four planners, read on their own sites
planners on Hilton Head Island
Island planners who name Sea Pines, the resorts and the clubs on their own sites, about an hour from downtown Savannah.
The Area
Hilton Head weddings tend to happen at resorts, private clubs and on the beach, with the marsh and the big oaks close by. Beth Baldwin Weddings lists weddings at Sea Pines Resort, the Westin and the Sonesta on its home page, and Spencer Special Events shows weddings at the Westin and in Sea Pines.
Most of these planners also work in Bluffton and Savannah, so a couple marrying on either side of the river can hire them.
The Planners
- 01
Beth Baldwin WeddingsHilton Head IslandA Hilton Head full service planning and design company led by Beth Baldwin, with a team of lead planners who grew up in or have long worked on the island.Read The Listing - 02
Spencer Special EventsHilton Head IslandA Hilton Head wedding design, planning and coordination firm run by Amanda Spencer, working the island and the wider Lowcountry since 2007.Read The Listing - 03
Trish Beck EventsHilton Head Island and SavannahA woman owned full service wedding planning, design and production company led by Trish Beck, focused on destination weddings around Hilton Head and Savannah.Read The Listing - 04
Embellished EventsBluffton and Hilton HeadA boutique Lowcountry planning firm founded by Jen Leiti in 2010, known on its own site for design led weddings around Hilton Head and Bluffton.Read The Listing
No planner here lists that kind of help.
the beach
town Rules For A Beach Ceremony
A wedding ceremony on the beach needs a permit from the Town of Hilton Head Island, and the permit is free.
Source, hiltonheadislandsc.govThe Town asks for the request at least 30 days before the ceremony, with the location, date, time, length and expected guest count.
Source, hiltonheadislandsc.govThe ceremony spot has to be known before the request goes in.
Source, hiltonheadislandsc.govIslanders Beach Park is closed from September 8, 2026 through May 31, 2027 for construction, and no beach wedding permits will be approved there in that time.
Source, hiltonheadislandsc.govAlcohol, glassware and fires are not allowed on the beach, the dunes or the water next to them.
Source, hiltonheadislandsc.govAnything left on the beach overnight is removed, so the arch and chairs leave the same day.
Source, hiltonheadislandsc.govThe whole beach is public from the ocean to the high water mark, though the way onto it is often private.
Source, hiltonheadislandsc.govThe Town asks everyone to stay seaward of the sand fences and keep things out of the dunes.
Source, hiltonheadislandsc.gov
sea pines
one Resort, Many Ceremony Spots
The Sea Pines Resort lists the 18th Lawn of Harbour Town Golf Links as a ceremony and reception space for up to 250.
Source, seapines.comIts Liberty Oak ceremony site is an old, moss draped live oak beside the Harbour Town Yacht Basin and the lighthouse, for up to 200 guests.
Source, seapines.comSea Pines Beach, in front of the Beach Club, holds ceremonies for up to 250, and the Atlantic Room at the Beach Club seats receptions of 130.
Source, seapines.comThe Champions Ballroom at the Harbour Town Clubhouse holds 250, and the smaller Magnolia Room at Plantation Golf Club suits 30 to 80 guests.
Source, seapines.com
from the photographer
light, wind and Where Portraits Happen
The island faces the Atlantic on one side and Calibogue Sound and the marsh on the other. Beach ceremonies late in the day get the sun low over the island behind the guests, and the sound side gets the sunset itself.
Wind is the island's weather. It moves veils, blows out candles and carries vows away from the back rows, so ask your planner about a microphone for the officiant and weighted decor.
The tide changes the beach by the hour. Check the tide table for your date before you set a beach portrait time, since a low tide leaves wide, wet sand that holds a reflection.
light and seasons
sunset by Month
Sunset in Savannah around the middle of each month, in local clock time and rounded to five minutes. Hilton Head, Bluffton and Tybee run within a few minutes of it. Work back from it to pick your ceremony time.
- January
- 5.40 pm
- February
- 6.10 pm
- March
- 7.30 pm
- April
- 7.55 pm
- May
- 8.15 pm
- June
- 8.30 pm
- July
- 8.30 pm
- August
- 8.10 pm
- September
- 7.30 pm
- October
- 6.55 pm
- November
- 5.25 pm
- December
- 5.20 pm
rain plans
if it Rains
Resorts and clubs on the island usually have an indoor room held as a backup. Ask your planner which room, and walk it, so you know where the ceremony and the portraits go if the weather turns.
A beach permit is for the beach, so a rain plan has to be a different place. Decide it before the 30 day permit deadline.
Give your planner the sunset time at the first meeting. Everything else can be built around it.
from the photographer
who wrote This Guide
I am Vitor Lindo. I have photographed and filmed 450 weddings in 14 years, about 400 of them here in the Lowcountry, from my studio at 1918 Howard Street in Savannah.
Photography and film are available together or separately, with one team planning both. That means one set of blocks on your planner's timeline, and nobody standing in the other one's shot.
questions
about weddings in Hilton Head
Do we need a permit for a Hilton Head beach wedding?
Yes. The Town of Hilton Head Island asks for a beach wedding permit, it is free, and the request goes in at least 30 days before the ceremony.
Can we have champagne at a beach ceremony on Hilton Head?
The Town does not allow alcohol, glassware or fires on the beach, the dunes or the water next to them.
Can we marry at Islanders Beach Park in spring 2027?
No. The Town says the park is closed for construction from September 8, 2026 through May 31, 2027, and no wedding permits will be approved there in that time.
When is sunset on Hilton Head in May?
Around 8.15 pm in mid May, within a few minutes of Savannah.
the photographer's guide
Your Photo And Film timeline, built with your planner
Sunset, family photographs, travel time across the squares and twenty quiet minutes in the last light. Seven plain steps to hand your planner at the first meeting.
Photo And Film
Your planner runs the day. I keep it.
Tell me your date, your venue and your planner, if you have one. You will hear back from me, or call or text (404) 826-4156.