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Grand Strand Area Information
We are not
wedding planners! But, in order to be helpful to you,
we
would like to provide you some with location information. The following are
some location ideas for your ceremony & suggested hotels. This is
certainly not a complete listing, as there are literally hundreds and
hundreds of hotels and resorts that dot the 150 miles of coastline of the
Grand Strand!
As it stands right
now, it is against Myrtle Beach city ordinance to have a commercial wedding
officiant perform weddings on the beach in the city of Myrtle Beach. Surfside
and Garden City beaches are still available for your use without a permit. These
beaches have soft white sand and are very pretty, and we can suggest some
quiet locations.


Parks and gardens
in Myrtle Beach
Anderson Park
Ocean Blvd and 20th Ave N

Chapin Park
Kings Highway and 16th Ave N


Hurl Rock Park
Ocean Blvd and 20th Ave S
Nice big gazebo
area on oceanfront. This is in a more “happening part of Myrtle Beach. Lots of
stuff and shops nearby, fun stuff. Old Tyme Photos is nearby. You can use this
park for a ceremony, but will have to get a permit from the city.

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Myrtle Beach
and Grand Strand Weddings
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MB police crack down on beach
weddings.
Ordinance blocks for-profit
activity on city's sand.
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Here is the
current situation...due to some wedding officiants dominating some of the
best scenic beach areas to perform up to 7 or 8 weddings per day, local
residents have complained (and rightly so)! For the time being, the city
ordinance prohibiting "for profit" activities on public beaches is being
enforced. This includes the beach in front of all Myrtle Beach beach-front
resorts but not their own private property. Public parks are still available
by permit, and the couple is required to obtain the permit, not the
officiant. Please call City Hall at 843-918-1008 for information on
obtaining a facility use permit. North Myrtle Beach and Cherry Grove are
still available, along with Myrtle Beach State Park.
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Myrtle Beach
The 60-mile stretch of coast running from Georgetown to
the northern boarder on South Carolina draws more visitors than any other
single South Carolina destination, with Myrtle Beach the centerpiece of an
area that is the second fastest growing metropolitan area in the United
States. This place didn't become the state's top destination by accident.
With shopping and entertainment venues that are as much a "happening" as the
beaches, places like the Barefoot Landing, a village and marketplace built
on stilts over a scenic salt marsh (and the state's number one tourist
attraction for much of the '90's), the Carolina Opry, Alabama (owned by the
famous country band of the same name), and the hundreds of other arcades,
shops, and stores, Myrtle Beach is a non-stop experience. |
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If
you're thinking about a wedding on public property within the City of
Myrtle Beach, here are some helpful details.
The public beach...
Commercially-produced weddings are not permitted on the public beach.
Non-commercial weddings are allowed on the public beach.
Private portions of the
beach... Only a handful of oceanfront lots extend to the high
tide line, and the city has no jurisdiction for either
commercially-produced or non-commercial weddings on those few lot
extensions.
Public parks in commercial
areas, by reservation... Commercially-produced and non-commercial
weddings are permitted in public parks in the commercial areas of the
city, with an approved Facility Use Permit. Contact City Hall at
843-918-1008. Shelter rental is required if a shelter exists at the park
($25 for city residents; $42.75 for non-residents). For
commercially-produced weddings, if the Facility Use Permit is in the name
of a company, insurance certification is required. Insurance certification
is not required if the Facility Use Permit is in the name of the bride or
groom.
Public parks in commercial
areas, without reservation... Commercially-produced and
non-commercial weddings are permitted without a Facility Use Permit. Other
park users cannot be required to leave the park.
Parks in residential areas,
by reservation... Commercially-produced weddings are prohibited.
Non-commercial weddings are permitted with an approved Facility Use
Permit. No insurance certificate is required. The city may deny a Facility
Use Permit based on any factor, including traffic and neighborhood impact.
Shelter rental is required if a shelter exists at the park ($25 for city
residents; $42.75 for non-residents).
