3 Keys to Finding Your OBX Wedding Vendors

It’s totally crucial that you find professional vendors that will be a perfect fit for you and your wedding day. You don’t get that day back, so doing everything you can to make sure it’s something you’ll treasure will depend on ‘who’ pulls it off for you. Whether you need 20 vendors or 2, it can’t be overstated that they will have a huge impact on the success of the day.

So where do you even start? A Google search can be like drinking from a fire hydrant, and plus, who can you really trust? Well, like finding anything important, it helps to look in the right places. In this case, looking in the right places means using the top 3 most successful resources. And here they are…

THE #1 KEY resource to finding trusted and professional Outer Banks wedding vendors is OBWA, the Outer Banks Wedding Association. Why is this the #1 key resource? Because it’s a local organization that’s been around for decades, helping couples like you find vetted vendors who keep the professional bar very high. A vendor has to be approved and be local to the Outer Banks in order to be a part of the OBWA family. No one ‘gets’ OBX weddings better than OBWA, and they genuinely care how you are taken care of. You’ll find your vendor treasure on their website; everything from Photographers and Planners to Venues and Trolleys. There is good reason why they are the #1 Key Resource, so take a look and start securing your prefect vendor team today. obxwa.com 

THE #2 KEY resource to finding your OBX wedding vendors is none other than the amazing WeddingWire. There are many other national wedding sites, but none of them understand the Outer Banks nearly as well as WeddingWire. Very user-friendly website where you’ll find vendor categories with featured vendors who will take great care of you. One of the reasons WeddingWire has become such a key resource for the North Carolina barrier islands is because of the ‘Reviews’ feature. WeddingWire has become the premiere place where couples go to read vendor reviews, and they will be like gold for you as well. WeddingWire offers a variety of services, so be sure to use them in your wedding arsenal. weddingwire.com 

(photo by Matt Lusk Photography)

THE #3 KEY resource to finding your Outer Banks vendors is your wedding Planner. Yes, your Planner is a vendor, too, but since you found and secured her through OBWA or WeddingWire, she now becomes your ‘go to’ resource for filling in all the vendor areas you need. Because of the relationship you have now built together, she understands who and what will fit you best and can make those personal suggestions that a website just can’t do. She knows the local vendors because she’s local, too. She has watched and worked with all the OBX vendors you have been looking at on OBWA and WeddingWire. It’s so nice to talk with someone who’s been there and can guide you to professionals who will absolutely treat you and your guests with excellence. It could be argued that the Planner should be the #1 KEY resource on this list, but you had to take steps to find her, too. Many couples who get married on the Outer Banks do not use a Planner, but hear this clearly…”The best financial investment you can make in your wedding journey is to find and hire a really good, local wedding Planner.” It’s true. It’s really true.

*** This article on ‘The 3 Keys’ was written by Rev. Jay Bowman; a local Outer Banks wedding officiant for over 16 years.