Weddings

There is no public access to the beach or on street parking at Long Bay Estates. If you are having an intimate wedding with a few guests, you can easily walk over the dune to the beach. The only parking is at the house and the most we can accommodate by using the garage and front yard is six or seven just for the event. All other times the maximum vehicles allowed is four.

We are just outside the Myrtle Beavh city limits and are located in Horry county so click here for the county regulations. http://www.horrycounty.org/AboutOurBeaches.aspx

Excerpted from "Have a beautiful Myrtle Beach wedding, but beware these rules" post at visitmb.com

Horry County

• Click here for the most up to date regulations http://www.horrycounty.org/AboutOurBeaches.aspx

• The regulations also apply on unincorporated Horry County beaches, including Garden City, Shore Drive and the campgrounds, said Horry County spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier.

• “Weddings haven’t really been an issue with us, though of course we can’t have 200 people out there with tents,” Bourcier said. “Usually people stand for 10 to 15 minutes and then they leave. We really haven’t had any issues with that.”

• Lt. Jack Stewart, deputy commander with the county’s south police precinct, which handles beach patrol, said sometimes officers have to warn wedding parties, but have never written citations.

• “We had one who set up a dance floor and a lot of times we have to warn about the music,” Strickland said. “But we’ve never had to go to the point of having to write a citation.”

• In addition to the prohibition of commercial activity, the county has several other regulations applicable to beach weddings.

• For public safety reasons, drop or electrical cords are prohibited because of shock dangers with wet sand.

• Chairs are allowed, but they must be put up right before the wedding and taken down right after. Receptions and alcohol consumption is prohibited.

• The county also has a tent ordinance.

• Coverings can’t be more than 100 square feet. They also can’t be within 10 feet of lifeguard stands and must be 10 feet within sand dunes.

• Strickland said it’s also advisable to consider the climate when planning a beach wedding. He said mornings and evenings are preferable, especially in the summer, due to extreme heat.

• “We’ve had some try to do 12 o’clock noon when there’s a 100-degree heat index,” Strickland said. “In the summertime when it’s 100 degrees, a 2 p.m. wedding is really going to hurt.”

• The county can also handle your marriage paperwork.

• Horry County Probate Court charges $5 for marriage certificates and $50 for marriage licenses for county residents. In-state marriage licenses cost $75 and others are $100.

• Horry County Probate can also marry couples for $50.

• A Horry County Business License is required for anyone who performs a service within the unincorporated areas of Horry County.

• It is recommended that you not throw rice on the beach. There is also a county ordinance about feeding wild fowl, so throwing bird seed is also prohibited.

• The releasing of Chinese lanterns is prohibited.

• If you have additional questions, please contact Horry County Police Beach Patrol at (843) 915-7953.

• Marriage Licenses – A South Carolina marriage license can be obtained from Horry County Probate Court. They can be reached at (843) 915-5370 or visit them athttp://www.horrycounty.org/Departments/ProbateCourt.aspx.

Myrtle Beach

• The City of Myrtle Beach prohibits commercial weddings anywhere on the beach, but does allow non-commercial weddings, said city spokesman Mark Kruea.

• Permits aren’t needed for non-commercial weddings. Kruea said the city averages “dozens to hundreds” every year.

• Kruea said reason for the commercial prohibition is so beachgoers can enjoy the beach without pressure from solicitors.

• In one instance, he said a wedding planner was renting out a public gazebo, which blocked public beach access.

• “The beach is not the mall,” Kruea said. “You go to the beach to relax, not to conduct business.”

• That doesn’t mean people can’t get married on the beach. Kruea said beach weddings are welcome provided the minister, photographers and other participants aren’t profiting from the event.

• “People get married on the beach all the time,” he said. “We want to protect residents and visitors without them having to bump up against commercial activity or enterprise.”