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advice dress and hair during ceremony Legal music Photography pre-wedding reception rentals

Planning Checklist Guide for Do-It-Yourself

planning for wedding checklist pencil & book

Planning Checklist & Advice Guide

contacts fee fees planning checklist
Need Help?
EASY Advice for How To
Plan Your Beach Wedding ~

Worried you might miss or forget something important as you plan? We understand! Below in RED BOX or BLUE BOX, choose 1 simple Wedding Planning How-To Checklist Guide for do-it-yourself (D.I.Y.) planning of your wonderful Beach Wedding or destination wedding–or to have a cool Vows Renewal! 

** READ ALL STEPS before starting **

• SMALL or  SIMPLE Wedding D.I.Y Checklist for 2-25 people, see Red Box:
• FOR BIG WEDDING:  having 26+ people–scroll down to the BLUE Box:
Small Wedding D.I.Y. Checklist: 
  1. CHOOSE CEREMONY  LOCATION/TOWN:  also consider parking spaces and limits of elderly or handicapped guests.
  2. Elopers: consider hiring a low-price, no-fuss, skilled videographer–Bob Collins on our Suggested Vendors.
  3. CHOOSE DATE or DATE RANGE:  or a week or window, or at least a weekend or weekday. OR, see #4 …
  4. Got FAVORITE VENDORS / SERVICES?  Such as a certain super-nice Officiant or talented, fun Photographer, etc?   Contact your must-haves to check availability on dates/location that you want. THEN SET A DATE! Go back to each one, ask for a Temporary Hold on that date with each of them:  TELL those vendors that you love them, you are booking them soon, and you need to find accommodations first, but you are coming right back.
  5. CAREFULLY RESEARCH and FIRST BOOK ANY HOTEL/CONDO or HOUSE RENTALS! We post good Hotel/Rentals on our Suggested Vendors webpage.  BUT:
    • WARNING: most public travel websites include useless Rental listings that are very FAR away from your beach/ceremony!  Can be located 1 hour away! So…
    • CAREFULLY! BEFORE you book rooms/rentals, DO NOT SKIP THIS–double-check the actual physical address of that rental location to be sure it’s very near, or in, your ceremony city/beach! IF you aren’t sure how far it is, you may check the distance between the 2 street names on Google Maps.
  6. THEN once you are sure, BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS FIRST!
  7. Next, Read all your favorite Vendors’ contracts before signing, and ask them all questions. Avoid being shy… surprises are not good.
  8. BOOK ANY OTHER SERVICES:  we recommend other good companies on our Suggested Vendors page.
  9. FYI: an experienced hairdresser is a lifesaver for windy, humid beach weddings…worth it even for casual hairdos! (All short-hair people NEED to use hairspray or gel to avoid ‘Medusa’ crazy hair in the wind. DO NOT IGNORE THIS--it’s a big deal in photos to AVOID LOOKING RIDICULOUS at your wedding!).
  10. GET MARRIAGE LICENSE (Renewals don’t need it): All 50 states require a marriage license from the ceremony state, NOT your home state.  See how to get your NC or SC license nearby the beaches, CLICK HERE.
  11. A license from any NC county can be used inside any other NC county! Same goes for within SC. Call ahead to your license office to find out what to bring!  NOTE: SC ONLY requires a wait-period plus 2 visits in-person, so plan that roadtrip well ahead.
  12. Get your rings & clothes: be bold–neutral colors on a neutral beach is ‘meh’ photos – you will disappear and camouflage! We recommend you choose contrasting or bright clothing colors–read more HERE….
  13. Answer your Vendors’ questions quickly.
  14. For an overnight stay, email us for lists good local restaurants and hotels.
  15. Before you leave home:
    • Contact and confirm with all your vendors.
    • Pack your IDs, your marriage license, and the rings.
    • Pay off balances due (or whatever those contracts tell you).
  16. If ceremony is outdoors, prepare to be FLEXIBLE for weather with this GREAT weather advice, LINKED HERE.
  17. Hit the road and come have fun getting married!
BIG Wedding D.I.Y. Checklist: 
  1. CHOOSE LOCATION: Consider parking spaces and limits of elderly or handicapped guests.
