NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - The decision process for brides-to-be can be downright overwhelming. From the flowers, to the date to the location. And while some folks go with a more traditional route, others say there is no place they'd rather be married than right here on a beach. North Myrtle Beach realizes how crucial and profitable that business can be.
As Kyla Brown walks along her future destination wedding spot in North Myrtle, she hopes Mother Nature will be a little nicer to her and her fiance come September, "Yeah it's beautiful. Hopefully it will be a little bit more sunny that day and not as windy."
She understands dealing with the elements is part of the deal when it comes to getting hitched in the sand. Her wedding planners say there's more to a beach wedding than meets the eye.
"Probably the main thing that we find a lot of people trying to do is move somebody off the beach, or use an area like this for their wedding, when this is a beach access. Anybody can use it and you can't be blocking it," says Lisa Kesler, wedding planner and photographer for Always & Forever Weddings.
And it's reasons like those and protecting our dunes, that the city of North Myrtle Beach came to the realization that this booming business might get out of hand. So they're streamlining the process, putting all the rules and regulations for beach weddings right on their website. It's taking the guessing game out of the planning for the bride and groom.
"So if you know ahead of time you'll be able to plan it a lot easier, so you're not breaking any laws or getting your hopes up and then have them shattered because you can't do what you really wanted to," says Kyla Brown.
These beach weddings mean big business for North Myrtle Beach. Whether it's the hotels, the restaurants or the wedding planners themselves. Always & Forever Weddings say they have seen an uptick in these beach weddings over the past five years or so and say they currently have almost 90 scheduled on the books for this year alone.
North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Website with wedding tab: http://www.northmyrtlebeachchamber.com/main/north-myrtle-beach-weddings/
Always & Forever Weddings: http://www.nmbweddings.com/Home_Page.html
Copyright 2011 WMBF News. All rights reserved.
PRESS RELEASE: City of North Myrtle Beach: Beach Wedding Regulations:
We want your North Myrtle Beach wedding experience to be a positive one. You can help us achieve that goal by being aware of and following our laws. These are the same laws that apply to all North Myrtle Beach visitors and residents.
�� Please don't hold your wedding ceremony on a beach access walkover or block the beach in front of a walkover. Beach walkovers and beach access points are for all to enjoy.
�� While certainly photogenic, our dune system is a fragile one, and we rely on it for our protection from storm surges and for the good health of the beach you like to visit. Please stay off the dunes and avoid picking sea oats and other dune vegetation.
�� Alcohol and glass containers are not allowed on the beach.
�� If you want to hold your wedding ceremony in a certain location, and someone is already enjoying the beach in that location, you may certainly ask them to consider a temporary move while you hold your ceremony, but they are not required to grant your request.
�� Please park only in designated parking areas. Parking is at a premium along our oceanfront. You may have to arrange for group transport to the beach. Or you may decide to stay at a property that offers direct access to the beach or a short walk to the beach.
�� Rice-free weddings are not required but they are environmentally considerate as birds cannot digest rice. Consider rice-free alternatives, such as, bubbles, birdseed, rosebuds or bells (to ring). Confetti poses a danger to small sea creatures, and it has to be cleaned up.
�� Please observe all laws applying to the use of tents, pavilions, umbrellas and other shading devices on the beach. The City's Beach Shading Devices law is attached to the end of this document.
�� Chairs and archways are permitted on the beach but must be removed following the ceremony.
�� Be aware that Cherry Grove Oceanfront Park (at Towers on the Grove) is a City park, not a private park. It is a popular wedding location but it is also a public space. While you may certainly ask people to consider making a temporary move from the park while your wedding ceremony occurs, they do not have to leave, and other people have the right to walk through or settle in the park during your wedding ceremony. Also, the passage through the beach walkover must be kept open.
�� What happens if you go to a certain location on the beach to hold your wedding, and you discover that another wedding party is already there? You can either move your wedding to another location along the beach or wait your turn at that location. Thousands of beach weddings are held in North Myrtle Beach each year and we encourage you to be prepared to be flexible and patient.
�� If you are a Professional Wedding Planner, then you know that you must have a current Business License from the City of North Myrtle Beach to do business in our City, even if you are located out of town or if you attract your wedding business via the Internet. You also know that any other paid services you employ on behalf of the wedding party that you represent must also hold a Business License from the City of North Myrtle Beach. For more information, please contact our Business License Division at (843) 280-5585.
�� If you are managing your own wedding, please be aware that any professional services you use, other than a minister, must also have a City of North Myrtle Beach Business License. This includes a professional photographer, a caterer, or any company or person to whom you pay a fee in return for a service. For more information, please contact our Business License Division at (843) 280-5585.
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