Choosing a The Cedar Room wedding gives you a blank slate on which to design your unique celebration.
The Cedar Room is located in The Cigar Factory, which now houses restaurants and boutiques. However, it was originally an actual cigar factory dating back to 1881. Its reimagining as a venue and upscale business complex has given it a sophisticated, old-world Charleston feel. The Cigar Factory is on the north end of downtown Charleston, on East Bay Street. The benefit of this location is that you will be just enough removed from the busy tourist areas further south.
As you enter The Cedar Room, you see an airy, high-ceilinged room of exposed brick, old wood columns, and huge statement windows. In the late afternoon, the most beautiful sunlight pours through these windows, casting a golden glow over your wedding ceremony and wedding decor.
It’s rare to find one wedding venue in Charleston that’s big enough, and interesting enough, to host both your ceremony and reception. But, The Cedar Room can do it all.

Where to Have your Ceremony at The Cedar Room
Outside in the Courtyard: The courtyard is a great choice for weddings in the Spring or Fall when it’s not too hot and not too cold. But also, it’s great for people who want an outdoor ceremony and an indoor reception. Keep logistics simple by having the ceremony and reception in the same place. Remember that beautiful golden light mentioned above? You’ll have that in the courtyard if you schedule your ceremony for the late afternoon or early evening (as long as it’s sunny that day, of course!). The courtyard can fit 200 guests seated.
Inside The Cedar Room: Having your wedding ceremony indoors at The Cedar Room means your planners and designers will need to “flip” the room right afterward to set up for your reception. But it is so worth it! As photographers who generally prefer outdoor ceremony locations, we have fallen in love with The Cedar Room’s interior as a ceremony spot.
This is the option you want to choose for a bigger wedding, or if you’re worried about weather. But, moreover, you should choose it from a design standpoint. The columns and high ceilings allow your designers to create a unique, dynamic ceremony setting. Things can be hung, draped, and dangled. Unique lighting can be incorporated (we love how Charleston wedding designer Loluma mixed disco balls and lighting into the lush greenery of the wedding below. It was a magical setting for a ceremony!).
What to Know about Weddings at The Cedar Room
- There is a “bridal suite” but it’s very small. We wouldn’t recommend getting ready here unless the bride is the only one who needs hair and makeup. But it’s a good spot to store bags and shoes, hang your reception dress, and do makeup touch-ups. It’s also a good refuge for a private moment away from everything.
- If you’re flipping the main room between ceremony and reception, plan to have your cocktail hour outside in the courtyard. It’s a perfect cocktail hour location.
- Guests have on-site parking after 5 pm.
- Portrait spots are pretty limited in the area where The Cedar Room is located. We recommend doing your bride and groom portraits earlier in the day off-site, such as White Point Garden, Hampton Park, or the historic neighborhood just off White Point Garden.
Planning a Charleston wedding and still looking for a wedding venue? Check out our other Charleston weddings!