Francis Marion Hotel

onsive and organized, which put our minds at ease. In the end, the entire day flowed beautifully and we had the most FUN party. The food was great (even the crowd flying in from Maryland loved the crab cakes!). Aside from the wedding day itself, the hotel was a great location for our room block, as guests could enjoy a weekend in Charleston with historic sites within walking distance.

he garage is so tiny and cramped, and to get items in and out (gifts, wedding decorations, luggage, etc) You have to leave you car in the street, get a cart from an elevator, bring it in, load the car, bring the cart back inside, put it on a tiny elevator to the lobby, and then pull it up to the room all while hoping that your car is fine in the middle of King Street. It was a huge hassle, and the guests at our other hotel were much happier. The room types are also not guarenteed, so if we planned to put 2 people in one room with 2 beds, and the room only had one bed, we had to take everything back downstairs and request a change. The positive is the staff was PHENOMENAL at the front desk and fixed any and all issues we had. Unforuantely, the higher management seemed alarmed that they had a wedding in the building and were taken aback almost like "oh my gosh you're having a wedding? what can we do to help you?" and I wish they had been like that from the very beginning. They were difficult to work with (I was planning this wedding from 600 miles away) and the girl who was my main point of contact quit, and no one informed me. It was quite a mess and they don't seem suitable for wedding block services.

ms with ease. Definitely consider the hotel for special events or just to say there! Very nice! We booked this hotel for the fact they also let us bring our own alcohol. Thank you Francis Marion Hotel!

g week and then there was little-to-none. The coordinator that showed up day-of was not someone we had worked with prior or been introduced to and that caused confusion. We went with the plated dinners, the guests liked the food and we liked what we were able to eat in-between interruptions, but we had an issue with our confirmed food. We stated from the very beginning at the food tasting, and confirmed multiple times, that we would be able to get a few halal meals for our guests. We found out the day before the wedding that the chef suddenly wasn't sure he could procure the correct meat because of how it needed to be prepared (something we thought had been worked out 5 months prior). We also had an issue with drinks; the waitstaff kept removing full, untouched drinks if you looked away for just a few seconds... literally less than 30 seconds sometimes. This normally wouldn’t be as much of a problem, but we went with a BYOB approach where we provided our own alcohol. The staff also took away our (wedding couple) champagne flutes before we finished and specialty bottle. We brought in our own bottle, separate from the venue provided champagne (part of the contract), that we were going to take back with us. Outside of the serious issue with drinks, the serving staff was great with their food timing and service and the bartender handled winos really well. There was also a major miscommunication about when our event ended. We had confirmed that we would be able to end at 11 pm and provided a timeline that went until 10:50 pm. Instead, the staff (without warning) turned on the lights at 10 pm and started cleaning the room and moving tables. The room block worked well for our guests and we were not limited to the amount we blocked; if there were rooms available, people could still use the block. We would have addressed more of our issues with the staff at the Francis Marion, but our only follow-up from the coordinators after the wedding was an email saying the wedding was beautiful and asking us to leave a review. Of course, we had the immediate, automated emails after we checked out of our rooms asking how the stay was.

Tai made sure that my bridal party and family was well hydrated and taken care of. We really appreciated that. We did have a brief issue with one of the banquet staff oversteppping their professional bounds.

edding. Gillian and Marie understood our uncertainties and were willing to work with us through the process while so many other venues gave no room for flexibility. The staff were so understanding and supportive and worked seamlessly with our planners and all the other vendors to help give us a beautiful event. Not only did we have our wedding at the hotel, we also had our rehearsal dinner and brunch for our family the day after the after the wedding. Our stay at the hotel, the food and the staff was fantastic and we cant wait to go back to visit!

