Thinking about a destination wedding for the big day? If you're looking to combine a getaway weekend (or during the week might also be the answer!) to your wedding festivities, a destination wedding within driving distance of Alexandria is a good option.
Planning a wedding? Join us Sunday, April 10 at the Alexandria Wedding Showcase! Representatives from The Sanderling will be on hand to answer your questions.
Due to the ongoing ups and downs of the pandemic and a preference among many couples for more intimate events, micro-weddings are still a big trend. Instead of holding one large wedding in your hometown, a destination wedding offers the chance to hold a multi-day event for a smaller group. We found a variety of choices where you can tie the knot, not too far from home:
Beachy Wedding: The Sanderling
Photo courtesy of The Sanderling
A couple seals it with a kiss at a beachside wedding at The Sanderling in the Outer Banks.
1461 Duck Road, Duck, N.C./4.5-hour drive
Dreaming of a beach wedding? You don't have to fly to the Caribbean for that ocean view. In the Outer Banks, at The Sanderling in Duck, N.C., couples can get married beachside, on the property's "event lawn" or on an observation deck overlooking the ocean.
Named for the little sandpiper bird that zips to and fro between the lapping ocean waves, The Sanderling is a relaxing and luxurious option for a beach wedding. The elegant resort offers several restaurants and pools just steps from the beach all in an upscale, family-friendly setting.
If rain is in the forecast, the resort’s "event house" is a good alternative for your wedding, offering a top-floor view of the ocean. Another option available at The Sanderling is a beach house wedding — the resort offers five different beach houses adjacent to the resort with access to all amenities at the resort. Located on land set between Currituck Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, the resort offers amazing sunrises and sunsets, perfect for wedding ceremony photos. On the sound side, a gazebo on the water offers a romantic setting for sunset photos.
Also on the sound side, you'll find another reception event space, a full-service spa and hair salon where wedding parties can get manicures, pedicures and hair styled to perfection for the big day.
Next door is Kimball's Kitchen, the resort's fine-dining restaurant with floor-to-ceiling glass windows that look out on the sound. The space can be rented out for weddings during the off season and when it's closed for regular business.
Don't forget to ask for The Sanderling's trademark bride 'n groom rubber ducks as a memento of your wedding. If you want to go totally "ducky," consider a Duck Donuts wall — yes, a wall of donuts — at your reception. The company, which has a store in Alexandria’s Bradlee Shopping Center, got its start in Duck, N.C. in 2007.
Urban Romance: The Ivy Hotel
Photo by Nikki Senterre
The Ivy in Baltimore offers a luxurious, intimate setting for a destination wedding.
205 E. Biddle St. Baltimore, Md./1.5-hour drive
This stylish and historic 19th-century mansion in Baltimore is a sumptuous choice for a destination wedding for a group of up to 60 guests. The only Relais & Chateaux property in Maryland offers a variety of cozy indoor (The Library, the Music Room), and charming outdoor spots for a wedding ceremony, reception, rehearsal dinner and more.
You’ll have plenty of options under one roof, not to mention a fine dining restaurant, Magdalena, on the premises that offers private spaces for your group.
If you’re also looking for a venue for pre-wedding events, consider The Ivy’s billiard room for a bachelor party or the gorgeous living room for a bridesmaids tea party. The most spectacular spot is a chic ivy-covered courtyard, adjacent to a private brick-walled wine cellar. The mansion features stained glass windows, suites with canopy beds and count ’em…23 fireplaces. Not ready to plan that wedding quite yet? This romantic spot is a perfect choice for the beginning of your love story!
Virginia Countryside: The Tides Inn
Photo courtesy of The Tides Inn
A couple celebrates their big day at The Tides Inn in Irvington, Va.
480 King Carter Dr. Irvington, Va./2.5-hour drive
Surrounded by water, The Tides Inn opened for the season on March 1, celebrating its 75th year as a relaxing getaway for families and couples in the Northern Neck. The inn opened its doors in 1947, when a couple purchased 25 acres overlooking Carter’s Creek, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay.
Today The Tides Inn is owned and operated by Enchantment Group, offering a lot of amenities for a wedding couple and their guests, including a full-service spa, fitness center, tennis, paddle-boarding, golfing at the Golden Eagle Golf Club, bike rentals, sailing, sunset rides on the hotel’s electric Duffy boats and dining at Chesapeake Restaurant & Terrace offering waterfront views. The casual Fish Hawk Oyster Bar is located adjacent to the pool.
For proposals, weddings, bridesmaid lunches, rehearsal dinners, farewell brunches and more, the Tides Inn location offers expansive lawns on tree-shaded grounds all surrounded by water. It’s a relaxing and scenic spot for romantic ceremonies and celebrations. As one bride described her wedding weekend, the resort is “elegant but yet not overly fancy.”
Historic Hospitality: Williamsburg Inn
Photo by Buz Nachlas
Opened in 1937, the Williamsburg Inn has once again this year earned a five-star award from Forbes Travel Guide.
136 Francis St. E, Williamsburg, Va./2.5-hour drive
The late great actress Betty White was a fan of the Williamsburg Inn. And no wonder. The 2021 Forbes Travel Guide Star Rating list featured the Williamsburg Inn for the fourth year earning the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award. The inn was opened in 1937 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. as Colonial Williamsburg was being restored to its 18th-century era, thanks to his financing.
Colonial Williamsburg also offers services and amenities guaranteed to help couples throughout the wedding planning process. From setup and cleanup to the use of a bridal suite, they offer it all. Their dedicated special events team will help plan and execute every element, curating couples’ dream bridal shower, engagement party, ceremony or reception. Did we mention they offer horse and carriage rides for your big day?
Couples can also rent event items from the luxury hotel, including chairs, tables, centerpieces, decor, furniture and tents. Colonial Williamsburg can additionally rent out drapery, audio equipment, lighting, aisle runners, chair covers and tent accessories. Couples can take advantage of the venue’s pastry chefs and floral designers who can add thoughtful, personalized touches to each occasion that will showcase couples’ unique sense of style.
There are plenty of activities and amenities for guests including a 20,000-square foot spa, golfing at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club and historic sightseeing within walking distance.
Destination Wedding Tips from the Pros
- If you are planning your wedding during your preferred destination’s “high season,” weekends or typical vacation months, try to reserve your wedding a year out.
- If you can hold your wedding mid-week, you'll get more bang for your buck. (As the saying goes in many holiday locales, "Every day is Saturday.”)
- If you choose a time when you’ll be sharing your destination with flocks of tourists, encourage guests to arrive a day ahead of time.
- Be prepared to be flexible if the weather forecast changes; you may have to move that waterside wedding indoors.
- Food and alcohol shortages due to the pandemic might mean you won't get a specific wine, alcohol or dish for your guests. Let it go!
- It goes without saying: Book all vendors in advance. Don't wing it after you arrive.
- If the property doesn't handle your wedding from A to Z, ask for a list of preferred vendors so there are no surprises.
- Use a local wedding planner if possible.
- Try to visit the property in advance, especially if it’s within driving distance.
- If you're getting married on the beach, rethink that puffy "Cinderella" gown and go with simple, flowing and elegant. And ditch your shoes — go barefoot!
- Hairstyles on the beach tend toward long “beachy” waves or simple up-dos.
- Flowers for outdoor weddings especially near the ocean lean to rustic, bohemian looks with sprigs of pampas grass, sea shells and light pinks and peaches.
