Bonaventure Cemetery has become a wedding destination within a major destination city and, as a result, the number of weddings taking place in the cemetery has been increasing over the years.  By following the few simple directions listed here, a wedding at Bonaventure can be a memorable experience.

It is important to remember that Bonaventure Cemetery is an active cemetery, owned and operated by the City of Savannah and as such requires certain steps be taken to ensure getting hitched there is hitch-free.

First and foremost

Like any other event in Bonaventure, a wedding must be registered with the Department of Cemeteries.  It’s a simple but very important process.  All it takes is a phone call (912-651-6843) to the Department’s Events Coordinator to start the wheels in motion.  You’ll be asked to provide the day, date and time for the ceremony and the number of people expected to attend.

There will be a fee for having the ceremony at the cemetery.  It is determined by the number of people expected to attend the wedding.

The Event Coordinator will review the basic ground rules that apply to any non-funeral event in the cemetery, such as available locations, having all decorations, equipment, seating and the like approved in advance.  Professional photography will be allowed if it is done within the registered time for the event, but those images cannot be published for profit in public media without permission from the Department of Cemeteries.

Some couples have also opted to have their engagement photos taken at Bonaventure.  There are many areas where the cemetery’s greenery makes a great backdrop and hides monuments from the camera’s lens.  This too should be registered in advance with the Event Coordinator.

Read more about Bonaventure Weddings in our blog post.