Vanessa and Patrick's Destination Wedding Adventure in the OBX
“Patrick and I met at an Eagles Bar in Baltimore while I was on a travel nursing assignment and he was stationed nearby with the Navy. It is safe to say that we did not like each other during the initial meeting. However, Patrick was persistent. We ended up going on this impromptu date that started with dinner and ended with finding ourselves in some very unusual bar situations. After that, we sort of parted ways because of the demands of our jobs until I was headed to Houston, Texas. Patrick knew that my friend bailed as my road trip buddy and since he has family down there, he asked if he could ride along. Let me tell you, if you can spend three days in a car with a stranger and talk the entire time about everything under the sun (including heavy topics) and not feel embarrassed or judged, he’s the one. We were engaged a year and a half later at the same sushi restaurant we ate on our first date before the crazy bar escapade. Patrick planned to propose to me on a bridge as I was leaving work but I ended up taking a different walkway. When we finally found each other, I was exhausted from working long hours and I just wanted to eat and get home. I was so tired, in fact, that I was kind of mean to him during dinner and I was oblivious to his nervousness. It ended up being perfect. I had no idea, it was snowing, we were seated all alone right in the window, and our favorite waitress was in on it to help take pictures. We officially got married in Colorado at Garden of the Gods where you can solemnize your own marriage. It was the best thing we have ever done. So peaceful and meaningful. We had this celebration of marriage in the Outer Banks partially because my mom’s ashes were released there but also because the Outer Banks has always been a place of meaningful, relaxing family time for us. Although we were already legally married, we wanted to share our love story with our families and create a memorable gathering of both our families together as one. (p.s. I may have also always dreamt of wearing a wedding gown down an aisle and seeing the look on my groom’s face)”
“Spending an entire week in a house at the beach with friends and family and ending it with a perfect wedding was a dream come true for both of us. Because we opted for a small DIY wedding, we felt everything was so intimate. We could focus on each other and our commitment.”
“The bouquet was made from broaches and clip on earrings that belonged to my late grandmother, and broaches that my late mom and my Aunt had collected for years in hopes I would get married one day.”
“Something that will also be memorable is the way that the wedding party and their significant others and members our families banded together to make this wedding perfect for Patrick and I. From trailering the LARGE amount of storage totes, to building a bridge to use at the ceremony, to stringing the lights, to setting up the chairs and tables, to cooking us dinners, etc. Everyone eagerly played a part in the the set up and breakdown and everything in between, no questions asked or judgments made.”
“Our vision was to have a soft romantic vintage DIY wedding in the Outer Banks. The travel theme just kind of worked its way in there because of our adventurous personalities.”
“The funniest part of our day was when I sent my brother to pick up the cake and he kept insisting that it did not look like something that I ordered. I was insisting he just bring it anyway and we would fix it somehow. When I saw the picture I died laughing. It was a cake with hot pink and yellow birthday flowers. It looked like a 80’s theme birthday cake and it was missing the cake topper and sugar lace I had supplied. Harris Teeter ended up making a whole new cake for us in an hour and this time it was perfect.”
“Everything we used to decorate and the place settings came from countless thrift stores or was borrowed from friends and family. We snuck in a few personal touches that were between Patrick and I just to make it our own.”
“The backdrop was made originally for Ashley’s wedding and then was borrowed and used for Kristi’s wedding. We hope to just keep passing it down the line of friends.”
“The bouquet holders were old car vases from back in the 1890’s.”
“The cake stand was an old chandelier I dismantled, painted and attached crystal plates to. The kissing bells on the tables were also thrift store finds. Souvenir bells from places we have either been to or places that our families traveled from. The oil lamps were a small fraction of my mom’s collection. The bars were decorated with some really GREAT decanters that I stumbled upon here and there. Some of the doilies and crocheted table clothes were things my mom had made. I could go on and on about all the little vintage details we included. There is just something about vintage and antique items that makes life feel so much more romantic and simple.”
“The song we chose for our introduction was the Philadelphia Eagles fight song which was so much fun! We loved that after dinner, everyone was up out of their seats and we got to spend time with everyone.”
Any advice for future brides + grooms?
“Plan early, stay overly organized, focus on yourself and your lover, pick Revival as your photographer, and remember, on the day of your wedding, things will go wrong.”
Featured Wedding Pros:
Wedding Venue/ Reception/ Lodging: The Black Stallion // Caterer and Desserts: Red Sky Cafe // Flowers: Blooms by the Box, arranged by the bride and her friends and family // Chair rental: Ocean Atlantic Event Rentals // Hair and Makeup: Glimmer Hair and Makeup // Cake: Harris Teeter, Decorations by Etsy shop CakeWorldUSA (flower cake topper) and Etsy shop TheFancyThings (cake lace). Cake topper by bride // Dress Designer: Marisa Bridals // Shoes: INC // Groom Attire: Suit-Studio Suits, BowTie- Etsy shop BartekDesign // Officiant- Steve Baron (friend of the bride and groom) // DJ: Hey DJ // Signs: FoxBairn // Bridesmaid Dresses: Adrianna Papell // Bridesmaid Sleep Shirts: Hanes // Bridesmaid locket jewelry: Etsy shop TheBloomingThread // Brides Hairpiece: Etsy shop HanginByAThread1 // Groomsmen ties: Etsy shop HemmiDesign // Napkins: Etsy shop MemorableWedding // Dissolvable confetti: Etsy shop PlantablesAndPaper // Mothers coordinates necklace: Etsy shop LarkAndJuniper // Mothers compact mirror : Etsy shop MissEngrave