“Dear John” (2010), starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, was filmed mainly in the coastal Carolinas, with a strong emphasis on South Carolina’s Lowcountry settings.

Main filming locations

  • Charleston, South Carolina – Many of the town scenes and romantic moments, including spots like Randolph Hall at the College of Charleston and local restaurants and streets.
  • Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina – Used for beach houses and party scenes, including Savannah’s barbecue and several key outdoor sequences.
  • Edisto Island, South Carolina – Showcased for its quiet, scenic beaches to capture the film’s softer romantic atmosphere.
  • Oak Island, North Carolina – Featured for additional beach and coastal shots, rounding out the film’s seaside look.
  • Isle of Palms, South Carolina – The pier area (around Ocean Blvd) is where John and Savannah first meet and other early relationship scenes occur.
  • The Citadel, Charleston – Used for hospital and military-related scenes in the movie.

Quick HTML table of key spots

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Location State How it’s used in the film
Charleston South Carolina General city scenes, college and restaurant moments, letter- writing scenes at Randolph Hall.
Sullivan’s Island South Carolina Beach house exteriors, Savannah’s barbecue party, several relationship scenes.
Edisto Island South Carolina Quiet beach and coastal sequences to emphasize the romantic tone.
Oak Island North Carolina Additional beach/coastline shots to complement the South Carolina locations.
Isle of Palms Pier South Carolina John and Savannah’s first meeting and early relationship scenes.
The Citadel (Military College) South Carolina Hospital and military-related scenes later in the story.

Little storytelling touch

The filmmakers leaned heavily on the real charm of the Carolinas’ barrier islands and historic streets to make John and Savannah’s relationship feel grounded in a very real place. When you watch the film now, those long walks on the pier and quiet moments on the sand are not soundstage creations but actual Lowcountry beaches you can still visit today.

TL;DR: “Dear John” was filmed primarily around Charleston and the nearby islands of Sullivan’s Island, Edisto Island, Isle of Palms (pier), plus Oak Island in North Carolina, with The Citadel used for some military/hospital scenes.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.