Want to elope at Pretty Place Chapel in South Carolina? Here’s everything you need to know!
September 2024 update: Pretty Place is closed until further notice as they recover from the damage from Hurricane Helene. Check their website before planning a visit here.
Fred W. Symmes Chapel at YMCA Camp Greenville, more commonly known as Pretty Place, is one of the locations I get asked for the most. This is an open-air chapel at the edge of a cliff overlooking the mountains, right on the North Carolina border. People from all over the country see pictures and videos of this place on Pinterest and TikTok and ask me to take their engagement photos, wedding photos, and proposal photos there. Here’s what to know about eloping at Pretty Place Chapel:
First things first: Reserve the chapel!
Here are 4 reasons why you should reserve Pretty Place Chapel for an elopement:
You can only see the visitation schedule two weeks in advance, so reserving the chapel guarantees that it’ll be available to you while you’re in the area. It’s not unusual for the chapel to be booked for weddings for an entire weekend, especially in the fall. This is especially helpful if you live far away and the chapel is one of the main reasons why you’re visiting.
The only people present are the people you’ve invited. This eliminates the possibility of the chapel being packed while you’re trying to get married. Believe me, I’ve seen my share of loud and chaotic sunrises at Pretty Place, and I don’t want that for any couple, especially if they’re getting married!
Reserving the chapel ensures transparency between you and the staff so that they can update you with any emergencies that might affect your plans.
When you reserve the chapel, they open up the bathroom and a getting-ready area. Otherwise, they’ll only have port-a-potties available, and there’s not really anywhere else nearby where you can find an actual bathroom.
You will have a 2-hour block at the chapel, which will include your time for setting up and cleaning up. Like many venues, it might cost more to rent it on a weekend or during peak season, so consider the winter or a weekday for your elopement.
Sunrise has the best lighting. The sun will rise behind the cross and over the mountains, but you probably won’t see the sunset since it’ll be on the other side of the woods. Since the chapel is covered, it’s darker under there than it will be in the background. Sunrise will give you a balance between the best view of the mountains behind you and the best lighting in the chapel. They also have lighting in the front at sunrise that highlights you, the cross, and the verse above it. This helps you AND the background behind you show up in photos without using flash.
It’s a windy road. Check it out on the map if you don’t believe me, because it took me by surprise when I drove that road for the first time. From Greenville, it’s a one-lane windy road with nowhere to pull over. Account for getting slowed down by a slower vehicle in front of you. Make sure you, and any guests you’ll have there, are prepared for motion sickness and your cars are in good enough shape to make the drive. The good news is that the road IS paved.
Check out some of the other beautiful spots along the way. Right off the side of 276 are Caesars Head State Park, Bald Rock Heritage Preserve, and Wildcat Wayside. Caesars Head offers some of the more difficult hiking trails in the state, but there’s also a 4-mile round trip trail to see Raven Cliff Falls, the highest waterfall in the state. Pictured below is the overlook at Caesars Head—read more about it here!
It’s pretty remote. For a wedding, you’ll need to accommodate for the amount of time it takes to drive here from wherever you’re getting ready and wherever you’re having your reception. For a reception venue, Victoria Valley Vineyards is probably the closest at about 25 minutes away, and there are a few venues in Travelers Rest. Otherwise, you’ll need to make the drive to either Tryon, Brevard, or Greenville for a reception. If it’s just the two of you, you have a lot more options for places to eat afterwards. After a sunrise at Pretty Place, my go-to stop on the way home to Greenville is Tandem Creperie in Travelers Rest. My go-to restaurant in Brevard is Square Root.
Cell service is spotty. Coordinate beforehand with anyone you plan to meet there. It’s easy to follow signs to and from there though, so you might be able to get there and back without a GPS. I can usually get signal (or Wifi) in the chapel itself when it’s not crowded, but I usually lose it for about the last 30 minutes of the drive.
Be prepared for clouds or fog. The effect is cool, but it can totally hide the view of the mountains if it’s low enough and thick enough. Here is a post all about cloudy days and what to look for!
Check out some other places in the surrounding area. Caesars Head State Park is just down the road and gives a better view of sunset, since it faces the opposite direction of Pretty Place, but there are plenty of beautiful views of the mountains in this corner of the state! Here are some of my favorite places to see mountains in South Carolina!
Read their policies before you go. You will not be allowed to bring dogs or alcohol, and they encourage you to use as little decor as possible. Read more on their website.
Ready to elope at Pretty Place?
Visit the Camp Greenville website to make a reservation, then we’ll get on a call to come up with the best plan for the date and time that you’ll be there!
Photo by Shehzad Ziaee
My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all of our state parks. But most days, the three of us are home on the couch watching something like Pixar or Back to the Future.
One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.
I can’t wait to meet you!
