Baltrum

Can I get married on the beach of a vacation rental?

My sister is planning on getting married on one of the beaches on the southern coast of NC. She's thinking Bald Head Island, which I think is also close to some other beach towns, but is open to other beach locations. She wants the ceremony to be really simple, just a small ceremony on the beach (we're bringing a couple beach chairs for the grandparents), but no big area or anything like that. We're trying to keep the cost down, so I was thinking we could rent a vacation home that's on the beach and use the area between the house and the beach for the wedding. Is that allowed, or do we need a permit from the city? Does it make a difference if the property is private or not? Also, any suggestions on good beaches around that area? Thanks so much for the help!

Public Comments

1. You're going to have to check with the local regulations in the area. If you just have an impromptu wedding on the beach, you can't keep the other beach-goers from walking through, making noise, etc. It can be distracting. You need to be able to rope off an area to keep it private, and you'd need permission to do that.
2. Sounds like a fantastic idea! There are two things to consider here: 1) Do the local laws/bylaws/regulations permit such a thing? 2) If yes, would the owner of the vacation home be OK with it? First of all, you'll have to decide where it is you want to go for your wedding. If you are definitely interested in a vacation rental, try Owner Direct Vacation Rentals. I've been using them for years, and have never had any bad experiences. They have lots to choose from in North Carolina here: http://www.ownerdirect.com/lodging/usa/northcarolina/northcarolina.htm Once you've sourced your location, Owner Direct will put you in touch with the owner of the home, and you can easily ask them, as they'll probably know what's allowed and what isn't. Hope everything works out just as you want it to! :)