Spectacular views and intimate setting make Pawleys Chapel the perfect wedding venue

For many Pawleys Island visitors who have driven from the island’s Historic District to its south end, the quaint little chapel overlooking the scenic marsh is just another iconic landmark.

But for some families, like the Eggimans, the Pawleys Island House of Worship — also known as the Pawleys Island Chapel, or just the Chapel — has become an important part of their family history.

In the early fall through late spring, the Chapel can be reserved through Pawleys Island Realty for weddings, as well as baptisms and memorial services. It seats about 150 people. During the summer months, from the first Sunday in June to the last Sunday in August, it is used for church services.

“Many people use the chapel for their weddings – usually on the smaller side – and we have some baptisms and a few funeral services,” said Betsy Altman, owner and broker in charge of Pawleys Island Realty, LLC, who also serves on the Chapel Board of Directors. “It is a very special place for a beautiful wedding ceremony.” 

She said some people who get married in the Chapel are vacationers who have been coming to Sunday summer services and want to have their wedding or baptism there. 

“It seems to be pretty stress free and lets the couple focus on the important part of the marriage and the service,” Altman said.

Eve and Doug Eggiman

Eve and Doug Eggiman first discovered the Chapel when they were searching for a venue for their wedding set for May 22, 1988. At the time, Doug Eggiman was a firefighter at Midway Fire Rescue, where he later served as fire chief. He said since he had only been living in the area for less than 3 years, he did like most future husbands do and followed his future bride’s lead.

“I was familiar with the Chapel but had never really understood how special and significant it is,” he said. “Once I actually had the opportunity to see it up close and actually learn and understand just how special and representative of Pawleys Island it is, I realized what a great choice she made.”

Eve Eggiman, who served Georgetown County Central Communications (911), said she remembers falling in love with the small building.

“I loved the look of the chapel with the windows overlooking the marsh,” she said. “It is a beautiful church with great views, and it is very inviting.”

Doug Eggiman said they were fortunate to have a beautiful spring day for the well-attended wedding.

“It was clear and sunny, but not too hot or humid,” he said. “Since Eve was born and raised in the Pawleys Island area, it was very well attended locally. In addition, I had a lot of family members and friends from the Northeast and Canada. It was a full house, as I recall.”

The wedding ceremony was simple and focused, with a pianist for music, Doug Eggimnan said.

“My memories of our wedding service are like a series of pictures,” he said. “I remember sitting at the front with my Best Man Karl waiting patiently and nervously for Eve to appear and the ceremony to start.”

He said it was like the Tom Petty song, “The Waiting is the Hardest Part”.

“Of course, the best memory was when Eve walked through the door and down the aisle,” Doug Eggiman said. “She looked stunning! The actual exchange of vows went by in a blur. I just remember that our eyes were locked together and before we knew it, we were married and walking out!”

Eggiman daughters

Two of the Eggiman’s daughters were also married at the Chapel. Stephanie and her husband, Andrew Parker, a business developer in Charleston, were married on Nov. 3, 2018. Victoria and her husband, Nick Mazzilli, part of a real estate team in Charleston, were married on Dec. 6, 2025. Their other daughter, Tiffany, married her husband, Tanner Clark, at a different venue.

Stephanie, who is a teacher at Waccamaw Elementary School in Pawleys Island, said the reason they chose to marry at the Chapel was because she always dreamed of being married in the same small church where her parents were joined in matrimony years before.

“I grew up less than a mile from the chapel and it has always been so special to me,” she said. “In addition to that, one of the first places that Andrew and I ever saw each other was on Pawleys Island and we enjoy boating and fishing in the creek. Being married with the Pawleys Island creek in the background was meaningful to both of us.”

Their wedding day was a beautiful fall day and a memorable time for both of them, she said.

“We had a violinist and were married by my childhood youth paster, who shared some stories and memories from the time he spent getting to know us as a couple,” she said. “We each had our siblings and best friends from various stages of life beside us, as well as our niece and Andrew’s youngest cousins as the flower girl and ring bearers.”

