Wedding at The Old Cigar Warehouse


Old Cigar Warehouse Wedding


Greenville, South Carolina

I had a question from a bride the other day about what it’s like to photograph at a new wedding venue, and whether or not is is stressful or exciting.  Ironically, I was about to do just that – photograph a wedding at The Old Cigar Warehouse, which I have never done before.  Not that it hasn’t been around of course, the building has stood for over 100 years and has been an official wedding venue since 2013 after all.  But an Old Cigar Warehouse wedding always seemed to slip through the cracks each year.  So when Mandy and Dave mentioned they chose it as their wedding venue, I was ecstatic!  And the reason why is actually the answer I gave the bride from the other day – I love photographing at different wedding venues.  Not only do I find the unknown to be a little exciting, but I also enjoy doing things differently from other people whenever possible.  So getting to photograph a wedding at a different venue means I can approach the wedding day with zero pre-conceived notions about how things ‘should’ look.  Even at The Old Cigar Warehouse, one of the most iconically styled and heavily photographed wedding venues in the upstate, I wanted to at least try to take a different approach than what I had seen before.

If you want to take a different look at something, you need a different couple.  And what better couple could I possible ask for other than Mandy and Dave – A couple that completely embodies that ideal?  A different approach – That describes Mandy and Dave’s lives perfectly.  On one side you have Dave – a trumpeter with a Master’s degree in music education.  On the other side you have Mandy, a Clemson Theater graduate and current wardrobe supervisor at the Flat Rock Playhouse.  Two very different paths and worlds, but both heavily rooted in the arts.  And both enjoy a wild, off-beat party…which is exactly what they wanted for their wedding.  When I asked if there was the possibility for drunk dancing photos at their reception, their eyes lit up like I had asked them about a never-ending beer and taco bar.  Of and did I mention adding in a wild bunch of family and beer-loving friends hailing from Chicago?  I was in for a long night for sure.

So what do you get when you add an amazing wedding venue, an off-beat and artistic couple, close-knit friends and family from out of state, and gallons upon gallons of booze?
Scroll down through the rest of Mandy and Dave’s Old Cigar Warehouse wedding photos to see for yourself:


old cigar warehouse wedding photos


Mandy began her day with her bridal party at Lashbar Downtown.  I love working in interesting, open, bright salons for getting ready photos, and it was nice getting a chance to photograph here.  Of course, Mandy had a great bridal party that complemented her perfectly, and there was never a dull moment with them.


bride getting hair styled at Lashbar in greenvillebride having hair sprayed with hair sprayBridal party getting ready at The Last Bar Downtownbride getting ready for wedding at lashbar downtown greenvilleOld Cigar Warehouse wedding photoswedding dress hanging at salon before ceremonybridesmaids hanging out before weddingbridesmaid adjusting eye makeupbride having hair styled at lashbar downtownbridesmaids hangingout and goofing off before weddingbride putting on her wedding dress with help from maid of honormaid of honor helping bride put on wedding dressbridal portrait at salon before wedding ceremonybridal portrait before wedding day


From here on out, everything took place at the Old Cigar Warehouse.  I am a sucker for warehouse venues – the brick, metal, and distinct flooring work great for a dark, intimate photography style.  It was the perfect choice for both the ceremony and reception, and I greatly enjoyed being able to work here.


Old Cigar Warehouse windowold cigar warehouse wedding decorationsWedding ceremony decorations and flowers at Old Cigar WarehouseGroom adjusting cuffs before weddinggroomsman helping tie ring bearer's tiegroomsmen getting ready for wedding at Old Cigar Warehousegroomsmen taking funny photosgroomsman pouring shots of alcoholbride and groom doing a first look before ceremonybridal party watching as bride and groom see each other for the first timewedding couple first look at Old Cigar Warehousewedding at the old cigar warehousewedding at the old cigar warehousegroomsmen taking shots of alcohol before wedding ceremonygroomsmen goofing offThe Old Cigar Warehouse wedding ceremonycandid moments at old cigar warehouse weddingwedding party dancing down aise at old cigar warehousewedding party dancing down aise at old cigar warehousegroom seeing bride for first time at wedding ceremonybride wiping away tears during wedding ceremonybridesmaid crying at wedding ceremony at The Old Cigar WarehouseWedding ceremony at The Old Cigar Warehousebride and groom hugging each other after ceremonybride and groom walking together at The Old Cigar WarehouseThe Old Cigar Warehouse Wedding Photoswedding photos at The Old Cigar WarehouseThe Old Cigar Warehouse wedding


 Old Cigar Warehouse Wedding Reception

Not being content with a lively wedding full of dancing, Mandy and Dave really pulled out all the stops for their Old Cigar Warehouse reception.  This was one of the liveliest wedding receptions I’ve been a part of, and that is really saying something because I tend to see a lot of wild receptions.  Their friends and wedding party really made it happen here – you will notice a ton of photos of their guests celebrating, and that is no accident.  That is what Mandy and Dave wanted – a true celebration they could share with their friends and family.  So they took a backseat to the action and let their friends take it from there.

And just to set the mood for their reception photos, the first photo below is from their first dance.  Definitely one of my favorite first dance photos.


newlyweds dancing goofy at wedding receptionbeautiful candid wedding moment at receptionOld Cigar Warehouse Reception PhotosThe Old Cigar warehouse wedding receptionThe Old Cigar warehouse wedding receptionThe Old Cigar warehouse wedding receptionFinesse Band performing at Wedding Ceremonyguests dancing with Finesse live bandguest dancing at wedding reception at the old cigar warehouseguests looking at photo booth photosgroomsmen having fun and dancing at receptionguests dancing at wedding receptiondrunk dancing at wedding receptionguests dancing at receptionThe Old Cigar Warehouse wedding reception


I always love a good live band…and Finesse Band was amazing.  Not just as a high energy live performance, but they were very interactive with the guests.  I would definitely recommend them if you are looking for a great wedding band.  They are based out of Columbia, SC.


Finesse Band, Columbia SCFinesse Band performing liveFinesse Bandgroomsman pointing at camera while dancingbride with bridal party on stage at receptionfunny groom moment at receptionGlowstick reception exit


Now THAT is how you throw a party.  Mandy and Dave’s Old Cigar Warehouse wedding was a perfect extension of themselves – fun-loving, happy, and full of personality.  Congratulations to the happy couple!

And as always, special thanks to some of the wedding vendors that helped make this day possible:
Ceremony and reception venue: Old Cigar Warehouse
Party Rentals: Tri County Rentals
Wedding Cake:
Catering:
Photography: Matthew Pautz Photography
Live band: Finesse Band
Getting ready location: Lashbar Downtown
Hair/Makeup:
Coordinating: Wendy Hawkins

1 thought on “Wedding at The Old Cigar Warehouse”

  1. Matthew
    Thank you for your spectacular photography!
    As soon as these photos became available on FaceBook myself and my friends who came in from Chicago looked at them several times!
    Ok I’m partial to all those good looking people because I’m the mother of the Groom!
    Now that we live in South Carolina my friends back home texted me asking who you were. I told them Mandy had seen your work before and loved that you like shooting a story. Thank you for making such a wonderful day into forever lasting memories!

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