Water creatures (and maybe a bicyclist) are your witnesses at Inn at Palmetto Bluff’s riverside chapel
If you enjoy a little history mixed in with your romance, look no further than South Carolina’s Inn at Palmetto Bluff. In addition to having snapped up just about every award bestowed by the hotel world, the resort has its own white clapboard chapel, which would make a charming wedding spot. Here’s why it’s so special.
1. The View
Situated on the May River, the chapel’s large Gothic windows can rise to allow an indoor-outdoor feel and to accommodate a crowd (indoor capacity is only 100 people). They afford stellar views of the Low Country landscape: Oak trees dripping with Spanish moss, marshy riverland, perhaps a dolphin on the horizon or a white egret flying overhead.
2. The Pews
The chapel pews were handcrafted from over 3,000 pounds of refurbished antique heart pine recovered from a New York building destroyed during 9/11. While the exact building the lumber came from is unknown, the mill stamp indicates the beams were originally from Savannah Mill. So in a sense the pews have come home.
The wood for chapel pews was recovered from a building destroyed on 9/11.
3. The Floors
The floors of the chapel are laid with over 1200 square feet of long leaf heart pine reclaimed from the Piedmont Mill in Piedmont, South Carolina.
4. The Bell
Traditionally, Southern nuptials are announced with the ringing of a bell. To bring that acoustic tradition to the Waterside Chapel a hand-forged bell was commissioned from the Verdin Clock and Bell Company, which has been making music since 1842. The tone of the bell is unique, and it’s something of a modern rarity: In addition to digital operation, the bell can be rung the old-fahioned way: by hand.
5. The Bride Whisperer
To take advantage of all the chapel has to offer, but also make your wedding your own, you have access to Kelli Corn, a.k.a. the Bride Whisperer. Want your dinner to be an old fashioned Low Country Oyster Bake complete with Bluegrass band? Or perhaps you’d like the entire University of Georgia marching band to play after you tie the knot? Or maybe you’re dreaming of a fireworks show that celebrates your spark.
