There are few places in the Southeast you can get married that look and feel like Pretty Place Chapel. This venue has all visual majesty you may experience standing atop the Blue Ridge Parkway, but it has all the things needed to make your wedding ceremony easy including a roof (in case it rains), easy parking, restrooms, and a bridal suite to get ready in.
Here are a few pro tips to keep in mind when it comes to Pretty Place – from a photographers perspective!
Tip 1 – Pretty Place is actually just a nickname
The actual name of Pretty Place is Fred W. Symmes Chapel – it’s located at 100 YMCA Camp Rd, Cleveland SC 29635. Its part of YMCA Greenville – so don’t get thrown off when you go to visit. 🙂
Tip 2 – There is a bridal suite, but there’s a few things to know…
First, the room is small. Like, VERY small! It definitely has that dark cave like feeling to it. There aren’t really any windows and the decor feels a little outdated. It’s probably not the best place for beautiful getting ready photographs.
We always recommend to find a better getting ready location, likely somewhere close to Downtown Greenville. That way you have enough space to be comfortable getting ready with your girls. Besides, the chapel has a pretty tight window of how long you’re allowed to be on site for your wedding – it’s almost impossible to get your hair/makeup done in that tight timeframe anyway.
Tip 3 – Factor in the distance to your reception venue!
This leads us to our third tip! While Pretty Place is a drop-dead gorgeous location for your ceremony… You’ll have to find somewhere else to have your reception. The best thing about Pretty Place is probably its biggest weakness – it’s so far from just about everything. Google maps puts Pretty Place about 1 hour and 10 minutes from Downtown Greenville. While there are a few options that are a little closer – there isn’t much. Beings sure to consider how long it would take to get back to a reception venue like the Old Cigar Warehouse or Zen: An Elegant Space for Hire in Downtown Greenville is critical to ensure your timeline doesn’t fall off track.
Tip 4 – For the best wedding photographs, you must have your ceremony at either sunrise or sunset.
Must may be a strong word – a great photographer can make any challenging lighting scenario work… but if you’re looking to recreate all the best photos of Pretty Place you see online, I can guarantee you they were taken during these two times of the day. The light during sunrise and sunset is magical & it can really transform your backdrop from looking flat to totally dynamic! There’s a reason professional landscape photographers only shoot during sunrise and sunset!
Tip 5 – Pretty Place isn’t the only place to get amazing couples portraits after the ceremony!
There’s a few spectacular locations with beautiful natural overlooks to consider. Bald Rock & Caesar’s Head are two spots that are popular areas for couples to take portraits. These can be awesome spots to stop at for photos on the way to your reception site after the ceremony!
To get an idea of what your wedding at Pretty Place could look like check out the short film we put together to highlight a recent wedding we had there!
You’re also welcome to check out this stunning wedding we photographed at Fred W. Symmes Chapel! Cynthia & Ray’s wedding was beautiful!
To contact Pretty Place & reserve your wedding date visit their website here!
Hello, my name is Lloyd Browne. I am wanting to inquire on this space. My wife has been looking at this place. I am U.S. Army Veteran. Whats the average price of a well of wedding?