The Cotton Dock at Boone Hall Plantation

Guests reach the Cotton Dock the way visitors have approached Boone Hall for generations — down the Avenue of Oaks, three-quarters of a mile of 270-year-old live oaks hung with Spanish moss. The dock itself is a rustic wooden event house on the banks of a tidal creek at the edge of the marsh, with a working fireplace, heating for cooler months, and restrooms inside.

Ceremonies can be held on the front lawn by the plantation house and gardens, under the oak canopy along the avenue, or at the Cotton Dock, with events beginning after the grounds close to the public at 5 p.m. The Gin House, restored in 2023, seats 80 for dinner or holds 100 for cocktails, which makes it the usual pick for rehearsal dinners and showers. Couples work with Boone Hall's in-house weddings and events team, choose from a preferred caterer list, and hire at least a day-of licensed planner, which the property requires.

Boone Hall sits on Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant, eight miles from downtown Charleston. Published pricing covers the small end: weekday elopements for up to 50 guests run $1,800 for a ceremony or $4,000 with a Gin House celebration, and Gin House events are $2,000-$3,500. Full Cotton Dock wedding rental is quoted by inquiry through the events office.