Post # 1
Member
33 posts
Newbee
We want to do an outer banks wedding in late september, in corolla.
any other bees out there done an outer banks (or better yet, a corolla) wedding??? I would LOVE to get tips on venues, florists, make-up/hair, caterers/planners….basically I need guidance with everything except the photog – i already have one in mind 🙂
right now, my top two venue choices would be the whalehead club, or the currituck club.
also, we were thinking of doing a THURSDAY wedding, since all the rental homes in the obx are saturday to saturday OR sunday to sunday, and since most guests will be there for the whole week, we figured thursday wouldn’t be a biggie. thoughts??? personal experience???
thanks in advance for any help/advice anyone can give me! 😀
Post # 3
Member
110 posts
Blushing bee
The whalehead club is so lovely, although I really wish you could actually use the house instead of just the grounds!
I would think that a lot of people — looking at your date at least — would be wanting to take an extended weekend instead of a full week. It’s not summer vacation time for families, so taking a whole week is challenging if you have guests with kids (or guests who are teachers, or in school of some sort…). The water and weather can be getting a bit chilly by then to spend a whole week beach vacation then too. If I was going to take a week’s beach vacation, I would NOT take it in late September, even if my friend was having a wedding. Hurricane and storm possibilities, and there’s just not that much in the obx if you’re stuck inside all week. A weekend, sure.
You’re close enough to the off-season that some properties will probably be available for partial week rentals. I’d think it would be WAY easier for people to make it to a friday wedding, at least. Even if some of your guests fly in, it’s still 2+ hours to Corolla from Norfolk, so it’d be a hectic day for guests to travel if they were coming in on Thursday to try to make it to your wedding.
If you really did want a full-week celebration (assuming then you’d have fewer guests), why not look into renting one of the huge houses up on the 4×4 beach? There’s a number with 20+ bedrooms.
Post # 4
Member
33 posts
Newbee
@Madras: thanks for the input!
I’ve been vacationing with my fam in corolla for years – we always go the week of labor day since it’s so much less crowded, and the weather is usually AWESOME. i have also been doing research on past weather during late september, looking at the past 10 years (yes, i actually took the time to do this LOL), and the average temp is 75-80, no wind, VERY little rain if any at all, and sunny, so i am def not concerned about the weather. plus the water is still warm – definitely alot warmer than it would be in, say, May.
the 4×4 area is def out of the question – talk about adding even more stress to a destination wedding!! LOL! but those houses out there are INSANE. 🙂
having it on friday is definitely something i need to consider. i’m just stressed at the prospect of people (potentially even myself!) having to check out of saturday to saturday houses the morning after the wedding. definitely torn.
Post # 5
Member
1 posts
Wannabee
I just had my wedding in the outer banks (Duck). If you are still looking for someone to do hair/nails/makeup I would highly recommend Sophia at hotheads salon in Kitty Hawk/Kill devil hills (can’t remember exactly which). I sent her photos of how I wanted my hair and she replicated the style perfectly. She also fixed my acrylic nails that another salon had done a poor job with. I have never been so impressed with a hair stylist, she is amazing!!! Plus her rates are reasonable and she is really easy going and nice. She will come to you or you can go to her.
Post # 6
Member
853 posts
Busy bee
I can’t recommend ppl in OBX so much as Wilm who are phenomenal and willing to travel (I can recommend an incredible hair/makeup person and videographers). Anyway, I <3 OBX – I’m sure your wedding will be amazing!
Post # 7
Member
3 posts
Wannabee
I’m also planning an Outer Banks wedding, and it sounds very similar to yours. We actually took the risk and rented 2 houses for a whole week in the 4×4 area of Corolla, and are wedding date is on Thursday, in May. … We are pretty much doing everything that the other post wouldn’t recommend – hahaaha 🙂
– But, we justified it for a number of reasons. First, our wedding guest list is small, and everyone is aware of the 4WD condition. We will have at least 4 / 4WD vehicles provided. Next, the houses both have heated swimming pools, we are crossing our fingers that it’ll be warm enough to go swimming. For us summer was out of question, and there will only be 3 children that will have to be excused from school. Last, like you, we decided a Thursday wedding would suite us and our guests best, because most of them will be there for the whole week, and one of the houses has a check out on Sat. at 10am. This gives us a day to recoup and get ready to go back. Again, only our closest friends and family are making the trip and we realize having it then and there may not be the most convenient, so we understand if extended friends and family can’t come. The ones I was most worried about, actually preferred Thursday over Friday, to my surprise!
Now, as for venues, we’ve decided to have the wedding ceremony at the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo. They pretty much do all the work for you. They set up chairs, direction signs, and it’s beautiful, so you can save some money without having to purchase too many extra flowers or decorations. We are having a reception at one of the houses, but we did consider renting 108 Budleigh. It’s sort of a cool building, set up for catering. It may be worth looking into as a possibility for you, though your guests would have to travel. We considered it, since everyone will be traveling to the ceremony already.
Anyway, good luck and don’t get discouraged! Happy planning!
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