You can see it now—panoramic views of the ocean and open blue sky during your first kiss as a married couple, dinner overlooking the water with all of your guests as you dance into the night under the stars…

We totally understand the dream of an oceanfront wedding, especially in our beautiful town of Wrightsville Beach, NC.

But it’s important to keep in mind, weddings on a pier take a lot of work and require A LOT of logistic thinking. For a perfect, stress-free day at such a special venue, it takes a dedicated vendor team and the right professionals to manage them. 

PLANNER: Kinsey with Brittanie Raquel Events
VENUE: The Oceanic
BEAUTY: Meraki Beauty
PHOTO/VIDEO: Megan Forbes
FLORALS: Serendipity Florals
RENTALS: Design Perfection, White Birch Rentals,
Perfect Touch Rentals, Martha My Dear, Carolina Refinery
BAND: 8 Past Midnight – Sam Hill Entertainment
CATERING: The Oceanic
LIGHTING: High Performance Lighting

Thankfully, with multiple Oceanic Pier weddings under our belt, we’ve figured out how to create magic and give our couples the iconic coastal wedding experience—you know we don’t do anything less! 

Sarah and Josh wanted the beach from the beginning. They both had a connection to the water, the coast, and Sarah spent many summers out on the Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach shore. The Oceanic, Wrightsville Beach’s own seaside restaurant on the Crystal pier, was the perfect place for them to get married. It had enough room to fit all their guests while getting them as close to the water as possible.  

The Oceanic is a beautiful venue located on the oceanside shore of Wrightsville Beach. Not only is it a fully functioning restaurant, but it is also available as an event space that just happens to be connected to the 1,000 ft-long Crystal Pier. 

When they came to us with their venue, date, and a few of their vendors secured, we got to the planning that pulled everything together. 

Sarah and Josh wanted to lean into the coastal location with their design, especially since most of their guests were traveling into town for the wedding. It’s always fun for us to plan a “destination” wedding where we live! 

The ceremony was held on the end of the pier under the chuppah surrounded by the blue ocean, and then guests were invited back towards the beginning of the pier for the cocktail hour for signature cocktails and passed appetizers.

We created a romantic environment with white draping around the columns that caught the wind, rattan chandeliers and market lights to elevate the space and provide light at night, light rattan chairs and tables with floral bud vases and candles (don’t forget they need to be LED to stay lit in the wind and prevent a fire hazard!), and high top tables to encourage group gathering.

The main focal point of the space was a gorgeous floral hanging installation over their black and white checkered dance floor. We love this combination because of how much that space will be featured in the guest experience and in photos–it’s worth prioritizing versus less trafficked areas of the space! 

It was a fun night to show off the beauty of Wrightsville to all of those who traveled into town! 

If you are dreaming of an Oceanic Pier wedding (or even just a wedding on the coast of North Carolina) here are some things you should consider as you begin your planning process.

You will have to plan for wind and weather.

This goes for pretty much every venue but especially the beach. Most people know to expect a breeze by the ocean but the majority of times, since it’s the pier, there will be actual wind. 

We always recommend clear sidewalls around the covered area, at least on the side that the wind is coming from, to keep peace of mind when it comes to rain, wind, or any general coastal weather. 

Pier weddings can push a budget. 

There are lots of specialty costs with rentals of the venue, seating, tables and more. Because of its location and it being a restaurant (AKA: everything for a Saturday wedding needs to be cleared away for Sunday brunch) means that there are a lot of premium costs for labor. 

All of the chairs for the ceremony and the reception will need to be rented, delivered, set up, and broken down if you don’t want to use the chairs provided by the Oceanic or your venue. Those tables will also need linens and centerpieces. 

No one expects you to know this before you start planning which is why you should talk with a planner before you commit to a pier wedding to make sure your budget can meet your expectations. 

We want you to have everything on your list, but we want to make sure you know how much everything costs, which is why BRE has begun offering Budget Management Services to partial planning clients to help make sure your budget is being allocated well to give you the day you want in a way you can afford so you don’t under up underestimating.

Planners are here for you. Everyone who works for Brittanie Raquel Events values and actively anticipates needs before you even know you need them. We arrange holds on tents, plan for clear sidewalls to cut the ever-present wind on the beach, and light your tables with LED candles because real flames are a disaster waiting to happen when you are partying on a wooden pier, and they barely stay lit against the wind – and if all else fails we’ll jump in to hang the tarps to keep the band from getting wet so they can keep playing (yes, this actually happened!). 

We know where and how to cut costs, so you can spend money on the things that really matter, and we know what logistical things are non-negotiable for you to fully enjoy your day (and not run into any additional fees for not reading through contracts fully).

Want to work with a team that is dedicated and knows what it takes? You know where to find us.