Because I visited this board many times to gain insight into planning a wedding on the Outer Banks - I wanted to post an idea of what we did for the weekend and list of vendors used. I feel this board was invaluable in determining who we would or would not go with but in the end everyone should go with what you feel is right for you and your affair. Should add that I am the 'mother-of-the-bride'. Besides this board we used Outer Banks Wedding Association to gather details on vendors, etc.
The wedding was on Sept 1, 2013 at 5:00 in the afternoon in Salvo, NC. We are fortunent enough to have two homes side by side which is where the event overall was held. The wedding did happen on the beach directly in front of the homes with the reception set up in one of the homes. We did obtain a National Park Permit according to the rules -this should be ordered no more than 30 days in advance of the wedding. The beach did not have any traffic on it even with it being a holiday weekend - we had it all to ourselves!
The homes are Saturday to Saturday so we planned dinner for all guests Saturday night. We had a wedding day breakfast that was a DIY - egg casseroles, biscuits and fruit that was well received. Dinner Sunday night was catered and then we planned a continental breakfast on Monday morning before sending folks on their way. Everything went like clockwork and with many hands, no meal we prepped and served, was a huge hinderance.
We did do welcome bags for all our quests. We called the Visitor bureau and picked up phamplets during a pre-wedding trip in June. We put in aspirin, pepto bismal, chapstick, package of kleenex and a couple of other small items. We also visited the $1 store and picked up packages of shampoo, body wash and hand lotion for each bag. We also put in Sunny Day brochures - keep in mind there are different versions depending what area of the outer banks your wedding will be at. We also placed a jar of Sea Glass Candy (representing the bride) and Slim Jims (representing the groom) in each bag.
We did alot of DIY stuff, including centerpeices for Saturday night and Sunday night. After looking at cost of rentals for tablecloths - I opted to purchase these online. For ideas - we had a number of items that we gleaned from this site as well as Pintrest.
Now for vendor reviews:
Officiant: Rev. Eugene McLawhorn. Really nice person and is a long term resident of the area. He was in and out, very professional and did not make any mistakes during the ceremony. We wanted the actual ceremony to be short and sweet and that is what it was.
Saturday Night dinner: We elected to setup for BBQ to accomodate guests that might arrive later in the evening. We picked up the BBQ and fixin's from Pigman's BBQ and because we had eaten there many times before we were not dissappointed. Folks raved about the food and since we did not have any leftovers, feel that speaks for itself.
Flowers: We ordered bouquets from Sugar Snaps. Shirley was great to deal with and had everything exactly as we requested. I highly recommend her. We ordered flowers through Harris Teeter and have seen mixed reviews on them on this board. We did not have any issues at all. Flowers were as ordered and ready to go when we got there Saturday to pick up. The only thing that I would add - if you go this route - we ordered a mix of flowers with no specifics. The mixes we got were very different than those available at home. If you want something specific - order it.
Rentals: We went with Ocean Atlantic Rentals. The delivery charge was cheaper for us and they seemed to be willing to work with our desired drop off and pick up time. Everything was in good shape. We rented a 55 cup coffee urn which I'm not convinced was really necessary - so if I did it again - I probably would not order this particular item.
Caterer: For Sunday night (wedding reception) we went with Mulligan's. We taste tested with them and with Red Sky Cafe. This is probably the toughest decision we had to make over everything else. We went with Mulligan's because we felt we were getting more options for the money and they were willing to work with us on flavoring, etc. I am convinced that Red Sky would have been an excellent choice as well. That being said - everyone raved about the food served. There was more put out than we could possibly have eaten. Shannon and Elizabeth and the remaining team were very attentive. They got there on time, did the complete setup of tables, etc. and made sure that everything was being done to my specifications. I can't say enough good things about them. Communication prior to the event may not have been the best - hit and miss, but I put my faith in them and our discussions and they delivered 'in spades'! We did opt for a bartender - serving our alchol and although she did assist with the food setup, etc. I feel that is was worth the expense to have her. During dinner I asked her to serve wine which worked out well for those that wanted it. I would highly recommend using Mulligan's. They do have a food truck that they bring and all prep is done on the truck - so this means they are not in house using the kitchen, etc. I really can not say enough good things about them.
Photographer: Shooters at the beach. The photographer arrived on time. We are still waiting on the pictures so I can't give a bunch of feedback on them at this point. The only thing that I can say here is that if you have specific shots you want - list these out ahead of time and give them to the photographer. The time of the event is not the time to be worrying about what you want or don't want. I can't stress enough - If you want something specific - list it! We were not as prepared as we should have been for this vendor.
Cake: Atlantic Cake Company. Susan was excellent to work with and she and her husband, delivered exactly what we ordered. The cake was delicious and given our headcount - the cake was just large enough. They did provide an anniversary tier as part of their package - which is safely stored in the freezer. We ordered a two tier cake - beach themed. Top layer Red Velvet, Bottom layer traditional and then a grooms cake in Key Lime. Everything was yummy! We received a lot of compliments and I was asked to provide their contact information to guests for when they returned at a later time, for potentially other special orders.
Hair: Koru Spa and Salon. Because of the location of the event this was one of the only choices we had but they did a great job. We had 4 getting hair done and the bride had makeup done. Because of the time of appts. we took two cars but once there, things got changed up a bit and we only needed to have one car. Overall, they did exactly what was asked, put in suggestions as needed and were very professional.
I think that recaps all the vendors and gives you an idea of how our weekend played out. Once pictures are available - I can circle back and get a link posted. Also, if you have any questions about anything I have posted then please reach out to me via private message. Thanks to everyone that has previously posted on this board for your invaluable insight and to those upcoming weddings - you could'nt have picked a more beautiful and memorable place to get married! Good luck to all the future Outer Banks brides.