How to Plan Your Beach Wedding in South Carolina
Beach weddings in South Carolina are remarkably easy, fun, and affordable. Myrtle Beach alone has more than 60 miles of wide,soft sandy beaches perfect for weddings.
Folly Beach is the closest beach to historic Charleston and is arguably “the best beach in South Carolina.” Calm and relaxed, Folly Beach is a great place to play in the waves, collect seashells, and walk to the lighthouse. A fishing pier and beautiful views make Folly Beach one of the last, old-timey, “shabby” beaches in the area.
With 10 miles of undisturbed Atlantic beach and five world-renowned golf courses, it’s no wonder so many visitors come to Kiawah (pronounced KEE-a-wah) Island and decide to make it their home. Much of Kiawah Island is privately owned, but Beachwalker Park is open to the public.
You will get tons of additional free info about these options when you visit the links I display below in my “Location. Location. Location” panel.
If you and your groom are looking for adventurous fun,by all means give some consideration to the Cape Lookout National Seashore.Take a boat trip three miles off-shore to the islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore. Here you can enjoy remote beaches, watch wild horses and other wildlife, or visit one of the historic districts.
In considering which of hundreds of potential beaches to site your wedding ceremony, keep in mind the nearest airports, accommodations and “civilization” (caterers, wedding cake bakers, musicians, photographers, and restaurants to provide for your guests before and after the wedding itself). Also, think about whether it is important to be on the beach at particular times of the day (such as sunset) and where the sun is likely to be at that time.
Huge beach houses can often be rented more affordably than putting up most people in a resort hotel. They also often offer large decks or entertaining areas that would be great for the rehearsal dinner, the wedding reception, and even the post-wedding breakfast.
So, explore! Enjoy! And relax!
Sarah Forrester
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Check out these links to fabulous beach areas that South Carolina offers.
In general, larger cities and towns are going to have more choices of hotels, motels, and bed & breakfast inns (as well as restaurants, bars ,and entertainment for your guests) than remote locales. But don’t avoid considering those remote beaches. They are often far less populated, which will give you more privacy and fewer worries about gawkers and potential party-crashers. BEACH PERMITS: |
South Carolina has a 24-hour waiting period between obtaining the license and the wedding, but the license has no expiration date. Since you’ll have plenty to do in the days before The Big Day, it’s a good idea to take care of this about a month beforehand.
Marriage licenses are issued by a judge of the South Carolina County Probate Court, but the license can be used anywhere in the state. The bride and groom must appear in person and present a valid driver’s license and Social Security number. Previously married folks need no documentation of a divorce or spousal death. The license fee is $15.00 (cash only). No blood test is required. Marriages are performed only by clergy authorized to administer oaths in the state. The officiant will sign your marriage license, which must be sent to the County Judge of Probate within 15 days of the marriage for it to be legally recognized. Because marriage license requirements can change, please do not regard this guidance as legal advice.
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Planning so far in advance for a beach wedding means that you need to equip yourself with facts about the weather (temperature and possibility of precipitation) for the beach location that you have in mind.
Although there certainly are exceptions,when it comes to weather, the past is a pretty good predictor of the future.and it will almost always be better than a wild guess.This link provides historical weather data over nearly 50 years for thousands of locations in the world. You won’t want to have the bridal party standing at the water’s edge for the ceremony if the tide’s coming in. But when will that be? Find the time of the high tide for your beach location for any day in 2009 with this link. |
What if a major storm occurs or the groom has an accident that requires the wedding to be postponed or even canceled? What if an important vendor goes out of business before the wedding and you can’t get back your deposit for the cake or the music?
Consider wedding cancellation insurance. It is available online for as little as 1 cent for every dollar of insurance, and it can cover the honeymoon, too. Here’s one site that has designed a special insurance policy just for coverning wedding -related events: http://www.wedsafe.com/ |
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING
To help you through the sometimes mind-boggling decisions that you must make,
I discovered an inexpensive and highly readable book that spells everything out for you.
I mean everything! Click here and check it out for yourself!– Your host, Sarah Forrester
