It’s been awhile since we shared wedding stories from our clients with y’all. (In fact, our last update was from before the pandemic!) To help you envision what your wedding or elopement could look like, here are some real life examples of what it’s like to get married with the team at Savannah Custom Weddings & Elopements. We love working with people of so many different backgrounds and from all over the world- it is a privilege! The couples in these photos are a mix of clients who chose the Intimate Destination Wedding package (including Plus), or one of our elopement packages, the Elopement Experience or Popup Elopement.
In 2018, our team realized that there was a significant gap in the wedding planning marketplace for couples who wanted all the best parts of an elopement- the intimacy, simplicity and calmness- but also wanted to celebrate with 10-30 of their favorite guests with a bigger party after their ceremony. Thanks to the brainstorming of our talented Savannah team, the Intimate Destination Wedding package was born, to serve that need for weddings that are like an elopement, but just a bit bigger.
Between 2018 and 2023, our officiant and photography team refined the Intimated Destination Wedding package in Savannah, successfully organizing and hosting 160+ events and counting. We’ve also added a “Plus version” of our this package for events with 30-50 guests that includes an onsite assistant to help with guests and other ceremony and dinner logistics you may need an extra set of hands for. We have used that experience to make all of our offerings better, including our elopement packages in Atlanta and on Hilton Head Island.
Please enjoy our awesome couples enjoying their wedding day with each other and their amazing guests, featuring some of our clients’ most favorite locations and vendors.
PS: While we currently only officially offer ceremony services and elopement packages in Atlanta and on Hilton Head, we would love to give you a customized quote for your intimate wedding, if that is the guest count you desire. Just send us a message!
Couple Story: Jolie & Ashlyn from Nashville, TN, April 2023
Jolie and Ashlyn took their first trip as a couple to Savannah and they returned two years later to be married in Orleans Square surrounded by friends and loved ones. Their romantic and playful ceremony included our first ever tequila ritual! Salud!
Location: Orleans Square, Savannah, GA
Vendors: Officiant: Partner Alexandra Gonsor | Photography: Kenzie Morgan Photography | Florals: Her Earth Florals | Hair & Makeup: Salon at Mane | Cake: Gigi’s Cupcakes of Savannah | Chairs: Edwards Events | Musician: Ocean Violinist | Pedicabs: Royal Bike Taxi | Celebration: Vic’s on the River
Couple Story: Morgan & Cameron from Tampa, FL, May 2023
Morgan & Cameron loved us so much, we married them twice! In 2022, they eloped, just the two of them. One year later, on their anniversary, in the same location, we married them again in front of friends and family. Morgan and Cameron had kept their elopement a secret for a year and everyone was shocked when Buffy pronounced they had been husband and wife for a year as she welcomed everyone to their anniversary vow renewal!
Location: Chatham Square, Savannah, GA
Vendors: Officiants: Partner Officiant Alexandra Gonsor (elopement) and Senior Partner Officiant Buffy Nelson (wedding) | Photography: 5D Photography | Chairs: Edwards Events | Musician: Ocean Violinist | Pedicabs: Royal Bike Taxi | Celebration: Vic’s on the River
Couple Story: Francine & Wayne from Dracut, MA, May 2022
Wayne & Francine met by chance when they both went out to listen to reggae on a Sunday night. That night they danced… and talked… and set up a date for lunch where they learned more about each other and discovered that they both thought the other person was awesome. They both kept us laughing for their entire consultation! Six years later, Wayne & Francine made their commitment in front of the fountain at Lafayette Square in front of their friends and family from Massachusetts.
Location: Lafayette Square, Savannah, GA
Vendors: Officiant: Partner Officiant April Hayes | Photography: Bronston Photography | Cake: Gigi’s Cupcakes of Savannah | Chairs: Edwards Events | Florals: Kato Floral Design | Musician: Ocean Violinist | Pedicab: Royal Bike Taxi | Celebration: 45 Bistro
Couple Story: Marki & Austin from Marietta, GA, January 2023
Marki and Austin were married on Chinese New Year in the middle of a severe rainstorm, but our experienced team was able to move their ceremony into The Gastonian. For their newlywed photoshoot, they grabbed clear umbrellas and didn’t miss a beat, taking stunning photos!
Location: The Gastonian, Savannah, GA
Vendors: Officiant: Senior Partner Buffy Nelson | Photography: 5D Photography | Florals: Her Earth Florals | Hair & Makeup: Royal Makeup & Hair | Musician: Ocean Violinist | Pedicabs: Royal Bike Taxi | Celebration: The Olde Pink House
Couple Story: Delsha & Jacob from Pooler, GA, July, 2022
Delsha and Jacob met on Tinder and were a couple from the moment they saw each other on their first date at a Mexican restaurant! After visiting Savannah, they fell in love and they eventually moved to (and married in) Savannah. They were married with just their parent(s) in attendance and wrote their own vows. We can’t lie- we fell in love with her bridal pantsuit!
