Off-Season and Weekday Weddings Offer an Economical Alternative

As the Outer Banks becomes more and more popular as a wedding destination, most brides-to-be choose autumn and spring for their wedding dates. The weather is delightful during these times of year, and the rates are often lower than during the busy summer travel season.

Coupled with the traditional choice of weekend days for the ceremony, Saturdays and Sundays in September, October, April and May are busy with the bustle of weddings and receptions on the Outer Banks. However, many wedding planners are considering alternative seasons and days for weddings on the Outer Banks for reasons of convenience and economics.

Many brides have discovered that a winter wedding on the Outer Banks can be as beautiful as one during other times of the year.

• The climate is temperate year-round, influenced by the moderating waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Despite the occasional winter storm, sunny, clear cool days are more the norm than the exception. Although a wedding on the beach may be prohibitive, the usually clear weather makes for beautiful outdoor wedding portraits.

• Although rare, hurricanes can threaten the Outer Banks during the autumn. Some weddings have been canceled or postponed due to ominous autumn weather.

• The selection of wedding vendors is greater during the off-season. From the first of September through the end of October and again in the spring, most wedding vendors are booked solid with weddings every weekend, some with three or four a day. In the winter, availability is not an issue.

• Accommodation rates are much lower during the off-season. Outer Banks rental home and hotel rates peak in July. But after November 1 before Memorial Day, they are often half of their peak season rate.

• Due to the overall popularity of the Outer Banks, indoor ceremony and reception sites are becoming more numerous. Although usually booked or crowded nine months out of the year, in the off-season restaurants, club houses, chapels, and large rental homes are more likely to be available-and at an economic price.

If you have your heart set on an Autumn or spring wedding on the Outer Banks (and most brides do!), but you find that vendor availability is an issue, we suggest considering a weekday event. Weddings during the week afford many of the same advantages as off-seasons weddings:

• Vendors are more likely to be available and rental and hotel rates are generally lower.

• The vacation rental home market operates on a weekend-to-weekend rental period on the Outer Banks, sometimes causing traffic headaches on Saturdays and Sundays. By choosing a weekday, you avoid possible snafus due to crowded roads.

• Although you may decide to rent a weekly vacation home for your family or weeding party, by having a weekday wedding, the rental home can double as an intimate honeymoon suite for the rest of the week once the wedding party has departed.

Autumn and spring weddings will always be popular on the Outer Banks. But for the bride-to-be who has an eye on convenience and economy, weekday and off-season weddings can be just as beautiful and successful.