The day of your marriage is likely to be one of the biggest days of your life. What can be more important than the day two people commit themselves to each other for the rest of their lives? And a wedding on the Outer Banks can be one of the most memorable, whether you’re married right on the beach or at a beautiful Outer Banks wedding venue like the Whalehead Club in Corolla.

However, weddings don’t organize themselves. Outer Banks wedding planning can be especially tricky. The number of options available can be overwhelming, so we’ve compiled this guide to what’s hot in 2010 for a wedding on the Outer Banks.

Wedding Dresses for the Beach

• Traditional flowing white dress is a classic.
• Modified A-line skirt, slim in the waist and flaring at the bottom, is also prominent.
• Off the shoulder look is in vogue, which accents the brides neckline and shows off her jewelry.
• Getting married on the beach? Choose a gown with some color. And make it shorter because of the sand.
• Think simple. Heavy fabrics are hot in the Outer Banks sunshine.
• Have your attendants wear soft colored floral prints. Then they can reuse the dress.

Wedding Accessories

• The long flowing train and veil is out in favor of something a little shorter.
• The Outer Banks can be pretty warm, so you want to use a light weight fabric, such as lace or chiffon.
• Tiaras and combs with crystals or pearls are still popular, though they are getting smaller
• No matter what you do with your hair, don’t forget that the beach can be windy, so plan accordingly.

Wedding Bouquets

• The vast majority of bouquets are hand tied, gathering the flowers in a bunch and tying them off with wide ribbon.
• Since it’s the beach, instead of using beads or rhinestone picks, try incorporating sea shells or dried starfish.
• While the rose is the most popular choice of flower in an elegant bouquet, lilies, peonies and hydrangeas are starting to become a more trendy choice.
• Looser, casual bouquets with a just picked look are more the style now, over the tight bouquets of previous seasons.

Our brides have had great things to say about Bells & Whistles, one of the top Wedding Florists on the Outer Banks.

Children’s Wedding Attire

• Flower girls now are more often dressed with a fairy theme complete with wands, rather than the classic basket of flower petals.
• However, since you’re being married at the beach, why not take the beach theme a little further, and use sarongs, or loose flowing dresses for the girls?
• The ring bearer is a little trickier, as the tuxedo is still de rigor.
• The ring pillow can be a light pastel blue or green, with shells, sand dollars or pearls for accents.

Your Beach Wedding Ceremony

• A recent trend is for the bride and groom to walk separate aisles and meet at the altar in front of the guests.
• Also, for a beach front wedding, try facing the guests, rather than away. This will give you a stunning back drop of the ocean, making for some beautiful imagery.
• Pets are also being included more and more. It is not unusual to see a bride walking her dog down the aisle, or even more extravagantly, riding a horse to the altar.
• Brides are being escorted by any combination of parents, step-parents, grandparents or even just someone significant to her, not just the father.
• Instead of a guest book, have a matted picture of the couple’s engagement photo on display that has been framed without the glass. As guests come, they sign the matting.

All of the details involving your beach ceremony can be a little overwhelming, so an experienced Outer Banks wedding coordinator can save you a ton of stress.

Wedding Cakes

• Cakes decorated with handmade icing flowers, shells/starfish and delicate dots and scrollwork remain popular.
• A wedding on the beach in summer could use a yellow buttercream, with piped on shells for instance.
• Four to five layers is the average size for a wedding of 150-200 people.
• Buttercream or smooth fondant frostings are most common.
• Popular cake flavors include lemon, chocolate, carrot, and spice although some couples are choosing non-traditional flavors such as gingerbread, espresso and hazelnut.
• The traditional bride and groom top has been mostly replaced with flowers, sculptures, and large monogrammed letters.
• Another thing to consider is replacing the traditional wedding cake with cupcakes. This trend has been rapidly gaining steam around the country.

One of our Brides’ favorite cake artists in the Outer Banks is Just Desserts. Their eclair cake is sinfully delicious!

Outer Banks Wedding Photography

• Posed shots are out.
• Today’s brides are looking for a more natural approach to wedding photography so the pictures tell the story of the wedding as it unfolds.
• While some posed shots are to be expected, let the photographer capture the day’s events as they happen.
• Requesting some pictures in black and white is easily done with today’s computer technology.

Again, each photographer has its own style and modus operandi, but one of the most requested photographers on the Outer Banks is the talented Chris Bickford.

Hopefully this little list was useful to you. However, no matter what you choose to wear, eat, or do at your wedding, don’t forget – it’s YOUR wedding. Go with what you want, rather than just blindly following the crowd. That way, it will be the best wedding you could have had.

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