How they Met
The bride lived in Greensboro, NC near Jamestown, and the groom hailed from Raleigh, NC, yet they met less than a year ago following a spontaneous invite creating lots of laughter and lengthy conversation at the Carolina Cafe in Cary. After dinner, they decided to explore the grounds and fountain at the Umstead hotel. Their evening became magical, like that of old friends and teenage sweethearts, as they shared their favorite songs together and even sang to each other! Their most cherished moment that made its lasting impact was when they danced to the classic song, “Sway” in the moonlight on a misty evening.
The Proposal
Don proposed to Angelina in the skating rink at the NYC Rockefeller center after only 2 months…& she said Yes! A whirlwind romance ensued and their ability to work as a team became evident through their many travels for kid’s sports, attending to the work and the long-distance drive between them. Angelina had always dreamed of a beach wedding and they decided after looking at the many beaches of NC and of SC, that the Outer Banks was where they wanted to host their special day.
Angelina and Don couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day! The temperature, wind, etc all cooperated for the beauty of the day and for the comfort of their guests. Blue skies with the most incredible cloud art was cast as the background of a sea colored in deep teals to brilliant blues as it showed up dancing onto the light sandy beach.
Crystle was escorted by Steve, Adrienne was escorted by James with our youngest preceding the bride as the Ring bearer. He was carrying a large, white half clamshell holding both rings in an aqua organza bag (for security). He also wore a special sign on his back built just for him that read: “For Heaven’s Sake, Let’s Eat Cake!…Approved by Grandpa”. This brought quite a few chuckles!
The Rev offered a special charge and blessing for the blending their families with the Grandparents in attendance.
Outer Banks Sand Ceremony
The Sand Ceremony included Angelina and Don’s seven (7) wonderful and beautiful children: Laura, AJ, Sean, Bryce, Kaylin, Austin, and Reece. We jointly filled a rustic Lantern with 4 colors of sand (in Blue, Sand, White, and Aqua) with their youngest pouring in crushed shells. It was such a meaningful expression of our joining lives and love that the children especially treasured. They each kept a corked glass bottle to capture a little memory of the OBX.
The Beginning of Happily Ever After…
Following the wedding ceremony’s conclusion, guests stayed to capture photos and to celebrate together as a newly-expanded group of family and friends. Guests who were able to observe from their balconies, cheered for the newlyweds and shouted out their good wishes and sweet compliments (once it was appropriate) which made the celebrations that more merry. Angelina and Don felt that celebrating at the beach felt so natural and liberating and sharing our special day with other sweet beach-lovers was just a happy expanse of sharing the love.
The Reception
Their reception was nothing short of Incredible in every detail, which she expressed “with great thanks to my crew: The amazing staff at Sea Ranch Resort, my mom and dad who designed and provided such special beach and nautical details around the room and to our honored bridesmaids and groomsmen who assisted in the set-up”. She had wanted it to feel warm and simple – ‘more like a welcomed Family Reunion (that you WANT to attend!)’ and that was what occurred.
Catering from The Sea Ranch
The chef at Sea Ranch Resort worked with the bride to create a meal that pleased everyone, aesthetically and gastronomically. Vegans, picky-eaters, children, hungry teens and even chefs within the family were all present and expressed their pleasure and thanks, but most importantly, the bride couldn’t have been happier! She selected our Charcuterie board for appetizers, but also to enhance the Garden salad station and of the Pasta station which boasted both tri-color Tortellini and Rotini pastas with so many sauce, protein and add-in selections for each guest to personalize.
Happily Ever After for Mr. and Mrs. Steichen!
The best part of the reception was the spirit of love and fun that fluidly expressed itself from the moment that the newly-wedded couple and their wedding party were announced into the room to the very end! The bride and groom danced their first dance to the song, “Sway” by Rosemary Clooney…as they had on their very first date that started it all! Of course, what really got the party started was their 8 year old ring bearer and his new cousins who danced about every move possible to the music. No one was able to resist the cuteness and soon, every guest was out there dancing. Families blended in laughter, kindness and great conversation…so much so that the night flew and it was with surprise that everyone realized it was almost 10 pm! The guests flew out to light their sparklers as they celebrated the exit of our newlyweds- Mr. and Mrs. Steichen. The walkway was bright with gold and silver sparkles in the night as everyone hugged and cheered. We celebrated every step with them and made new friends!
Are you interested in having your wedding ceremony, reception, or other event at The Sea Ranch Resort? Head over to our events page to find out more information.
The Sea Ranch Resort is centrally located in the heart of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We are conveniently close to shopping, restaurants, and are oceanfront for your beach experience! We offer pet-friendly accommodations and group rates.