s. We had to move our date - she was accommodating, we needed to extend our time for our room block – she was accommodating, we needed to add more people to our room block – she was accommodating, early check in/ late check out – no problem…….no matter what we asked for Savannah was always there to make our wedding such a pleasurable experience. Planning a wedding can be such a stressful ordeal however Savannah and the staff at the Francis Marion made everything seamless and effortless. If we could give a 10 star rating we would. Our rehearsal dinner in the Gold Ballroom was decorated beautifully, the food was delicious and the pricing was very reasonable. We aren’t the types to review venues no matter the occasion however we could not go another day without praising Savannah and her entire staff. Thank you again for making our wedding weekend so special. Our family and friends were so impressed and we will always be loyal to Savannah and The Francis Marion.

sit a lot. We cannot say enough great things about Savannah and the Colonial room. It was absolutely beautiful! From the start of our planning to the end, it was a smooth process. The hotel staff also made it enjoyable as they were all very polite and went above and beyond for not only ourselves but for all of our guests. Highly recommend this venue to anyone! It is a beautiful reception hall.

hospitality and all of our guests loved staying there (we had about 40 rooms). The only "complaint" we had from some of our guests was that for a regular room, the bathrooms are pretty small, but it is a historic hotel, so it is understandable. For myself and my bridal party, we stayed in the Harbor View Suite and it was perfect! There were two bathrooms, a living room, kitchen, and bedroom so plenty of space to get ready. The food for the brunch on Sunday was delicious and plentiful. Just as a suggestion, we had 88 people RSVP "yes" to the brunch but I only told the hotel 70 and there was more than enough food.

& grits they had ever tasted! My daughter stated her wedding was a dream come true! Thank you Savannah & all the staff at Francis Marion!

thoughtful, professional and considerate service. The hotel's common areas have recently been renovated and are stunningly beautiful. We held our reception in the Colonial Ballroom, which has sweeping arched windows and is so beautifully decorated that only minimal additional decoration (flowers for table centerpieces) was needed. One feature that sets the Francis Marion Hotel apart from many other reception venues in Charleston is that they maintain and make available many of the "hardware" items needed for receptions such as tables, chairs, serving stations, dance floors and basic risers for bands or DJs. They also provide standard china, silverware and stemware should you wish to use them. It was incredibly easy to work with the on-site coordinator to plan the day. Their catering service is all in-house and is overseen by the executive chef for the hotel restaurant - everything was delicious and classically Charleston. We would highly recommend contacting the Francis Marion Hotel if you are looking for a place to host a reception in Charleston!

location, the Francis Marion Hotel was everything we wanted and more (at a surprisingly reasonable price)! We worked with Gillian first and then Savannah, who didn’t skip a beat when taking over our wedding. Both ladies were wonderful! I planned the wedding from 900 miles away and did not meet Savannah in person until the wedding weekend, however it was super easy to coordinate the event via email. When we finally met for the rehearsal, she had everything organized and ready to go. We are extremely pleased with FMH and couldn’t be happier that we chose this venue!

oothly from start to finish. I feel that she really went above and beyond for my husband and I and we are eternally grateful! The hotel is historic and beautiful and I got so many compliments from guests on the ceremony space, the reception space, and the hotel and staff in general. Majority of my guests were from out of town and they LOVED being right in the middle of the city. The food was delicious as well!

ng planning and the reception! They made everything easy and made us feel like real VIPs the weekend of the wedding. The venue is in the middle of downtown Charleston and was ideal for out of town guests coming in to explore our city. Plus, the venue is so easy because they provide tables, linens, chairs, flatware, glasses, candles, place settings, in-house coordinators and catering! Very few venues in Charleston provide all of that from one vendor. Further, they let you bring in your drinks and they provide the bartenders! We were able to bring all our additional decorations and alcohol to the venue on Tuesday the week of the wedding, so we had no headaches about dropping everything off on Friday. Then they stored everything for us Saturday night for pickup on Sunday! Further, the food is delicious! We've had so many guests comment about how good the food was, especially the shrimp and grits, since the wedding! The Francis Marion was really the perfect venue for our weekend and if I had to plan it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing! I would recommend it to anyone.