Parks in residential areas,
without reservation... Commercially-produced weddings are
prohibited. Non-commercial weddings are permitted with an approved
Facility Use Permit. No insurance certificate is required. Other park
users cannot be required to leave the park.
Here is a list of city parks in commercial areas:
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Hurl
Rock Park, Ocean Boulevard at 20th Avenue South
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Nance
Plaza, Kings Highway at Ninth Avenue North
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Justin
W. Plyler Boardwalk Park, Ocean Boulevard at Mr. Joe White
Avenue (11th Avenue North)
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Chapin
Park, Kings Highway at 16th Avenue North
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Anderson
Family Park, Ocean Boulevard at 20th Avenue North
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Cameron
Park, Ocean Boulevard at 27th Avenue North
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Woman's
Club Park, Ocean Boulevard at Haskell Circle
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Futrell
Park, Mr. Joe White Avenue and Dunbar Street
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Park at
the former Air Force Base, Farrow Parkway or Myers Avenue
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But despite the glitz and distractions, it's still that
wide, white, and sandy beach where you'll find gawking Northerners and
land-locked Southerners in sunglasses and various state of tan (or burn),
soaking up the rays. |
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Huntington Beach offers its
visitors the best pre served
beach on the Grand Strand.
The park’s freshwater lagoon, salt marsh, maritime forest and beach are
outstanding examples of the state’s natural coastal environment. These also
provide such prime habitat for birds that the park is widely recognized as
one of the best birding sites along the East Coast.
Huntington Beach is also the site of the historic “Atalaya” castle. The
former winter home and studio of noted American sculptress, Anna Hyatt
Huntington, and her husband, Archer Milton Huntington, Atalaya is also
listed as a National Historic Landmark. The park it also a great place to
have a wedding!
HOURS
- Office Hours: 9am-4:30pm
- Admissions: $5/adult; $4.25/ S.C. Senior; $3 per
youth/child age 6-15; Free for children 5 and younger.
- Days and Hours of Operation: Sat-Thurs 6am-6pm;
Fri 6am-8pm (hours are extended to 10pm daily during Daylight Savings
Time)
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Links and places of
Interest
Compass
Cove Resort
Long
Bay Resort
Ocean
Reef Resort
The
Yachtsman Hotel
Caribbean Resort
Wachesaw Plantation
Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort
Pawleys Plantation
Pawley's Island.
Anchoring the southern end of the Grand Strand, there was a time when even
a local would face certain ostracization if they installed an
air-conditioner in a Pawley's Island home. Everyone left their doors and
windows open, and what the ocean breezes didn't cool, the ceiling fans
would. It was and is a place where families return year after year to the
same beach house in the same month, and the only plans made for the day
would be laid-back beach combing, a big midday Carolina dinner, and some
down-time spent on the front porch in your now famous Pawley's Island rope
hammock. The mayor even had bumper stickers made, saying "Arrogantly
Shabby". Hurricane Hugo, and the subsequent rebuilding, (complete with air
conditioners) changed all that. New bumper stickers still say "Arrogantly
Shabby" , but with the first word X-ed out. Still, this is a wonderful
place for a wedding ceremony.
Murrell's Inlet.
Halfway between Pawley's Island and Myrtle beach, this community is a
holdout of some feisty individualists, including two-fisted,
blonde-bombshell loving, commie-hating, private-eying, Mike Hammer
creating Mickey Spillane. When Mickey married Jane at the old and
legendary Oliver's Lodge, his words were, "I do; let's eat." There are
more good seafood places than you can shake a shell-cracker at, especially
if you prefer that food freshly made with some savory secret recipe.
Ocean Drive Beach.
Both the Holy Land and ground zero for the Shag Dance explosion. Pop into
one of the many clubs to catch an eyeful, and to join in the slow motion
jitterbug.
Broadway at the Beach.
Okay okay. This place is massive. There is a water park, miniature golf, a
NASCAR Speedway, Ripley's Aquarium, an Imax Theater, nightly fireworks,
over 100 specialty shops, five restaurants, a brew pub, nine nightclubs,
and a 16 screen Cineplex. Whew.
