The Pelican Inn is a bed and breakfast built in the mid-1800s in the beautiful Pawleys Island, SC area. While the house itself is not very impressive looking from the outside, it’s in a perfect location between the salt marsh and beach, surrounded by old oak trees and greenery. It’s a unique spot, and I don’t know of any other wedding location in the area quite like it. The inside of the house has a very rustic look but is clean and air conditioned. The wedding decorations and guests’ tables are set up on the large porch surrounding the house, and the lawn out back can be used as well. The bride has a private downstairs room in the inn where she can do her wedding preparations.
I met Sarah and Ryan, this bride and groom, well over a year ago when I took their engagement pictures with their two dogs. I started out taking getting ready pictures with Sarah and her bridesmaids at the Pelican Inn. Because the guys were getting ready in another location, we were able to go out on the marsh boardwalk and take some pictures with just the girls. At the end of the private boardwalk, there is also a small boat dock. Here, we had some nice shade for group pictures, and pictures of Sarah with each individual bridesmaid as well.
The wedding ceremony was being held at the nearby Pawleys Island Chapel on the Marsh. This is another rustic and beautiful location on the salt marsh, which I’ve featured in blog posts before. Because I was shooting this wedding by myself, I just met up with the guys about 30 min before the ceremony to get some pictures with them together. It was a little difficult wrangling the groomsmen together for pictures before the ceremony, I think they had a few more drinks than they should have. But everything worked out fine and we got some nice shots around the chapel and nearby boardwalk. It’s always a little difficult in a small chapel to get close-up pictures of the faces of the bride and groom during the ceremony. I don’t want to be too distracting, but I managed to work my way over to the front sides and got some great shots of their expressions during the vows. It’s also difficult here because of the backlighting from the windows. I used my Godox AD200 flashes to help brighten the interior of the chapel to match the light from the windows better.
After the ceremony, I took the bridal party down for some pictures on the beach behind the Pelican Inn. That is what is so unique about this area. It is so accessible to both the beach and the salt marsh. Sarah and Ryan had to get a shot with the “Keep Off Groin” sign on the beach. I have a feeling no one obeys that sign. I got my feet completely soaked during the pictures, but it was worth it, getting some great shots of them surrounded by the ocean. One of the bridesmaids also helped us get some beautiful shots of Sarah’s veil blowing in the wind. After the beach pictures, we went to the marsh for some sunset pictures, surrounded by the grass on the boardwalk. Because of a hurricane that year, many of the boardwalks out onto the marsh were falling over or broken. You can see some of the wood twisting into the marsh behind the bride and groom in the background. Thankfully, the boardwalk for the Pelican Inn is well maintained and in good condition.
I only stayed for a short time at the reception, but I got a lot of fun dancing and some great shots of the bouquet toss. Everything went smoothly thanks to the planning of Willow Event Designs and DJ Butch Barnes. The Pelican Inn has a nice outdoor dance area that is surrounded by string lights hanging from the trees. It’s also fun being able to walk up the steps and get some overhead shots of the dance floor. I hope you enjoy the pictures below, if you are considering the Pelican Inn as your wedding location, let me know and I can give you some extra thoughts about it.
Table decorations – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandView of the Pelican Inn from the back looking through the trees – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandBoardwalk on the marsh – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandTable details – Pelican Inn – Pawleys Island
Bride’s dress hanging in the window – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandWedding dress hanging in the porch archway – Pelican Inn – Pawleys Island
Bridesmaids before the ceremony – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandRingbearer with father – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandFloral bouquets on table – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandCloseup of bride’s bouquet – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandDetails on bride’s bouquet – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandMother zipping up bride’s dress – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandMother and bridesmaid putting on the bride’s veil – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandMother pulling bride’s veil over her shoulders – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandBridesmaids laughing together before the ceremony – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandPortrait of bride on marsh boardwalk before the ceremony – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandBridesmaids on the marsh boardwalk – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandPortrait of bridesmaids on the marsh dock – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandIndividual portraits of bride and each bridesmaid – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandBride and bridesmaids on the marsh boat dock – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandBride and bridesmaids by the Pelican Inn sign – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandPicture of the chapel – Pawleys Island ChapelMother helping groom with his boutonniere – Pawleys Island ChapelGroomsmen drinking before the ceremony – Pawleys Island ChapelGroom fixing his cufflinks – Pawleys Island ChapelGroom and mother walking towards the ceremony – Pawleys Island ChapelBridesmaids walking to the ceremony – Pawleys Island ChapelHappy ring bearer walking down the aisle – Pawleys Island ChapelBride and father walking down the aisle – Pawleys Island ChapelProud father of the bride – Pawleys Island ChapelBride standing with father – Pawleys Island ChapelGroom smiling at the bride – Pawleys Island ChapelWedding party during the ceremony – Pawleys Island ChapelBride and groom smiling after vows – Pawleys Island ChapelBride putting ring on the groom – Pawleys Island ChapelFirst kiss – Pawleys Island ChapelBig embrace after the first kiss – Pawleys Island ChapelHappy couple walking away from the ceremony – Pawleys Island ChapelEntire bridal party on the marsh boardwalk – Pawleys Island ChapelWedding party on the beach – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandWedding party walking down the beach – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandBride and groom with her veil blowing in the wind – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandBride and groom kissing with blowing veil – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandGroom touching bride’s face – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandKiss by the ocean – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandCouple looking at each other – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandKeep off groin! – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandBride and groom standing above the ocean – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandI got my feet soaked taking this shot – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandWaves crashing around the couple – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandWalking down the beach holding hands – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandHappy bride and groom walking down the beach – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandDips in front of the ocean – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandDips in front of the ocean – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandBride and groom posing in front of the ocean together – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandBride and groom posing in front of the ocean together – Pelican Inn – Pawleys Island
Kiss with sunlight coming through the trees – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandLights from the inn in the background – Pelican Inn – Pawleys Island
Sunset on the marsh – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandSunset on the marsh – Pelican Inn – Pawleys Island
Kiss on the marsh boardwalk – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandBride and groom on the marsh boardwalk – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandLooking into each other’s eyes on the boardwalk in black and white – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandSunset kiss on the marsh – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandTable details after lit candles – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandCards table – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandFirst dance – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandAudience watching the first dance – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandBride dancing with father – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandBride and father dancing – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandCake cutting – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandHaving fun on the dance floor – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandHaving fun on the dance floor – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandHaving fun on the dance floor – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandHaving fun on the dance floor – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandDancing with grandmother – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandHaving fun on the dance floor – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandBouquet toss – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandCatching the bouquet – Pelican Inn – Pawleys IslandGrandmother on the dance floor – Pelican Inn – Pawleys Island
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