Proposal on The Pier
What started as a summer fling blossomed into a classic love story. Connor and Carly lived on opposite sides of the country, with Conner from California and Carly from Maryland. They both moved to Wilmington in 2010, and met in 2013. Their lives were changed forever.
Conner and Carly were together five years before they got engaged. He proposed right before Christmas, since he knew that was Carly’s favorite time of year. Conner originally wanted to propose on a picnic at the beach, but rain kept delaying his plans. Finally, he could not wait any longer. The pier was beautifully lit up for Christmas, and it was a quiet weeknight, so they had the whole pier to themselves for the perfect moment.
Planning a NC Beach Wedding
As soon as Conner and Carly got engaged, they started planning the wedding. They both wanted an October wedding, so they chose October 2020, since October 2019 dates at their preferred venue were already booked. Of course, 2020 turn out the way anyone expected. “We never thought this pandemic would be an issue for our fall wedding, but we were wrong,” Carly said. With less than 90 days until the wedding, they had to start from scratch. They went from a wedding with 130 guests to just 35!
“We decided to get married at the beach since that’s where we met all those years ago,” Carly says.
The bride and groom rented a beach house for the reception, and had immediate family stay there for the weekend. “It truly turned out to be the wedding of our dreams and we wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Nicole Kameenui Photography Captures NC Beach Wedding
Conner and Carly booked Nicole Kameenui Photography for both their engagement and wedding day photos. As a destination wedding photographer, Nicole travels everywhere and anywhere to capture the most special wedding details. No matter how intimate or grand your wedding is, Nicole wants to be there to give you photographs that are true to your love story! “Nicole was super affordable and had a great eye,” Carly said.
Simply Elegant NC Beach Wedding Details
Conner and Carly wanted a simple, yet elegant feel to their wedding. They kept the colors neutral, and used the scenery as the theme. Navy blue and greenery complemented the natural beauty of the beach. For a pop of color, Carly placed bright fall colors in her bouquet.
Their beach house rental served as a getting ready location and the backyard served as the reception venue. Carly and Conner’s fur babies, Oliver and Roxy, wore a “best dog” bow tie and white tulle tutu for the celebration.
When asked what her favorite wedding moment was, Carly said it was so hard to choose just one. “The whole weekend was so special and my husband and I say everyday how we wish we could go back and relive that weekend every weekend.”
Your Guide to NC Weddings
Carly used Heart of NC Weddings magazine to jump-start her wedding planning. “I used the magazine as inspiration for design, photo ideas and everything in between! It was one to the first wedding magazines I received and I would look through it for hours on ideas for the perfect wedding.”
Carly’s advises future brides to not sweat the small stuff. “As cliche as it sounds, everything truly works out in the end.” She also says the only thing that matters is you marrying the love of your life and starting a brand new adventure together, and no one can take that away.
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