  2. GUESTS:  decide how many and who–HERE IS HOW.  Honest advice: for a destination wedding, fewer people is better for your outcome.
    • Consider the health and mobility of elderly and handicapped on long boardwalks, shifting sand, staircases, standing for 30 mins, maybe hot weather.
    • Consider whether you help them find hotels/houses. Do some guests need pet-friendly hotels? do some need chairs?
    • Consider guests’ cars parking space at wedding site, or renting transportation vans, or check if your hotel offers a shuttle.
    • consider school days for guests with kids.
    • Consider hiring a videographer to record for those not attending.
  3. CHOOSE DATE or DATE RANGE:  or at least a specific week or few days window, or at least the month and whether you want a weekend or weekday. OR, see #4…
  4. Got FAVORITE VENDORS / SERVICES?  Such as a certain super-nice Officiant or fun talented Photographer, etc?   Contact your must-haves to check availability on dates/location that you want. SET A DATE among those they name. TELL those vendors that you love them, and you need to find accommodations first, and you are coming right back.  Most offer a Courtesy Hold IF YOU ASK FOR IT.
  5. CAREFULLY RESEARCH and FIRST BOOK ANY HOTEL/CONDO or HOUSE RENTALS! We post good Hotel/Rentals on our Suggested Vendors webpage.  BUT:
    • WARNING: most public travel websites include useless Rental listings that are very FAR away from your beach/ceremony!  Can be located 1 hour away! So…
    • CAREFULLY! BEFORE you book rooms/rentals, DO NOT SKIP THIS–double-check the actual physical address of that rental location to be sure it’s very near, or in, your ceremony city/beach! IF you aren’t sure how far it is, you may check the distance between the 2 street names on Google Maps.
  6. THEN once you are sure, BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS FIRST!
  7. Next, BOOK YOUR FAVORITE VENDORS second! Go back and do the paperwork for them. Read all contracts before signing.
  8. BOOK YOUR FOOD: we have a list of good local ones, just email us. 
  9. BOOK a Wedding Coordinator if you have 30 or more guests. Seriously, you shouldn’t be working & stressing on wedding day…ruins it for you and others.
  10. SET your bright/contrasting color choices, your theme, tell your vendors. Be bold–neutral colors on a neutral beach is ‘meh’ photos – you will camouflage!
  11. BOOK OTHER SERVICES:  we also offer rental bouquets or boutonnieres, live or recorded music, custom-made honeymoon basket, etc, but we recommend other good companies only on our Suggested Vendors page.
  12. FYI: an experienced hairdresser is a lifesaver for windy, humid beach weddings…worth it even for casual hairdos-CLICK HERE!
    • Plus all short-haired people NEED to use LOTS hairspray / gel to avoid looking like cockatoo bird heads, in the strong beach wind.
  13. Book an Engagement Photo Shoot…use those pics on your invites, Save-the-Date cards, table decor at reception!
  14. Send out invitations. Require guests to RSVP by at least one month ahead.
  15. GET MARRIAGE LICENSE (Renewals don’t need it): All 50 states require a marriage license from the ceremony state, NOT your home state. See how to get your NC or SC license near these beaches HERE.
  16. A license from any NC county can be used in any other NC county! Same is true within SC.  NOTE: SC requires a wait-period, specific ID cards, plus 2 visits in-person, so plan that trip well ahead. Call ahead to your license office to find out what to bring!
  17. Get your rings and get your colorful wedding clothes see WHY here!
  18. Collect RSVPs, answer vendors’ emails questions quickly.
  19. Email us for lists of good local restaurants and hotels.
  20. Last 2 weeks before ceremony: contact and confirm with all your vendors, Coordinator, pay off balances (or whatever the contracts say).
  21. IF ceremony is outdoors, prepare to be FLEXIBLE for weather with this advice HERE. Tell your guests that too.
  22. Pack your suitcases, remember to pack your IDs, marriage license, rings, then come have fun getting married!
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Categories
advice after wedding during ceremony Photography pre-wedding reception rentals Uncategorized

