Holly & Joe’s Outer Banks Beach Wedding – 7/30/10 Duck, NC

HOLLY & JOE, July 30, 2010 -

Joe and I met through our friends. I was introduced by a former roommate to an old friend of mine and Joe was his best friend. We dated for three years before getting engaged and it was really a perfect night. Joe and I had just brought home our first puppy. Joe and I had decided to spend the night at home, with the help of his subtle encouragement. We lit a fire and set up some board games. We had played a couple games and as usual I didn’t fair to well. So a bet was placed. If I won a game I would get a nice dinner out. I lost…….no dinner. Then double or nothing. If I won the next game the prize would be a massage, Then triple or nothing. Then I placed the bet that if I won the next game the prize would be a ring. Little did I know….. So with a little help I finally won a game and promptly demanded my prize. Joe reluctantly obliged (acting of course) and went to my jewelry box and found a ring. He took it to me and said, “Here you go.” Totally unimpressed with the prize, I dismissed it and requested Joe try again. So he did and provided another ring from the jewelry box. And again my reaction was less than impressed. I thought that the same thing would happen again should I requested a third time for a ring so I gave up and settled for a glass of wine. But Joe suggested that he could find a ring that would please her so he went to the other room for a third time to retrieve another ring. He returned to the living room one last time and on one knee in front of the fire on a cold February night, presented me with an amazing engagement ring! I did not recognize the ring as I expected to, and finally began to realize what all of the bets and games were about. And that’s when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, and of course I said “YES!”

It was the easiest decision to get married in the Outer Banks, my family has owned a home in Sanderling since the early 80’s and it is truly a home away from home. Every year my family has a get together with over 40 family members and now over four generations. Joe’s family also vacationed in Southern Shores every year during his childhood. It is such an important place in our lives and it couldn’t be more naturally beautiful. We spent approximately a year and a half planning our wedding there. It was such a great experience and all of our vendors were incredible. Cakes by Robin made us a delicious and beautiful cakes, Spa Vogue did all of the make- up and hair for the bridal party, Artz Music & Photography did our ceremony music, our reception music and our photography. Longboards Grill did the catering, Bob Woody did was our efficient and the Embellishers did the flowers.

Our wedding day was perfect, the temperatures had come down and we had a ceremony and reception with the temperatures being in the high 70s with the sun shining down on us. Our ceremony was on the beach in front of my family’s home and the reception was held at the Sanderling Swim and Racquet Club, which was an absolutely exquisite location directly on the sound (and we were the first wedding reception to be held there). There were just enough waves to give us a nice white tops for the backdrop of the ceremony. The sunset from the reception was absolutely gorgeous, especially with the reflection coming off of the sound. We couldn’t have asked for a better day. All of our vendors made the day so perfect and we wouldn’t have changed a thing.

My mom and I attended the Outer Banks Wedding Association Expo in January 2010 and that was the best decision we had made, it was so helpful in the planning process to be able to meet with vendors and see samples of their work all in one place at one time. The only planning hiccups we had were rescheduling appointments due to snow. In Maryland we had to deal with three different blizzards, and then to top it off, two of the trips we took to the beach for planning it was snowing in the Outer Banks. We made it to all of our appointments when it was snowing in the Outer Banks, and although it was a little nerve racking, snow at the beach was a beautiful sight!

Thanks,

Holly and Joe Schaeffer