The Lowcountry

jekyll island Wedding Photographer

White arches, red tile roofs, moss filled oaks and a long river sunset. I have shot about 10 weddings on Jekyll Island, and it is one of my favorites to film and photograph.

Guests gathered in the red tile roofed courtyard of Crane Cottage on Jekyll Island, seen from above

A Jekyll Island Wedding

Most of what you see on this page comes from Samantha and Michael's wedding weekend in April 2026, at Crane Cottage at the Jekyll Island Club, and it shows what the island gives you in two days. A welcome dinner under white arches. Guests spilling across a courtyard lawn. Portraits under oaks so full of moss that the light goes soft at noon. Vows in a formal garden with the house behind you.

That variety is why it photographs so well. You can get all of it without leaving the historic district, and you never have to spend your wedding in a car.

The Jekyll Island Club

This is the one couples ask me about first. The resort's wedding page lists Crane Cottage, a 1917 Italian Renaissance house with a sunken garden and fountains, with up to 320 guests in its Living Room, plus Cherokee Cottage for 60, the Riverfront Lawn for 250 under its oldest oaks and The Sand Bar for 100 on the ocean. It also runs a free shuttle between its riverfront and beach venues. Ask the wedding team for current numbers on your space.

The Pictures I Would Plan For

The arches and the courtyard in open shade, for the portraits that look like Italy.
The oak lined lawns in the late afternoon, when the light comes in low through the moss.
Twenty minutes on the river side right at sunset, because the sky here can do what you see below.

Bride and groom on a green lawn under moss filled live oaks on Jekyll Island

White arcaded courtyard of Crane Cottage with a round fountain under a clear sky

Bride and groom holding hands during vows under a white and blue floral arch

Guests seated on the lawn in front of Crane Cottage on Jekyll Island

Bridesmaids in pale blue lifting the train of the bride under moss filled oaks

Pink and orange sunset over still water and a long dock at Jekyll Island

Black and white photo of the bride and groom under a spreading live oak

Long welcome dinner table set under a white arched loggia on Jekyll Island

First kiss beneath a floral arch of white and blue hydrangeas

Bride in a long veil looking out a shuttered window in soft light

Black and white photo of a bride seated on a garden bench with her gown spread out

White chairs and a floral arch set in a formal garden before a Jekyll Island ceremony

Bride and groom in a navy tuxedo standing together beside a live oak on Jekyll Island

Beach Weddings And Driftwood Beach

The Jekyll Island Authority says permits are not required to get married on the island's beaches. The beach stays public, so people may walk around your ceremony. No glass, no kegs, and pets stay on a leash. Chairs and arbors are fine as long as you take them with you. Sparklers need a fire permit, and open flames and tiki torches are out.

Driftwood Beach is the one everyone has saved. Go at sunrise or sunset for the light through the wood. Most of it is sea turtle nesting beach, so any lighting has to be turtle friendly amber or red LED. Villas By The Sea also lists ceremonies on its live oak lawn and at Driftwood Beach, if you want a resort behind you.

Jekyll Island Questions

Do you need a permit to get married on a Jekyll Island beach?

The Jekyll Island Authority says no permit is required to get married on its beaches. The beach is public, so it is first come, first served. Signs and sparklers have their own permits.

Can you get married on Driftwood Beach?

Yes, it is part of the public beach, but most of it is sea turtle nesting beach. The Authority does not allow lighting there unless it is turtle friendly amber or red LED.

Where do we get a marriage license for Jekyll Island?

Jekyll Island is in Glynn County. If neither of you lives in Georgia, Georgia has you apply in the county where the ceremony happens, so start with the Glynn County Probate Court and confirm the current fee with them.

Your Date

Tell me where you are getting married and I will tell you how I would photograph it.

Check Your Date