The Pavilion. The
brass-pumping, cat calling heart of Myrtle Beach...if you're 16, you'll be
in heaven. If you're not , this may be the place for a quick visit, just
to remember how it felt. And if you're a T-shirt vendor, you're already
there.
Chicago House of Blues.
Is it a rusty old storehouse? No, it's The Place to go to pose for
pictures in front of an authentic Blues mobile!. And to have some great
food.
Carolina Opry. If
you only see one show, this is the one! The Carolina Opry has won every
major South Carolina tourism award including Most Outstanding Attraction
and the prestigious Governor’s Cup. Year after year The Carolina Opry is
voted the Best Show by readers of the Myrtle Beach Sun News, a
Knight-Ridder newspaper. And it's the only show that has been featured on
NBC Nightly News, CNN, TNN, and USA Today,
which called it "A Big Hit". The New York Post called it "A Hot
Ticket".
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I recommend
The
Parson's Table in Little River, just north on Rt. 17 from Myrtle Beach
for a small and intimate wedding. The following is a history of this fine
establishment, reprinted from their website.
The large antique doors
as you enter the restaurant are made of local cypress and are over one
hundred fifty years old. The flooring in this section is actually siding
from a South Carolina farm house built in the 1850's. It was removed and
re-milled into flooring. The beautiful beveled glass over the doorway into
the dining room came from the White Mansion in Lumberton, NC.
The main dining room was
the original Little River Methodist Church built in 1885. It served as a
church until1952 when a new Little River Methodist Church was built. At
that time the building and several side structures added over the years
were converted into a community meeting place. The structure was bought by
longtime Little River resident, Mr. Toby Frye in 1978 and moved
approximately two blocks south to the present location where the building
was converted into a restaurant using stained and beveled glass Mr. Frye
had collected over the years to add to the decor. The large chandelier in
this section originally hung in the Baptist Church in Mullins, Sc.
The original church was
built by H.J. Vereen, Sr., Robert Livingston and Dr. R.G. Sloan. Mr. H.W.
Stone sawed the logs for the church and did such a good job that most of
the original wood is still in the building. The main room shows the
original hand hewn heart of pine floors. Local cypress covers the original
pine board interior walls but the original clap board pine siding still
covers the walls in the outside rooms. The first marriage in the church
in1886 joined together the McCorsley and McGinn families.
The stained glass windows
in the main room were originally in the Baptist Church of Mullins, S.C.
The remaining stained and beveled glass were removed from various old
churches through out the South, by the previous owners Ed and Nancy
Murray. The stunning original Tiffany lamp in the main room came from an
old farm house in Atlanta.
Please feel free to walk
around the various rooms to view all the antique stained glass. As a
challenge, see if you can pick which window is probably the most valuable
and why.
Ed Murray Jr., Executive Chef/Owner, brings over 20 years of culinary
experience to the Parson's Table. He has recently been selected as one of
the Best Chefs in America. He is one of eighty chefs so recognized
in the country and joins such illustrious company as Wolfgang Puck, Alice
Waters, Jeremiah Tower, Lydia Shire, Louis Osteen, Jean-Louis Paladin and
Elizabeth B.Terry. So sit back, enjoy the atmosphere and prepare
yourselves for a dining experience to remember.
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Hotels and
Resorts If I had a
hundred years, I couldn't come close to listing all the possible places to
stay or all the great package deals available along the strand. I'm not sure
you could go wrong if you stay with a reputable name. Most places feature
most or all of their rooms facing the ocean, and we always enjoy sleeping
with the glass slider open at night, snoozing to the sound of the surf! Most
places encourage weddings on the beach for obvious reasons, and it's worth
checking out. Go to the
Myrtle
Beach Chamber of Commerce, or
Myrtle Beach Online to research just about anything you can think of!
Or try this site,
Hotel Reservations, for an online secure listing and booking resource
for hotels and resorts in Myrtle beach.
