Getting Married on the Outer Banks, NC
Your Outer Banks Wedding
The Outer Banks of North Carolina has quickly become a top location for a destination wedding. For some, the experience is a combination of being married in a special place entwined with a time of vacation and play with family and guests. For others, it is the beautiful scenery of being married along the oceanfront, at a sound front home, at a favorite lighthouse or historic attraction.
There are thousands of weddings on North Carolina’s Outer Banks each year. An annual Outer Banks Wedding Association Expo weekend in early January highlights over 170 vendors which provide the many services necessary for the perfect wedding experience.
Those who are not familiar with the Outer Banks should consider a wedding coordinator who lives and is familiar with local government regulations and who has the business contacts to ensure a perfect event. A list of wedding consultants and service providers can be found in the chamber’s on-line business directory, on the Outer Banks Wedding Associations's website, www.obxbrides.com, www.outerbanksweddingguide.com and www.obxweddingnetwork.com
NC Marriage License Information:
Things You Will Need In Order To Obtain a Marriage License:
Both bride and groom must present identification. Please review the Identification requirements which may vary per age available at http://www.darenc.com/deeds/marriage.asp or http://www.co.currituck.nc.us/Marriage-License-Frequently-Asked-Questions.cfm.
1. Marriage License:
a) The license is good immediately upon issuance and is valid for 60 days. You can get your license in any county in the state of North Carolina and get married anywhere in the state of North Carolina, but it is very important to return the marriage license to the issuing county within 10 days after the marriage ceremony. The fee for the marriage license is $60.00. (Cash, checks, or money orders are accepted at most facilities but verify)
There are no justices of the peace in North Carolina.
For the complete set of rules or to contact a magistrate:
*Dare County http://www.darenc.com/deeds/marriage.asp or (252)475-5970. If you plan to be married by a Magistrate, please contact Dare County at 252-475-9228 or Currituck County at 252-232-3404 for information regarding the office hours and other information regarding the ceremony and fees.
Dare County also offers a Marriage Kiosk: http://107.20.174.44/darencnw/marriageentry.asp
*Currituck County http://www.co.currituck.nc.us/Marriage-License-Frequently-Asked-Questions.cfm or (252)232-3297.
*Ocracoke Island www.hyderod.com/ or (252)926-4198.
There must be 2 witnesses to any ceremony whether it is civil or religious.
The job of your officiant, minister or magistrate is to sign your marriage license and return it to the location in which you received it. This is the official record of your marriage. Certified copies can be obtained from the Register of Deeds office.
There are several spectacular places on the Outer Banks to get married or “pop the question”. In addition to a traditional church wedding, other people have used some of these notable places:
On Roanoke Island: The Elizabethan Gardens, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island, Manteo Waterfront, Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, sound front housing communities
The North Beaches of Duck & Corolla: Whalehead in Historic Corolla, The Currituck Lighthouse, large oceanfront homes, a vineyard, hotels and resorts, The Duck Town Park
Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk: The sunset on Jockeys Ridge State Park, an airplane from the Wright Brothers Memorial, a pier, a gazebo, aboard a large boat or yacht, or at an oceanfront rental home
Hatteras & Ocracoke Islands: Pea Island Refuge, Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station, Salvo Day Use Area, Haul Over/Canadian Hole, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, Ocracoke Lighthouse, Springer's Point, sound front housing communities, large oceanfront homes & hotels, a pier, a gazebo, aboard a large boat or yacht
*The National Park Service can be contacted at 252-473-2111 for beach permits & fees where it may apply.
Need additional information, call our chamber office at (252)441-8144. 8:30 am – 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday.
Photo Courtesy of Coastal Shots and Roanoke Island Festival Park
