Caroline and Ryan’s Lowndes Grove wedding, shot start to finish on Super 8 film. Yellow florals, lemons down the tables, a clear tent on the lawn, sunset on the dock, and a sparkler send-off at ten.
A May Sunday at Lowndes Grove
Lowndes Grove is the one Charleston venue I’d pick if I could only film at one for the rest of my life. It sits right on the Ashley River with a white 18th-century house, a lawn that runs down to the water, live oaks everywhere, and a long dock that points straight into the sunset. On film, all of that turns into something else. The grain softens the house, the marsh goes gold, and the light off the river does half the work for you.
Caroline and Ryan got the exact kind of May day you hope for here. Clear sky, a little breeze off the water, and a palette that was made for Super 8: butter yellow bridesmaids’ dresses, sage linens, lemons and yellow flowers down every table, and a clear-top tent on the lawn so the whole reception happened under the oaks with the river right there.
I shot the full day on real 8mm film. Details and getting ready at noon, first looks under the trees, the ceremony at 4:30 facing the water, portraits on the dock as the sun went down, and everyone still out on the grass when the sparklers came out at ten.
Why Lowndes Grove looks so good on Super 8
Digital cameras handle the Lowndes Grove sunset a little too well. Everything is sharp and clean and it ends up looking like every other sunset you’ve scrolled past. Super 8 doesn’t do that. The film blooms in the highlights, the sky goes warm instead of orange, and the dock, the marsh, and the white columns all pick up that soft, slightly worn look that makes a wedding feel like a memory instead of a recording.
It also loves the layout of this property. The house glows at dusk, the lawn is wide enough to run across, and the dock gives you a straight line into the light. A lot of what you see in Caroline and Ryan’s film is just the two of them walking, running, and dancing across that lawn while the camera does what 8mm does best.
Sparklers at ten
Caroline changed into a second dress after the cake, and the whole reception moved out onto the lawn for a sparkler send-off in front of the house. That’s the last thing on the last roll of film, and it’s the frame I’d put on the wall.
The team behind this Lowndes Grove wedding
- Super 8 film — Weathersby Films
- Venue — Lowndes Grove (PPHG)
- Planning + design — Peninsula Events
- Photography — Reagan Aleea Photo
- Florals — Gibbs Floral Studio
- Rentals — Snyder Events
- Lighting + draping — LIT Charleston
- Linens — BBJ La Tavola, Stradley Davidson
- Stationery — Kate Eliza Creative
- Dress — Kelly Faetanini via Flair Boston
- Suits — The Suit Shop
- Hair + makeup — Brianna B Adams, Cheryl Quinn
- Entertainment — NXT LVL
Planning a Lowndes Grove wedding?
I’m based in Charleston, and after filming Caroline and Ryan’s day I know exactly where the light goes on that dock, which side of the lawn the sunset hits, and how a send-off in front of the house plays on film. If you want your Lowndes Grove wedding film to look like this, send me your date and I’ll let you know if it’s open.
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