Victoria, who is a kindergarten teacher in Hanahan, married Nick Mazzilli on Dec. 6, 2025. She said she also dreamed of being married in the Chapel, especially since her parents and her oldest sister were married there. She said even though their wedding day was cold and rainy, they took it as a sign of good luck and made the best of it.

“Growing up, I remember going by the chapel on my bike and dreaming about what my wedding day would be like there,” she said. “Another huge reason we chose the Chapel is because of the beautiful view. It is a one-of-a-kind experience.” 

She said that having all of their friends and relatives there was very intimate and special.

“Most of my family and friends were local to Pawleys Island and the Charleston area,” she said. “Nick, however, is originally from New York and has family there, in Las Vegas, and in Columbia, so we had attendees from all over.”

Doug Eggiman said the Pawleys Island Chapel is a wonderful place to have a wedding because the view outside is wonderful but the view inside is even more impressive.

“The view of the marsh behind the altar is beautiful and makes a stunning, and very unique, backdrop for the ceremony, he said. “It really is a quaint and intimate setting.”

History of the Chapel

The Georgetown Layman’s Evangelistic Club, chartered in 1945, began the Pawleys Island House of Worship in 1947.  The Club had 15 active members and was deactivated in 1965.

The marshland on which the Chapel stands was donated by Dr. and Mrs. J. H. Porter, who owned property across the street. The deed included a condition that the property may be used “for the sole and only purposes of religious worship”.  The building was a vacated Pentecostal Holiness Church in Georgetown that was dismantled and rebuilt on the Island lot.

J.M. Layton of Georgetown, and a member of the Evangelistic Club, was a summer resident of Pawleys Island and owned Layton Real Estate on Pawleys, took care of the Chapel and maintained the operation of the Chapel during the summer months.  Several ministers and laymen from Georgetown took care of the Sunday services. 

Layton retired in 1970 and Linwood Altman, in an agreement, took responsibility for the Chapel in exchange for the purchase of the realty company, which became Pawleys Island Realty Company.  The Chapel became a family endeavor with a local board of trustees. 

The Chapel drew from summer student ministers from Duncan Methodist Church in Georgetown. Currently, outstanding ministers from many states, as well as local ministers, hold interdenominational services in the Chapel during the summer months. Visiting and local vocalists and musicians provide special music each Sunday.

In 1971 the Chapel Board of Directors agreed to let the Pawleys Island Civic Association meet in the Chapel in exchange for a donation of $750 which was used for carpet and removing a partition in the small chapel that enclosed two Sunday School classrooms that were no longer used.  Sunday attendance increased from approximately 25 to over 100, currently over 200 attend each Sunday.

From 1971 to 1985 the Catholic congregation used the Chapel each Sunday for Mass. Other religious organizations have used the Chapel over the years. The first recorded wedding in the Chapel was held in 1971. Now there are an average of 25 weddings annually. Weddings can be held from September-May. The Chapel has also been used for christenings and memorial services.

In 1995, a disagreement arose between the Town of Pawleys Island administrators and the Chapel Board over the use of the Chapel.  Both requested that the property heir transfer whatever interest he had in the marshland on which the Chapel was built to their respective interests. The heir elected to transfer a quit-claim deed to the Town. This gave them no control of the building, or control of the Chapel. The following administration transferred the Town’s interest to the Chapel.

The Bible, cushioned chairs, and all furnishings have been donated as memorials or honorariums. Many summer residents and locals have generously supported the Chapel through the years. 

The Chapel survived two major hurricanes – Hazel and Hugo. There was severe damage after Hugo, but contributions from several hundred people and the Pawleys Island Rotary financed its restoration.

After surviving Hurricanes Joachim, Matthew and Irma, new chairs, hymnals and a piano were purchased. In 2018, while the pilings underneath the Chapel were replaced, the building was moved across the street and moved back when completed. The building was leveled and new carpeting and a roof were installed.

For details about reserving the Chapel for your next special event, click here. Contact Pawleys Island Realty at 843-237-2000 for availability and the Reservation Form. They also welcome donations.

By Clayton Stairs / tourism manager for the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce