Professional services illegal on Isle of Palms (Charleston: rentals, house)

[seacoastbill]

Just wanted to put this out there for all. The Isle of Palms has made it illegal for businesses to "conduct business on the beach" which includes things like (but not limited to):

• Surfing instruction
• Kite Board Instruction
• Professional photography for your family or wedding
• Paid wedding officiants
• Beach chair rentals

Here is the quote from their website:

"No business can be performed on the beach; therefore, professional photography and catering on the beach are prohibited. If you are having the event catered at a location off the beach, your catering company must have an Isle of Palms business license and adhere to the islands' hospitality tax ordinance."

So, for example, if you are going to come to the Isle of Palms to have your wedding, you might rent a beach house for $7,000 per week and find that you can't have a wedding planner, an officiant, a photographer, a videographer, florists, chairs, or any other paid vendor.

Here are some articles about this issue that I found on the web:

Charleston, SC Latest Features: Eco-tourism can benefit beach towns

Isle of Palms SC (http://www.sc-wedding.com/isle-of-palms-sc.html - broken link)

Cane Bay Photography: Charleston Beach Weddings

Jebb Graff Photography | Charleston Portrait Photographer - Charleston Lifestyle Photographer - Charleston Wedding Photographer - Blog (http://www.jebbgraff.com/blog/2008/10/13/photographers-beware/ - broken link)

And here is the IOP's F.A.Q. Page for reference:

Isle of Palms - FAQs

Just wanted to let you all know so that if anyone is planning on coming to this area for a beach wedding, then they may want to go to Folly where it is completely legal to have vendors.

Oh yeah, one more thing that is a bit off topic.

Found this today on the web: I hope it is not true.

CHARLESTON

Isle of Palms may enact sand castle building ordinance
Isle of Palms city council is considering an ordinance that would require beachgoers to demolish their sandcastles before leaving the beach. Violators could be fined anywhere from $128 to $500, or roughly three years allowance for the average American 7-year-old.
Authorities are still trying to figure out a way to police the ordinance and would have to monitor all phases of a sand castle’s construction and then witness the builder leave the site in order to ticket them. Builders may temporarily leave the job site to splash in the water or eat an ice cream cone, but would be required to demolish any construction prior to leaving the beach for the day. So far, the ordinance would not require authorities to seize the small plastic shovels and pails that are often used in sand construction projects.

[Theresejenkins]

That is one of the funniest things I've read in a long time! Thanks. Have to be honest, for some reason I can believe it....

[beachme]

The sand castle building ordnance (sp) was a big issue last year..It was "squashed".
Never passed never will..It did make the national news.

[seacoastbill]

So glad that the sandcastle thing is old. I wish they would make the professional ban old news too. It is really difficult telling brides that we cannot go onto the beach to shoot their wedding. (photographers)

[JerseyGirl217]

I had wanted to get married on Isle of Palms (then wondered how warm that'd be in February haha). Guess it's a good thing I passed on that since there can be no paid wedding officiants nor photography taken there. That's kind of dumb, if you ask me.

The sandcastle thing was pretty out there too. I remember hearing about that last year.