eeded, and I cannot believe they are able to offer what they do at such an amazing price. They make weddings and events move flawlessly, and you’re missing out if you don’t snag this venue! If you’re wanting a Charleston themed venue, BOOK! I wish I could redo my wedding just to relive my reception at the Francis Marion all over again! HIGHLY recommend!!!

et up the entire event the way we wanted it to be. After her promotion, we started working with Savannah. she was just as amazing! She helped us continue the process for the reception. She was very professional and always responded to emails or calls promptly! We were able to deliver all our decorations to the hotel, and the set up the venue exactly as we requested. The evening was wonderful! The staff all were polite and answered any questions we had. When the reception was over, they put all our stuff in one area and helped us load it all up again! I can’t say enough wonderful things about the Framncis Marion!

in April 2018. From start to finish Gillian and all of the Francis Marion Hotel staff were accommodating, communicative and professional. Gillian makes wedding planning fun and easy, providing a list of reputable vendors and also patiently talking through all options during the planning process. Our wedding guests have all been raving about their pleasant experience with the front desk, house keeping and how beautiful the historic hotel is! If you are looking for a beautiful historic Charleston venue with top notch service the Francis Marion Hotel is a perfect fit.

decorating even when I supplied all the decorations. Gillian and her staff (servers, bartenders , and banquet managers ) were all amazing and friendly. We loved getting to bring in our own alcohol. It saved us a lot of money and a lot of venues don't let you do that. The food is to die for, most people dont go to wedding really for the food but my guest couldn't stop talking about it. We had stations with shrimp and grits ( unreal) , chicken and waffles, and beef with potatoes and veggies. We absolutely loved everything and did it all on a budget!!

plated dinner reception in Charleston, but we were ecstatic with what we were able to serve our 80 guests. The Colonial Ballroom was gorgeous, spacious, and historical. Gillian was so incredibly helpful and went above and beyond with every detail!

than anything I could dream. Thank you!!

le, always putting our minds at ease throughout planning, and always did everything she could to make sure our day was everything we dreamed it would be. And it was! Everything from the food, to the ballroom, to the staff was above and beyond our expectations. We can't thank the staff enough for making our wedding dreams come to life. We will forever be loyal customers of this wonderful hotel and I'll suggest it to anyone planning an event in Charleston!

ception she was there making sure everything went accordingly. You won't regret having your wedding here!

tarted searching venues I wanted simplicity, as in I didn't want to have 40 different vendors to work with as far as food, tables, linens, etc. At the Francis Marion, we parked on Thursday night and didn't have to leave the hotel for a single thing until Tuesday morning when my husband and I left. We had our rehearsal there, rehearsal lunch at the Swamp Fox restaurant, the wedding in the Gold Ballroom, and the reception in the Colonial Ballroom which gave us the feel of experiencing two different locations during the wedding, but just one floor above the other :) The best part was the wedding package which basically had everything we needed. I only had to reach outside of the venue for our flowers, DJ & cake. (These vendors had all also worked with Francis Marion numerous times so I never even had to see the cake or flower vendors the day of, they came at some point of the day while I was busy getting ready, and bam: the flowers were brought to my door by gillian, and the cake was beautiful when we walked into the reception :) Gillian definitely knows what she's doing. She was there EVERY step of the way. I mean every step...I felt like I didn't have to do a thing. She made sure the entire ceremony ran smoothly, came to my room to get the decor the morning of and set it up exactly as asked, etc. She asked if I wanted the flowers brought to our room or left downstairs, 10 minutes later they were in my hands as my makeup was being applied right there in my room. Ladies, if you're getting married and feel overwhelmed by "details", choose this place. Gillian made everything so simple and answered any questions I had politely & quick. It allowed me to focus on my family and friends on our big day while still having everything go off without a hitch! People are still messaging me two weeks later saying how beautiful and fun the wedding was but thats all thanks to Gillian and her staff (also Ryan was such a fun and energetic banquet captain!) I feel like i'm missing something because just everything was so perfect from the first message I sent to her last June but don't let this place get away if you're searching for beauty, elegance & simplicity :) Words aren't enough to justify the perfection of this place as a wedding venue :)