UPDATED 2024

We wanted to re-visit our original post of Heyward Manor that we posted in 2021. Since then, we’ve photographed SEVERAL weddings at the venue. And we wanted to give a full insiders review of the venue. We want to show you exactly why we LOVE this venue.

Heyward Manor Wedding Photographers

Hey bride! I remember the challenges of choosing a wedding venue. You need to first find the style you like. Do you want something that’s modern and in the city? A historic home overlooking a field or maybe you love the rustic barn look. Obviously, I want a venue that you love the look and feel of. That comes first.

Then you’ve got to comb through all of the details, practicality, and convenience. Is the venue near any hotels or will all of your guests have to drive 2 hours for the wedding? Then you have to consider the vendors and if catering will have a place to prepare the food and will the DJ/band have enough room to set up.

Capturing Heyward Manor Magic: Finding Your Perfect Wedding Photographer

Heyward Manor, with its rustic elegance and picturesque setting, provides a dream backdrop for your wedding celebration. But to truly capture the magic of your day, you’ll need a photographer who understands the unique charm of the venue and can translate your love story into timeless imagery.

Here’s what to consider when searching for the perfect Heyward Manor wedding photographer:

Venue Expertise: Heyward Manor boasts beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces, from the airy whitewashed walls of the main house to the sprawling landscape with endless photo opportunities. A photographer familiar with the venue can navigate these spaces seamlessly, finding the best lighting, angles, and locations for every stage of your wedding journey. They’ll know how to utilize the natural light streaming through the windows for stunning portraits or capture the warm glow of fairy lights strung across the evening setting.

Experience with Barn Weddings: While Heyward Manor isn’t a traditional barn, it possesses a rustic elegance often associated with barn weddings. Look for a photographer who has experience capturing the unique elements of barn weddings – the exposed beams, the warmth of wood tones, and the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape.

Storytelling Through Images: A wedding is about more than just posed portraits. It’s about the raw emotions, the laughter shared with loved ones, the stolen glances between you and your partner. Choose a photographer who can capture the narrative of your love story, weaving candid moments and planned portraits into a cohesive visual tapestry. Look for a photographer whose portfolio showcases not just staged smiles but the genuine emotions that make a wedding celebration so special.

Understanding Your Vision: Every couple has a unique vision for their wedding day. Do you dream of a classic and elegant look, or a more playful and relaxed atmosphere? Communicate your vision with potential photographers and choose someone whose style aligns with your preferences. Look at their portfolio to see if their editing style resonates with you, whether it’s light and airy or dramatic and moody.

Comfort and Connection: Your wedding photographer will be by your side throughout the day, capturing candid moments and guiding you through posed shots. It’s important to feel comfortable and have a connection with the person behind the lens. Schedule consultations with a few photographers and see who you click with. A good photographer will make you feel relaxed and confident, allowing your personalities to shine through in the photos.

Embrace the Light: Heyward Manor offers incredible natural light, a photographer’s dream. Look for someone who understands how to utilize natural light to create stunning portraits. They should also be prepared for any lighting situation, whether it’s a bright sunny day or a romantic evening ceremony with fairy lights.

Heyward Manor’s Charm: From the manicured lawns to the charming white exterior, Heyward Manor offers endless possibilities for photo backdrops. Choose a photographer who can capture the unique details of the venue, ensuring your photos not only showcase your love but also the picturesque setting that hosted your special day.

Finding the perfect wedding photographer for Heyward Manor is an investment in memories that will last a lifetime. By considering these tips and trusting your instincts, you’ll be well on your way to capturing the magic and beauty of your celebration at this historic and enchanting venue.

That’s just the beginning. Trust me – I know it’s not easy.

That’s why when we photograph at venues that we love, we tell everyone we know about them. Great venues are hard to find.

For this particular venue spotlight, we wanted to showcase a new favorite of ours, Heyward Manor in Iva, South Carolina. If you’re in the Greenville or Anderson area and you’re starting to wedding plan, this venue needs to be on your list.

Heyward Manor Wedding Venue Review

Let’s talk about the different reasons we love Heyward Manor.

The first we need to mention is the owners. Even from our first phone call to schedule an engagement session, they have been nothing but amazing.

During our first visit to the venue, the owner was there, and watching them interact with our couple seemed like they had known each other for decades.

The Owners

The main factor of a wedding venue is the building, the grounds, and the style. BUT! even the best venue can become a nightmare if the owners, managers, or staff are not a pleasure to work with. Have no fear at Heyward Manor.

Since originally posting this article, we’ve gotten closer to the owners of Heyward Manor. In fact, we go to church with the daughter of the owner (the reason the venue was created) and we can guarantee that you’ll love working with these folks. In fact, it’s the one rave that all of our brides have – they constantly talk about how kind and caring the owners are.

You can see how much they care as soon as you talk to any of the family who owns and operates the venue. In fact, just the story of how Heyward Manor came to be shows you the type of people you’ll be working with,

We often tell people that Heyward Manor is more than just a wedding venue. It’s where I, along with my siblings and cousins, grew up and it is a place filled with warmth and love. It’s our home. To us, family is everything, and we consider all our sweet couples to be new members of our family. That’s how our grandfather would have wanted it.

In 1982, my father, uncle and grandfather first bought and developed our land, pouring love, sweat and tears into the tree farm that surrounds the venue today. We truly believe that you can feel that love in this place when you are here. So, we invite you to come visit for yourself, and we look forward to welcoming you into our family. It’s the stuff of fairy tales, and we dream of creating magic and making yours come true.

Getting Married at Heyward Manor

Now, let’s talk about the venue itself and what you’ll get when you get married at Hewyard Manor. The views and the beauty are obvious, and the pictures don’t do it justice.

We know there are a lot of “barn” wedding venues out there – they are a dime a dozen, but this isn’t just another wedding venue.

We really believe Heyward combines the best of many styles. They have a clean, modern vibe combined with the large barn setting. What’s not to love?

Heyward is more than just a nice place for a ceremony. As wedding photographers, we also value spaces that offer plenty of pretty backgrounds, lighting, convenient spaces to get ready, and plenty of space for guests to dance.

This venue has them all. After you walk in the large white barn doors, you see the spacious reception/ceremony spot. Which is another advantage of getting married at Heyward.

Ceremony and Receptions at Heyward Manor

One of the reasons we love going out to the venue is because of the ceremony spots. First, let’s say that regardless of where you get married on the property, it’s going to be BEAUTIFUL. But what’s amazing is you have options.

They have two stunning spots to host your ceremony. The first is directly off of the barn on the patio overlooking the pond and woods.

Online Directories:

• The Knot: https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-venues-south-carolina
• WeddingWire: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/heyward-manor/e03ec57d5f9e8c06.html These websites allow you to search for wedding photographers based on location and filter by couples’ reviews and photos. You can specifically search for photographers who have experience shooting at Heyward Manor.

Social Media:

• Instagram: Search for hashtags like #heywardmanorwedding or #heywardmanorphotography. You might find photos from weddings at the venue and potentially discover the photographer who captured them.