Emily & Peter ~ with Island Photography

How did you meet?

Pete and I both graduated from JMU, but never met while attending there. After I graduated, I had gone back to celebrate a friend’s graduation. We were introduced in a college bar, of all places, by a friend who ended up being one of my bridesmaids. We (Pete & I) have been together ever since!

How did you get engaged?

I remember it well…a sunny, cool Saturday morning, May 10th, 2008. Like most Saturdays, we were walking Smokey through Old Town, down by the water, looking at boats. Pete asked me to walk to the end of the dock, but of course, my stomach took over. So we went and had my favorite meal, a hot dog and Diet Coke! Again, Pete wanted to go to the end of the dock… “Can we get ice cream first?” I got my way again! We finally made it to the end of the dock, where Pete handed me a piece of paper. Turns out, it was a plane ticket to see my mom, dad and sister in Georgia the next weekend. When I turned to ask Pete why I deserved this, he had already gotten down on one knee and said “the ticket is for you to go down to Georgia to tell your family that today is the day I asked you to marry me!” I was so excited!!! How could a girl say no?

Why did you chose an OBX wedding?

I grew up coming to the Outer Banks with family and girlfriends for summer beach trips. But once Pete and I started dating, it was him getting the invite and not my girlfriends. We have so many memories from our times on the Outer Banks. It just made sense.

How did you decide on your ceremony and reception locations?

We chose the Duck United Methodist Church for two reasons. It was very important to us to get married in a church. Secondly, my family and I used to attend DUMC when vacationing in Duck. I had the dream of getting married there since I was little girl.

As far as the reception, we wanted to have the feel of a backyard at the beach. After spending time with Ron Forlano, owner of The Saltaire House, one weekend, we were sold.

There were no doubts in our minds that we had chosen the best places in Duck for us to get married and have our reception!

How many guests?

We had 180 guests!

How long did you allow for the wedding planning process?

We were engaged for 14 months and spent the entire 14 months planning! We LOVED every minute of it!
Please share some of your planning details that were important to you.
Most importantly, we wanted to make sure our wedding reflected who we were as people and as a couple. We wanted to make sure that every detail was addressed and reflected our personalities. Another important detail was making our family and guests feel welcomed and comfortable. We wanted all of our guests to also have the weekend of their lives!

Looking back, what was your favorite moment of your wedding day?

One of my favorite moments was entering the church. When the doors opened, I saw all of our friends and family who had traveled to be with us on our wedding day. As I walked down the aisle, seeing Pete was the best part of it all! The excitement and happiness I felt were indescribable.

If you could do one thing different, either in the planning or actual day, what would it be?

I just wish that the day never ended!

What advice would you to another bride planning their wedding in the Outer Banks?

Honestly, to use ALL the vendors we chose! Our team was a HUGE part as to why our wedding was so fabulous!