Photography by Distinctive Photo Images

“We wanted a beautiful, intimate beach for our wedding. Emerald Isle had beautiful homes large enough for our family while still honoring the natural beauty of the Carolina shores. From the beginning, our family was the priority. Our wedding was about joining two families together: kids, parents, grandparents and all. 

“We wanted to create a destination wedding where we could all enjoy the entire week together.  We wanted our parents, kids and others to get to know one another - creating one loving family. So, we decided to have the wedding in the middle of our week. We celebrated the days before with coffee on the porch, dinners, board games and shell hunting.

“We enjoyed local BBQ for the rehearsal dinner. Wednesday’s wedding was relaxed, intimate and informal. It was perfect! That night we enjoyed dinner in Swansboro and stopped by Dairy Queen on the way home - in our wedding attire!! Then, we had the rest of the week to celebrate, play put-put and toast the new family.

 ”In the beginning, we were not certain if we could justify a photographer for such a small wedding. Then a miracle! Kevin learned that his oldest son serving in the Army in Iraq would be on leave during the week of our wedding. There are no words for how it felt to have him home to join us. We knew then we had to capture these precious moments. We are so glad we did! Our photographs are beautiful - reminding us not just of a beautiful wedding but of the week we were blessed to all be together as one family.”

View Kelly & Kevin’s wedding photo gallery.

By Eric Hause, Producer of the Crystal Coast Wedding Salon

Today’s bride knows that it is impossible to put a price tag on love. And believe it or not, many brides are looking at drive-to destination weddings as a way to economize and yet still have the wedding of their dreams.

Many brides think of a destination wedding as cost prohibitive, but the truth of the matter is that they can cost less than traditional weddings. This may be advantageous to brides and grooms who are feeling the effects of today’s economic crunch. For example, in 2008, the average traditional wedding cost $27,000, while the average destination wedding cost $16,500.
 
While exotic destinations abroad continue to be popular wedding sites, many brides today are looking for that same ambiance closer to home for less.  Each year, hundreds of brides find that North Carolina’s Crystal Coast is the ideal location for a spectacular destination wedding, especially during the current economic squeeze.

“We’ve seen destination weddings on the Crystal Coast holding steady in most cases, and actually growing in others,” said Eric Hause, producer of the Crystal Coast Wedding Salon, a destination wedding showcase in January, 2010.  “The rough times have not really affected brides who want a magical wedding at an exotic beach location like the Crystal Coast.”

Hause reports that most brides planning a Crystal Coast destination wedding live within a four-hour drive of the Crystal Coast. “They are enamored by the idea of packing up their car, inviting their closest friends and family, and coming to the beach for their wedding,” he said.  “They not only love the area, but know they can have their dream wedding at a fraction of the cost of a traditional event at home or nuptials in much more distant locale.”

Here’s why:

Destination weddings automatically mean a smaller guest list. While brides planning traditional weddings often feel obligated to invite everyone in town, destination brides often limit their guests list to family and only closest friends. The size of the average traditional wedding is 165 guests, while Crystal Coast destination weddings average 75 to 100 guests.

Destination weddings are often combined with the honeymoon.The wonderful advantage of having a Crystal Coast wedding is that the wedding and honeymoon can often be combined into one vacation (often called a weddingmoon). For example, by renting a Crystal Coast vacation home for one week, brides can hold their wedding and reception on Saturday, then enjoy a quiet week at the beach through the following Saturday.  Often, some of the wedding guests and family will stay the week as well, enjoying an extended vacation with the newlyweds.

Destination weddings are not bound by traditional wedding conventions.A Crystal Coast beach wedding can be an informal affair, offering flexibility with the wedding gown and some of the other traditional wedding accoutrements that add up. For that reason, a Crystal Coast destination wedding is a popular alternative for second weddings, vow renewals, or those who prefer less tradition.

Travel costs need not be prohibitive. Crystal Coast destination brides and their wedding parties who live within driving distance of the beach save on flight and other exorbitant travel costs. In addition, by planning a weekday or off–season wedding, brides and their wedding guests can take advantage of lower lodging rates.

North Carolina’s Crystal Coast is an exotic wedding destination in its own right.Miles of unspoiled beaches, luxurious vacation homes and resorts, talented wedding professionals, and a wealth of natural beauty have captured the hearts of hundreds of couples who come here to be married each year. “Plus, there’s plenty to do for your wedding party from museums and charter fishing to golf or just enjoying the beach,” said Hause.

To explore all the Crystal Coast has to offer brides, makes plans to attend the Crystal Coast Wedding Salon, January 8-10, 2010, in Atlantic Beach.