Is there anything more romantic than the beach? Throughout the fall bridal show season, I met so many couples who got engaged in July and August with a proposal on the beach or boardwalk.
If you grew up in NoVA, the odds are good you’ve spent some time on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I recently had a chance to visit with my OBX destination wedding clients, make new connections with the local wedding industry, and tour some lovely venues that offer something for everyone.
The first stop on my OBX adventure was The Currituck Club located in Corolla. This charming golf club likes to "bring the outside inside" with a seasonal pavilion available for wedding receptions. There’s also plenty of room to expand with a tent and the clubhouse veranda provides additional serving space for your bar or buffet. The Currituck Club is on the “sound side” of the Outer Banks and offers a waterfront ceremony location.
Private Events Director Ashley Earnhardt of Currituck Club.
Weddings are handled by Private Events Director Ashley Earnhardt. Ashley stays pretty busy driving up and down Route 12 on the OBX – she also handles events at Nags Head Golf Links and the Village Beach Club. Nags Head Golf Links is also on the “sound side” and its ceremony site offers an unobstructed view of the sunset dipping into the water. After the ceremony, guests enjoy a tented reception and then dancing under the stars on the club’s deck. If a casual beachside ceremony is more your thing, you can marry right on the sand at the Village Beach Club (available seasonally).
Speaking of the beach, OBX has a wealth of beach home rentals – from classic shabby chic in Kill Devils Hills to elegantly appointed event homes in Corolla. These events homes are like boutique hotels. Abigail Hodgson, wedding specialist at Corolla Classic Vacations, can help you find the perfect home for your beach week wedding and give you lots of advice on guest activities. Special thanks to Abigail for arranging my stay at one of Corolla Classic's beautiful homes.
Alyson & Abigail at the Seafood Frestival representing OBXWA.
Both Abigail and Ashley are active in the Outer Banks Wedding Association. The local wedding community is a large, closely knit group of talented professionals. The organization puts on a two-day wedding show (mark your calendar for Jan. 17-18), complete with venue tour. I had the pleasure of spending time with OBXWA’s Director of Marketing & Public Relations Alyson Pugh.
Alyson, Abigail and I had a wonderful time exchanging ideas – and laughs – at Trio in Kitty Hawk, a fun wine bar with live music and an upstairs loft that's great for a wedding guest cocktail party or rehearsal dinner. The next day I spent some time with the ladies at the Seafood Festival in Nags Head. Area restaurants were out in force with tastings, many of them using the freshest of the local ocean harvest, like Basnight’s Lone Cedar Café. Family owned & operated, Basnight’s is one of the premier off premise caterers in OBX.
During my stay in OBX, I also did a bit of sight seeing. Climbing the lighthouse in historic Corolla Village gave me a stunning view of Whalehead Club, an historic waterfront estate with grounds available for tented weddings. And I ventured over the causeway to Roanoke Island and toured the Elizabethan Gardens, part of The Garden Club of North Carolina. With the exception of the English Rose Garden (after all, it is October), the grounds are just as beautiful in the fall as they are in the spring. And I got lucky with my tour – one of the garden’s ceremony areas was set up for a wedding.
The Outer Banks offers beautiful, unspoiled beach, gracious hospitality and plenty of activities for your wedding guests. To learn more about OBX weddings, visit the Outer Banks Wedding Association’s website .