Location: Whitefield Square, Savannah, GA
Vendors: Officiant: Partner Officiant Regina Morgan | Photography: Kenzie Morgan Photography | Hair & Makeup: 40 Volume
Couple Story: Candice & Milton from Tifton, GA, November, 2022
Candice & Milton chose to share their personal vows in historic Bonaventure Cemetery, one of the more popular places to be married in Savannah. The historic property is full of historic artifacts, romantic Spanish moss, and when in season, azaleas.
Location: Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah GA
Vendors: Officiant: Senior Partner Buffy Nelson | Photography: Kenzie Morgan Photography | Hair & Makeup: 40 Volume | Cake: Gigi’s Cupcakes of Savannah | Celebration: The Olde Pink House
Couple Story: Marissa & Jonathan from Manitoba, Canada, March 2023
Marissa and Jonathan drove from chilly Manitoba, Canada to the warmth of Savannah to get married, reminding them of Marissa’s childhood in the Southern US. With their little boy as the ring bearer and Wormsloe State Park as their ceremony location, their ceremony captured everything they had been missing and desired!
Location: Wormsloe State Park, Savannah, GA
Vendors: Officiant: Senior Partner Buffy Nelson | Photography: Bronston Photography | Hair & Makeup: Royal Makeup & Hair | Florals: Her Earth Florals | Cake: Gigi’s Cupcakes of Savannah | Celebration: Fiddlers on the River
Couple Story: Hannah & Nick from Lexington, KY, April 2022
Hannah & Nick were married in one of Savannah’s most popular squares, Lafayette Square. Hannah and Nick married nine years after meeting, but they both knew fairly quickly they were the one for each other. When we asked them why they picked April 25th as their wedding date, they answered “It’s not too hot, not too cold. All you need is a light jacket.” We knew they were perfect for us from that moment on.
Location: Lafayette Square in Savannah, GA
Vendors: Officiant: Senior Partner Buffy Nelson | Photography: 5D Photography | Florals: Her Earth Florals | Cake: Gigi’s Cupcakes of Savannah | Pedicabs: Royal Bike Taxi | Celebration: The Olde Pink House
Couple Story: Leigh & Dwayne from Philadelphia, MS, April 2021
Leigh and Dwayne had been together four years before Dwayne proposed. After a motorcycle ride to see the old general store Leigh’s “mamaw” once owned and operated, Dwane got down on his knee to ask Leigh to spend the rest of her life with him. Their intimate and spiritual ceremony took place in Chatham Square with just the two of them.
Location: Chatham Square, Savannah, GA
Vendors: Officiant: Senior Partner Buffy Nelson | Photography: Bronston Photography | Florals: Kato Floral Design | Hair & Makeup: Royal Makeup & Hair | Cake: Gigi’s Cupcakes of Savannah | Musician: Ocean Violinist | Pedicabs: Royal Bike Taxi
Couple Story: Amanda & Drew from Woodstock, IL, April 2021
Amanda and Drew met working as crew members on a cruise ship. Engaged for over ten years, they had never found the right time to get married and then they found themselves separated in different countries for the first year of the pandemic due to border restrictions. We helped Amanda plan a perfect elopement from IL when she found out Drew would finally able to dock and it would be in Savannah, GA. We were so proud to be part of their reunion!
Location: Forsyth Park, Savannah, GA
Vendors: Officiant: Senior Partner Officiant Buffy Nelson | Photography: Bronston Photography | Musician: Savannah Pipes & Drums
Couple Story: Jennifer & David from Flowery Branch, GA, October 2022
Jennifer and David were our first couple married in Atlanta after our expansion into the state’s capital. While their original wedding was planned for Savannah, Hurricane Ian had other ideas and we were easily able to change course. Married outside at Ray’s on the River, Jennifer and David were the best couple to “christen” our newest location!
Location: Ray’s on the River, Sandy Springs, GA
Vendors: Officiant: Owner Tracy Brisson | Photography: Brackney Photo | Celebration: Ray’s on the River
Couple Story: Nicole & Reggie from Greer, SC, March 2023
Nicole and Reggie used our simplest elopement package, the Popup Elopement Package, and we were pleased as punch to be part of their celebration! They met in their high school Spanish class and had been together 10 years before coming to us to be married in Forsyth Park. Their romantic themed ceremony was just as charming as they were.
Location: Forsyth Park, Savannah GA
Vendors: Officiant: Senior Partner Buffy Nelson | Photography: Kenzie Morgan Photography
We hope you found our elopement and intimate wedding couples as fabulous as we did! Have questions about your celebration in Savannah, Atlanta or on Hilton Head? Send us a note. We’d love to chat!
Until next time,
