Suzy & Travis | May 18, 2013

Suzy and Travis travelled all the way from West Virginia for their seaside celebration. Since most of their guests were also from out of state, the couple’s parents decided to rent two large beach houses and invite everyone down for a long weekend full of fun and festivities. The bride was escorted by her brother, Dustin, who also severed as a groomsman in the wedding. As a sweet tribute to their moms, the bride and groom selected two special songs which played as each mother was escorted to her seat.
Location: Oak Island

Kelsey & Mike | May 17, 2013

Access #43 is one of the most beautiful locations for a beach wedding, however it does present some logistical challenges. Parking is limited and it is a long walk to the water, therefore we always recommend brides shuttle in guests from the reception location and secure a beach wheelchair. Kelsey heeded our advice and rented transportation, however she was unable to reserve a beach wheelchair, so we had to come up with an alternate plan. About 20 minutes before the ceremony began, we escorted the grandmothers to our truck. Our crew helped the ladies into the cab, drove them to their seats and handed them each a parasol to shade them from the sun. The ladies seemed to really enjoy the ride and our crew had a great time playing chauffeurs for the day. In my opinion Access #43 is certainly worth the effort. Beautiful dunes and rock jetties add interest to the backdrop. Also, because Access #43 is at the far south end of the island it doesn’t attract a lot of tourist so a lot of times you feel like you have the beach to yourself.

Location: Access #43, Wrightsville Beach

Aisling & Peter | May 11, 2013

For Aisling and Peter’s special day, the couple was honored to have Aisling’s childhood minister perform the ceremony. Although based on a traditional American ceremony the minister made sure to include elements of Peter’s Egyptian culture. One tradition I really enjoyed was the greeting of the parents. Upon the bride’s arrival, all the parents congregated up front to greet the bride, groom and one another. It was a very sweet moment!

Location: Shell Island Resort, Wrightsville Beach

Brenna & Alex | May 11, 2013

Brenna and Alex selected a public access at Surf City Beach (near Tiffany’s Motel) for their seaside nuptials. It was a beautiful location, but definitely a tide sensitive area. In order to accommodate the couple’s 120+ guests and keep everyone dry, we opted for longer rows arranged in a semicircle. The layout worked really well and definitely looked cool from the top of the stairs.
One of the most memorable moments of the wedding was the sand ceremony. As the bride and groom poured their separate sands into the common vase (symbolizing the joining of their two separate lives into one) the maid of honor and best man played guitars and sang A Thousand Years by Christina Perry. It was such a sweet moment and certainly something the bride and groom will remember for many years to come.
Location: Surf City

Megan & Josh | 5/4/13

Most brides will tell you that when they look back on their wedding experience the planning, crafting and anticipation was half the fun. Late nights spent finishing programs and obsessing over the seating charts may seem stressful in the moment, but overtime you will look back on these experiences with nostalgia. In the months leading up to the wedding, Megan and Josh crafted many items for their wedding including centerpieces for tables and starfish decorations for the aisle. However, two weeks before the wedding, Megan returned home to find broken bits of starfish, strands of raffia and one very sick pup. It appears while she was gone, the couple’s dog ate most of the decorations for the ceremony and in the process made himself very ill. After a pricy trip to the emergency vet, Megan and Josh set to work, finding more starfish and recreating the damaged decorations. Lessons learned; 1) Starfish are bad for dogs, 2) You can buy almost anything last minute on the Internet 3) DIY projects can be a good bonding experience, especially if you have an understanding groom. Location: Shell Island Resort, Wrightsville Beach

Jen & Lou | May 4, 2013

Rarely do we have to implement “Plan B” but Saturday proved to be the exception. We arrived at Fort Fisher around 2pm and were greeted with unseasonably high winds and tumultuous surf. After assessing the situation and speaking with the ranger we decided to call the groom and see if he would consider changing the ceremony location.Wisley, Lou elected to relocate us to the aquarium, site of the couple’s reception. The aquarium closed at 5:00pm and we began our set-up at 5:01pm. It was the fastest set-up ever! In a little over an hour and fifteen minutes we assembled the large pavilion, 100 white resin chairs, soft bamboo runner, sea grass and wired in sound for the minister and guitarist. Minutes later, guests were seated and the ceremony began. The unique layout of the courtyard, with its winding paths and lush vegetation allowed us to create an intimate venue with a tropical feel. Best of all, we had a happy bride and groom! Interested in an alternative location with a nautical feel? Be sure to check out the Aquarium; it is a really cool venue with a built in ceremony “Plan B.” Special Events Coordinator Emily Clark was a pleasure to work with and she did a beautiful job with Jen and Lou’s reception. For more information on hosting a wedding at the North Carolina Fort Fisher Aquarium contact Emily Clark.
http://reservations.ncaquariums.com/fortfisher/Info.aspx?EventID=7

Erin & Josh | April 27, 2013

The secret to a seamless ceremony with young children is simply a little preplanning and a good maid of honor. Step one; encourage the maid of honor to make friends with the kids. This is usually accomplished with a token lollypop and a few high fives. Step two; place the kids before the maid of honor in the lineup. This gives the kids a chance to walk on their own, but ensures they have a chaperone if they get a little camera shy. Step three, place parents and/or familiar faces near the front in aisle seats for encouragement. Step four, have the kids either sit with their parents or place a few beach toys under the front row seats and allow the kids to play quietly during the ceremony. Step five, relax and go with it. Remember, regardless what the little ones do everyone will think they are adorable and you are guaranteed cute pictures.
Location: Shell Island Resort, Wrightsville Beach