Chairs and Arbors Advice

Chairs and Arbors Advice

chairs and arbor
Useful Chairs/Benches and Arbor Advice ~

Decor:  we offer our unique, signature beach sand and seashell Heart Art as decoration, but NO seating or arbors / arches BECAUSE among our 2,000+ past couples decide against it as follows: 

  1. 90% don’t get chairs (ceremony is 10 minutes) and
  2. 95% don’t use an arbor/arch after they read why in this article, BUT…
  3. If you REALLY want or need them, we recommend these reliable rental companies (click here) but first read on… 
  4. We DO decorate the wedding site around your feet in our gorgeous, handmade, unique Sand Groomed Heart & Shells (click here to see more pics) or see some pic below.
  5. MORE INSIGHTS:
    • ceremony & arbors last only 5-15 minutes for this event.
    • Lightweight, thin arbors are a risky wind hazard of falling or striking someone especially with drapes on it, and 
    • Renting heavy bulky, fancy ones are pretty but cost $200-$800 or more!
    • HOWEVER, the lovely oceanscape / soft beach backdrop alone are very unique and profoundly pretty! 
    • Also, most Guests do not sit down even with chairs available … over 2,000 weddings’ experience–its the truth.  

packages sand art heart with shells

 

CHAIRS & BENCHES ADVICE:

Wedding ceremony lasts about 10 mins + guests assembling (5-15 mins) + photos session afterward (up to 60 mins):

  • BUT if any guests are elderly, handicapped, pregnant, then seats/chairs are a GOOD IDEA!
  • If you have fewer than 30 guests and no elderly or handicapped, then consider no chairs.  Let them stand, and move comfortably, in a half-round formation around the couple instead (click here to see that in our Facebook album photos).
  • Or consider bringing out a few patio or folding chairs for the “first row” of special guests (parents, g-parents, elders, handicapped), and invite fit guests to stand around them.
  • If you rent chairs/seats or an arbor, we recommend renting from vendors we trust (avoid rusty, greasy, dirty, broken chairs, seriously) – click this link to see a list of Rental websites here: Suggested Vendors webpage. 
  • When asking Rentals for quotes, be sure to ask for delivery fee and setup/breakdown fee…those are 2 additional, and often separate, fees besides the chairs or arbor.

ARBOR ADVICE:

  • With officiating, we include an artful marking on the sand for your ceremony site with our unique sand grooming and seashells heart at your feet, (see pics below) and our cast iron hook-and-shell horn.
  • But, some people like the extra color and framing of an arbor in their photos… so it’s personal taste.
  • FYI: arbors can be white PVC (shiny plastic), painted metal, bamboo or other woods. They can be 4 or 2 posts, in various shapes. People sometimes add flowers or drapes or similar things. 
  • Arbors with 4 posts, chunkier and professionally well-anchored with metal stakes 2 feet deep, are safer and more lovely.  
  • The thin, light, department store arbors are cheaper AND VERY LIKELY to fall over in the beach wind with soft sand beach (especially with fabric draped on them–acts like a boat sail!). 
  • FYI:  about 60% of the “homemade” arbors we’ve seen don’t work…hard to transport, delicate, breakable, not anchorable, not wind resistant, and fall right over during setup! Pretty much high-maintenance and stressful for the couple. 
  • Honestly, if you really WANT an arbor, shop around and rent a sturdy one from trusted pros on our other page:  beachpeopleweddings.com/suggested-vendors.

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Categories
advice during ceremony Legal music Photography pre-wedding rentals

North Myrtle Beach Laws & Permit

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 from EACH vendor you hire (not just 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.

 

 

336-314-0503 (call or text)

kiss@beachpeopleweddings.com

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