5 Outer Banks Wedding Tips from Local Wedding Planners

Many of our guests have spent most of their childhood coming to the Outer Banks every summer with their families, and it’s a location that is near and dear to their hearts. When they begin planning for their special day, consider having an Outer Banks Wedding to provide an unforgettable experience.

For this blog post, we talked to Ashley from Southern Hospitality OBX, Taylor and Samantha from Coastyle Events, and Gentry from Twiddy’s Special Events Team. Southern Hospitality OBX and Coastyle Events have been planning weddings on the Outer Banks for 10 years. They shared 5 tips for planning a memorable Outer Banks Wedding.

Hiring a local wedding planner Picking a home with options for ceremony location Choosing the Right Vendors Building a Day Unique to you as a couple Embrace the one-of-a-kind Wedding Experience Favorite Homes Ready to start planning your dream Outer Banks wedding?

Tip 1: Hiring a local wedding planner

For many people having an Outer Banks Wedding, they are planning it as a destination wedding and might not be as familiar with the area. That’s why one of the best things you can do is hire a local wedding planner, as it can be challenging to plan an event from far away. A local planner will be familiar with the area and have worked in these event homes.

These planners want their couples to fully enjoy their special day, and not worry about anything. Having a planner that you trust allows for someone to be there and make decisions for you so that you can enjoy being with your family and friends for your big day.

Photographer: Antoinette Photography

Tip 2: Picking a home with options for ceremony location

When selecting an event home over a traditional wedding venue, you have so many different things to do with the space. The houses are large and offer lots of flexibility and creativity. One distinctive thing about our coastal environment is that storms, such as hurricanes and nor’esters, are a part of life on the Outer Banks. With that in mind, select an event home that has a good outdoor space that allows for plans A, B, and C, due to the potential for storms. In case you can’t get married on the beach, have a plan B for where the ceremony can take place as you may need to relocate inside or to a place that’s more protective from the wind. The Chesapeake has a lot of options and locations if you need to change the day of.

For one recent wedding that Coastyle Events planned, they had to go to Plan B due to rain and high winds, so they moved the ceremony inside, and it was ideal since the home was modernized and matched the aesthetic of the wedding.

Tip 3: Choosing the Right Vendors

We have wonderful vendors locally, who are able to do a fabulous job. Make sure that you are choosing vendors that you’re comfortable with, and that are professional, punctual, and have good correspondence. Look for vendors who have been in the homes before and who are adaptable to our environment on the Outer Banks.

And if you’re planning a wedding on the 4×4 Beach, make sure your vendors can travel to the 4×4. Most vendors are as it’s doable, but it does require additional planning.

KD1213 Alex&Kevin_Coastal_Shots_Photography_3

Courtesy of Coastal Shots Photography

Tip 4: Building a Day Unique to you as a couple

It’s important for our couples to focus on what’s important for them when planning their wedding. Each wedding is special, it doesn’t have to be a cookie-cutter event. You can build a day custom to each couple, focus on quality time, and have events throughout the whole week. You can have a fancy candle-light dinner or a seafood boil; as long as you focus on what matters for you.

Tip 5: Embrace the one-of-a-kind Wedding Experience

Having an Outer Banks Wedding is such a special experience. It allows for so many “WOW” factors for your guests. Our event homes can offer so many features for a wedding; such as oceanfront views, local seafood, and specific things to do on the beach. It’s not hard to convince your family and friends to come here, many are excited and have their emotional ties to this area. Plus, we’re a good meeting space on the East Coast. You can WOW your guests by providing a vacation and a wedding in one. If many of your guests are able to spend the week with you, it allows for a special experience of quality family time, instead of just one night together, you can have a whole week together.

Favorite Homes

One of Coastyle Event’s Favorite Homes would have to be Constellation. One of their couples chose to have a mingle-style wedding with more of a cocktail-style vibe with soft seating high tops, and a live band, and Constellation was the perfect Outer Banks wedding venue for them.

One of Gentry’s favorite homes would have to be Lighthouse Twelve. It has a covered space with a big backyard and lots of space. It’s also a short walk to the Bonito Street Parking Lot, which allows for extra parking for guests and vendors. Gentry did a wedding in November and the weather was cooler, but they set up heaters and it quickly made the covered space warm and allowed for plenty of room for dancing.

Ready to start planning your dream Outer Banks wedding?

Twiddy and Company has a Special Events Team that is happy to help couples pick an event home that will best suit their needs. We are happy to go to the house and do measurements, and we can schedule an in-person or virtual tour of the house. Give us a call at 866-457-1190 and inquire about different homes. Check out our Weddings page for more resources about planning an Outer Banks wedding.

Join us at this year’s Outer Banks Wedding Association’s Wedding Weekend + Expo! Facilitated by the Outer Banks Wedding Association, this offers the opportunity to meet local wedding vendors and learn more about holding your big day on the OBX.

Dec 06, 2024