North Myrtle Beach Wedding Couples, starting 2024
YOU SHOULD KNOW:

(this info does NOT apply to off-beach weddings in NMB)

North Myrtle Beach city government begin new Ordinance/ law restrictions, regulations, and permit fees for beach weddings in 2024. This strongly affects wedding couples and all of their hired vendors such as us. 

The main purposes of these new regulations and permit fee are: 

• minimize the general public’s experience of other people’s public activity & sounds on a public beach,
• obligate visitors (you) and civilian locals (us) to police sand dunes (covering  2 acres for around 1 hour) while attending to your own wedding.
• hold private businesses (us) and visitors (you) legally & financially responsible for uncontrollable actions causing dunes damage by general public, known or unknown to you or us.

FYI: Beachpeople Weddings pays for NMB business license, plus Horry County business license, plus a new ADDITIONAL Photography permit they created with this new Ordinance. AND Beachpeople Weddings will apply for their individual wedding permit FOR YOUR WEDDING once you have a completed a contract and Retainer with us first.   

Below is a paraphrase  of the official statement from the City of NMB issues March 2023.
SOME new restrictions affect you & your guests directly.
SOME dictate what your vendors are allowed to do or not do:   

1. A wedding permit and $25 fee is required for the Officiant and an annual $100 permit for the photographer  – our Photographer Margo has already paid for that permit so you don’t need to with us!

3. If a paid wedding vendor is hired, City of North Myrtle Beach business licenses are required before permit is allowed.

4. Professional photography shall occur at least twenty five (25) feet away from sand dune or sand fence.  All people must yield to emergency vehicles on beach.

5. Set-up regulations (no more than):
a. One (1) portable arch.
b. Two (2) small tables.
c. Twenty Four (24) folding chairs.
d. One (1) battery operated portable sound device/speaker.

6. Tiki torches, sky lanterns, floating lanterns and similar devices are prohibited.

7. All wedding activities, including photography, shall not interfere with the use of the public beach.
a. A specific place on the beach shall not be reserved.
b. The public is not required to accommodate any request(s) to move, even those temporary in nature.

8. Wedding receptions and catering of any kind is prohibited.

9. Real rose petals and/or seashells may be scattered during the ceremony. No other materials or items may be thrown or scattered.

10. The staging or erection of obstructions of any kind on the public beach is prohibited.

11. Vendors may not advertise, solicit, or engage in financial transactions on the beach [pay vendor’s balances while off beach such as in parking lot or online].

If you have any questions, comments or complaints, please contact Tammy Miller, North Myrtle Beach Parks and Recreation Department at (843) 281-3758, or email her: tgmiller@nmb.us.

YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• • City of North Myrtle REQUIRES we disclose both of your names and your address to them online upfront or else no permit. 
  • This is an attempt to hold you and us legally liable for any sand dunes damage by both guests OR nearby strangers during the time period and location of your permit which covers roughly 2 acres of beach access for at least 1 hour. 
  • They briefly mention your liability buried at the end of the second bullet on this link (but they spell it out, in no uncertain terms, on the vendors’ permit application webpage which WE must fill out, and it is buried in the new city ordinances).
  • If that breach of your privacy and irrational liability is unacceptable to you, then we can guide you to other beautiful nearby beaches with no crazy liabilities, fees, and fewer restrictions.  We offer you easy, free, no-fuss solutions! Contact us.