carriage House", "The Veranda", and "The Conservatory". We'll go into greater detail about these locations for your weddings in a bit. While each of these locations differs in size and capacity, the one common theme among all of them is beauty. Each location offers a totally different viewpoint of the plantation and it's gardens, or in the case of The Carriage House, an amazing view of the Ashley River. Now, let's get into some of my questions and answers about Magnolia Plantation with Leanza!

How Many Guests Can Each Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location Hold?
The Conservatory at Magnolia Plantation  allows brides and grooms and their guests to have their wedding reception indoors by the tropical gardens with their wedding ceremony on the Schoolhouse lawn overlooking the Ashley River. The Conservatory would be ideal for those Magnolia Plantation weddings with 60 or fewer guests. Walking around Magnolia Plantation allowed me to think about a destination Conservatory wedding that I was the DJ for a few years back. See some of those photos down below.
The Conservatory Magnolia Plantation
A view of the entrance to The Conservatory At Magnolia Plantation prior to a wedding reception

The Beautiful Red Bridge Behind The Conservatory
The beautiful red bridge behind the Conservatory that leads over to the Schoolhouse Pond Lawn

Kristin Matt Introduction The Conservatory
"Kristin & Matt" | Bridal Party Introduction At The Conservatory | Magnolia Plantation
Kristin Matt Saprker Sendoff The Conservatory Nov2014
Kristin & Matt | Sparkler Sendoff | The Conservatory At Magnolia At Plantation

The Carriage House At Magnolia Plantation might just be one of the most popular wedding ceremony and reception locations at Magnolia Plantation.  An incredible view of the Ashley River awaits brides and grooms and their guests as well as an outdoor patio for your cocktail hour. Brides and grooms can have their wedding ceremony outside under the oaks right on the Ashley River. The Carriage House itself has an inside capacity of 150 guests with dancing, and up to 200 guests dancing out on the patio or the lawn.
Large Oak Tree For Ceremonies At The Carriage House
A sunset view of the large oak tree where wedding ceremonies are held at The Carriage House

Carriage House Wedding Ceremony
Wedding Ceremony Held Outside The Carriage House Overlooking The Ashley River

The Carriage House Deck By The Ashley River
The deck outside the Carriage House At Magnolia Plantation right on the Ashley River
The View From The Carriage House Deck Magnolia Plantation
The view of the Ashley River from the deck at the Carriage House

carriage house first dance Charleston Wedding
Bride & Groom Do Their First Dance Inside The Carriage House

The Veranda offers yet another scenic viewpoint of Magnolia Plantation And Gardens. Brides and grooms can hold their wedding ceremony on the Long White Bridge Lawn, and then move over to the Veranda for cocktail hour while they take in views of the beautiful surrounding gardens.  You may also choose to have your wedding reception on the Grand Back Lawn behind the Plantation House for even larger guest lists up to 250. 
Veranda Long White Bridge
The signature Long White Bridge overlooks your wedding ceremony location at The Veranda
The Veranda From A Distance Under The Oak Tree
The Veranda from a distance under one of the many majestic oaks at Magnolia plantation
The Veranda At Christmas Magnolia Plantation
The view of The Veranda all dressed up for the Christmas season.

What separates Magnolia Plantation from all the other gorgeous wedding venues in Charleston?
As the oldest public garden, you'll find the gardens filled with colorful azaleas and sweet smelling wisteria duirng the spring months. During the hotter months of the summer season, crepe myrtles, hydrangeas, and the iconic magnolias fill the entire property. As the summer season turns into Fall, the plantation sees more azaleas, morning glory, and the start of the camellias. Even during the winter, Magnolia Plantation And Gardens showcases America's largest collection of camellias.

Do wedding couples require a wedding planner / coordinator on contract when booking their wedding at Magnolia Plantation?
In an effort to preserve the beauty of all the wedding venue areas, all couples will be required to have a licensed and experienced wedding planner on contract when booking their wedding at Magnolia Plantation.

What all is provided when booking your wedding at Magnolia Plantation?
Each historic venue at Magnolia Plantation includes a ceremony site with either a waterfront view of the Ashley River or a romantic garden backdrop, a space for cocktail hour, and the individal reception sites - The Veranda, The Conservatory, or The Carriage House.

Does Magnolia Plantation provide in-house catering?
No, but Magnolia Plantation can provide a list of quality Charleston wedding caterers that have a lot of experience working out at Magnolia Plantation.
 
Do couples need to purchase any insurance when booking their wedding at Magnolia Plantation?
Yes, Magnolia Plantation requires $1 million in general liability insurance.

Can couples bring their own wedding vendors or are they required to use vendors on your preferred vendors list?
Couples are free to choose their own! We do have a list of caterers and bar services for them to choose from, but other vendors are their choice.

Any other information that might inspire brides to have their wedding at Magnolia Plantation?
Magnolia's combination of rich history combined with it's beautiful gardens are enough for most brides seeking a plantation wedding in Charleston to get all dreamy.  While a lot of brides like to look at all the pretty photos of past weddings at Magnolia Plantation, a lot of brides are sold on having their wedding out there as soon as their tour of the plantation is done. Yep! It's that beautiful.

Magnolia Plantation Wedding Bride And Groom
Photo Credit: Chloe Luka Photography

A Walk Around Magnolia Plantation By One Of Charleston's Top Wedding DJs
Down below, take a stroll with me through the many areas of Magnolia Plantation. After watching this, you'll want to set up a time to tour Magnolia Plantation And Gardens. As I took this time to walk around all the different areas of the plantation, my mind drifted back to all the couples who I worked with over the past several years out at Magnolia Plantation And Gardens.


Conclusion

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is the ideal location for any couple looking to have their Charleston wedding inside one of the most beautiful plantations and gardens in the South. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens has three historical wedding venues that no matter which location is chosen, the couple will have some of the most beautiful backdrops for their wedding ceremony and reception. I wanted to thank Leanza Kaufman for talking with me and helping me get some of the important information out there for this post for brides who might have just gotten engaged and are looking for their wedding venue. For even more inspiration about having your wedding out at Magnolia Plantation, click on this link for one of their featured weddings on the Southern Weddings blog. Whichever venue you decide to have your wedding at inside Magnolia Plantation, Mike Bills Entertainment is one of a handful of Charleston Wedding DJs who is experienced in professional setup for a wedding ceremony and reception at each location. Thank you for making it to the end of another one of my posts! We're in the thick of the Fall wedding season, and I am already looking ahead to 2019. If you are in the hunt for one of the best Charleston wedding DJs and would like to set up a time to talk about the music for your wedding, click HERE and let's talk soon. Click the link down below to schedule your tour of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.
Magnolia Plantation Weddings: https://www.magnoliaplantationweddings.net