Kensington and Seamus’s Ships of the Sea Wedding in Savannah
Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum is one of Savannah’s great hidden wedding venues. The museum is housed in the William Scarbrough House, a National Historic Landmark built in 1819 and designed by English architect William Jay. William Scarbrough was the principal owner of the SS Savannah—the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. There is real Savannah history baked into the building, and two acres of sculpted gardens wrapped around one of the most beautiful facades in the Historic District.
For Kensington and Seamus, it was a quintessential Savannah wedding. There were squares. There was a beautiful Savannah Airbnb with warm morning light. There was a walk through the city past some of the oldest and most beautiful architecture in the South. And there was dancing under the Ships of the Sea pavilion on a warm April evening that felt exactly like the beginning of summer.
Getting ready in a Savannah Airbnb
Kensington started her day in one of those Savannah Airbnbs that makes you understand why people come here to get married. Beautiful bones, warm light, and just enough history in the walls to make everything feel like it matters. Getting-ready photos in Savannah always surprise me—you’re technically indoors, but the city finds a way in through the windows.
The details were thoughtful from the very start. The ring, the bouquet, the flat-lays—every choice had intention behind it. You can tell when a couple has been thinking about their wedding as something to actually experience, not just get through.
The father-daughter first look in the Airbnb was one of my favorite moments of the entire day. Short, quiet, and very real. Her dad saw her in her gown, held on, and neither of them needed to say much. The bridesmaids in the background quietly looked away and gave them the moment, which made the photo.
First look in the squares
From the Airbnb, we made our way through the squares for the first look and wedding party portraits. Savannah is really something to move through on a wedding day. You turn a corner and there is a square. You turn another and there is the Green-Meldrim House and the soaring arched windows of St. John’s Episcopal Church right next door on Madison Square—two of the most photographed blocks in the city, and they still take your breath away every time.
Their first look was easy and real—those are the best kind. No big production. Just two people who are genuinely excited to see each other, and a few squares worth of beautiful Savannah architecture to put behind them.
The ceremony at Ships of the Sea
From the squares, we made our way to Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum for the ceremony. The Scarbrough House and its gardens give you a setting that is anchored and meaningful without ever feeling like a museum visit. The lush hedges, the old brick, the canopy of trees—there is real texture here, and it photographs beautifully without you having to do much to it.
It was a warm April afternoon, the kind that sits right on the edge of summer, and the ceremony had that feeling too—bright and alive and going somewhere good. The ceremony itself was heartfelt. Kensington and Seamus said their vows with real weight to them, and you could feel it in the crowd. The flowers from Hey Jude Florals and Kato Floral Designs were lush and exactly right for the setting.
Cocktail hour in the gardens
Cocktail hour at Ships of the Sea is one of those things you just want to slow down and photograph for a while. The mounds of fresh fruit and cheeses and hors d’oeuvres that Savannah Event Catering put together were genuinely impressive. Guests spread out through the gardens, and the whole thing had that rare cocktail-hour energy where people are actually enjoying themselves instead of just waiting for dinner.
Reception: the handwritten cards, the dinner, the dancing
One of the small things from this wedding that I keep thinking about: Kensington and Seamus hand-wrote cards to every single guest—not printed notes, but actual handwritten cards, at every seat, for every person in the room. That takes a lot of time and a lot of love, and you could feel it the moment you walked into the reception space.
The speeches were heartfelt and funny and real—the kind that remind you why you love weddings in the first place. Not the performance of them, but the actual love underneath.
Dancing under the Ships of the Sea pavilion on a warm April evening is something I will not forget quickly. It had that early-summer feeling—like the year is just getting started and everything is possible. The crowd was on the floor from early, JL Music and the ATL Wedding Band kept the energy up all night, and there was nowhere else anyone wanted to be.
Rehearsal dinner at Soho South
The night before, everyone gathered at Soho South for the rehearsal dinner. Soho South is one of those Savannah spots that doesn’t need to try hard—the building was an old automotive service station, the light inside is warm, and the food is good. The speeches that night were full of laughter and a few well-earned tears, and you got the sense that these two families were genuinely happy to be joining each other.
Kensington and Seamus, it was a beautiful day and a beautiful night before it. Thank you for letting me be part of it. Congratulations.
If you are looking for a Savannah wedding photographer for Ships of the Sea, the Historic District squares, or anywhere in the Lowcountry, I would love to help. You can start here.
Ships of the Sea wedding planning notes
If you are planning a wedding at Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, here are a few practical photography notes from this day. Every wedding is different, but these are the things I would be thinking about if we were building a timeline together.
Is Ships of the Sea a good Savannah wedding venue for photos?
Yes. Ships of the Sea is one of the most photogenic wedding venues in the Historic District. The William Scarbrough House gives you beautiful 1819 Greek Revival architecture, the gardens offer open shade and layered texture, and the covered pavilion works well for evening dancing regardless of weather. The venue is also walkable from some of the best portrait locations in Savannah, which makes it easy to build a full timeline without much transportation.
Can you take wedding portraits near Ships of the Sea?
Absolutely. The venue sits in a part of the Historic District that gives you strong walking options: Madison Square, the Green-Meldrim House, St. John’s Episcopal Church with its soaring arched windows, and the surrounding streets are all within easy reach. Kensington and Seamus’s portraits near those brick arches are some of the best frames from this entire day.
What photo locations work best at Ships of the Sea?
The North Garden and Scarbrough House Garden are both strong for ceremony and portrait coverage. The brick garden path, the white pedestal florals, and the Scarbrough House steps in the background give you a wide ceremony composition that feels significant. The pavilion photographs beautifully for dancing. And the arrival and recessional shots—the full length of that garden aisle lined with guests—are a Ships of the Sea signature.
Should we plan a first look for a Ships of the Sea wedding?
A first look works really well here, especially if you want to walk the squares and make portraits near the Green-Meldrim House or St. John’s Episcopal Church before arriving at the venue. It gives your cocktail hour room to breathe and means you are not spending the first hour of your reception off doing portraits.
Who photographed Kensington and Seamus’s Ships of the Sea wedding?
This wedding was photographed by Bud Johnson Photography, a Savannah wedding photographer serving Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, the Historic District squares, and venues throughout Savannah and the Lowcountry.
Vendor Credits
- Couple: Kensington and Seamus
- Venue: @shipsofthesea | Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum
- Wedding Planner: @elegantsavannahweddings | Elegant Savannah Weddings
- Photography: Bud Johnson Photography
- Florals: @heyjude_flowerco | Hey Jude Florals, @katofloraldesigns | Kato Floral Designs
- Catering: @savannaheventcatering
- Beauty: @royalmakeuphair
- Brunch: @thedesotosavannah | The DeSoto Savannah
- Entertainment: @jlmusicsav, @atlweddingband
- Rehearsal Dinner: @sohosouthcafe | Soho South Events
- Restroom Trailer: @royalrestrooms
- Rentals & Decor: @amazingeventrentals, @fancyplantsllc
- Transportation: @savannahelitetransportation