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Brookgreen
Gardens
Brookgreen is
unique! Not only will you be blessed with a panorama of thousands of
bloomers, shrubs and trees in an exquisite, landscaped setting on the site
of an old rice/indigo plantation, you will be presented with what is
probably the world's finest display of American figurative sculpture.
Created by multi-millionaire Archer Huntington and his wife, Anna Hyatt
Huntington, a renown sculptor, the works of several prominent American
artists are included in this huge collection. Anna Hyatt Huntington's are
most prominent. You'll see sculpts of animals which brings up another
feature: real-life animals.
The
Gardens also include a wildlife park. There are a lot of walkways - and a
lot of walking so come prepared. (There are plenty of benches.) 843-237-4218
www.brookgreen.org .
As if the gardens, the
sculptures and the wildlife park aren't enough, Brookgreen also has a large
pontoon boat to take you on a slow cruise of the marshlands and rice fields
(no longer productive but a vital habitat for wildlife).
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You might try the Cherry Grove
Beach area, just to the north of Myrtle Beach as being a much less crowded
place to stay and to have a wedding on the beach! With free public beach
access all along the Ocean Rd, miles of sandy sun-worshipping or wave
riding, many nice places to stay or rent, why fight the traffic and crowds
of Myrtle Beach? The following links and contact information might be of
help!

http://www.cherrygrovebeachhouses.com/
http://www.vrbo.com/21608
http://www.cherrygrovepier.com/
Hotels and places to stay in Cherry
Grove Beach
Boyte Motel, 200 28th Ave N, Cherry
Grove Beach, SC 29582, (843-249-4977)
Grand Strand Vacation Inc, 503 Sea Mountain Hwy, Cherry Grove Beach, SC
29582, (843-249-3433)
Hartford Motor Inn, 5310 N Ocean Blvd, Cherry Grove Beach, SC 29582,
(843-249-3408)
Holiday House Motel, 3600 N Ocean Blvd, Cherry Grove Beach, SC 29582,
(843-249-1221)
Ken Dari Motel, 200 33rd Ave N, Cherry Grove Beach, SC 29582,
(843-249-1331)
Pelican Motel, 2310 N Ocean Blvd, Cherry Grove Beach, SC 29582,
(843-249-3481)
Sun N Sea, 3709 N Ocean Blvd, Cherry Grove Beach, SC 29582, (843-249-5377)
Surf, 2101 N Ocean Blvd, Cherry Grove Beach, SC 29582, (843-249-2213)
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Fishing Piers...And a
novel place for a small wedding!
MSP Enterprises, Inc. /dba The Cherry Grove Pier
3500 N. Ocean Blvd.
N. Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
Phone: (843)
249-1625
Second Avenue
Pier
110 B N. Ocean Blvd.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Phone: (843)
626-8480
Surfside Pier,
Inc.
11 S. Ocean Blvd.
Surfside Beach, SC 29575
Phone: (843)
238-0121
Send Email
Apache Pier
9700 Kings Rd.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
Phone: (843)
497-6486
Send Email
Springmaid Pier
3200 S. Ocean Blvd.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Phone: (843)
315-7156 or (800) 770-6895
Send Email
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Located in the heart of the Grand
Strand, Myrtle Beach State Park is one of the most popular public beaches
along the South Carolina coast.
This 312-acre oceanfront park plays a major role in preserving and
maintaining a portion of the natural heritage of South Carolina’s coastline.
This traditional state park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in
the 1930s and has the distinction of being the first state park open to the
public in South Carolina.
The park includes a campground, cabins,
nearly a mile of
beach, picnic areas, a fishing pier and nature center.
In addition, a nature trail provides a rare opportunity to see one of the
last stands of maritime forest on the northern coast of South Carolina. It's
another great spot for a wedding ceremony.
Myrtle Beach State Park
4401 S. Kings Hwy.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29575
Phone: (843) 238-5325
HOURS
- Office Hours: M-Su 8am-5pm
- Admissions: $3 adults; $2.50 SC seniors;
age 15 & younger free
- Days and Hours of Operation: M-Su 6am-10pm
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