Leandra + Walter | Featured in Outer Banks Weddings Magazine

“We didn’t have a strong wedding style or inspiration. We only wanted to amplify the architecture of The Chesapeake. We purchased string lights and neon signs to spice up the dance floor, and live cat palms and monstera plants, bought from the North Carolina State Farmers Public Market in Raleigh, placed throughout the outdoor space to add color. We also worked with Renee Landry to add vases of palms at each table for the Reception, and she created backdrop ceremony decor in place of an alter that felt like an explosion of palms.”

“My husband, Walter, and I both grew up in the Northeast, and throughout our childhood, we travelled each summer to the Outer Banks for our annual family vacations. His family rented often in Duck, and my family ventured south to Hatteras Island. The first time we met in college, Walter was even wearing a bright yellow OBX t-shirt, purchased during his visit to the Outer Banks the year before. This shirt sparked our first conversation, establishing our common histories of vacationing in the OBX. We began dating soon after this first meet. After nine years together, we didn’t feel the need for a traditional wedding. We weren’t starting our lives together as a married couple on our wedding day; our life as a team began years before! We wanted a wedding that was more focused on re-connecting with family and friends post-pandemic, and in a place very dear to us and our families. We chose The Chesapeake in Carova to host our Wedding Week and invited most of our guests to stay on location for the week. The remaining guests rented houses close by so we could easily sit by the beach together, catch up, and marvel at the wild horses ever present on the 4×4 beaches. It was an incredible week that went by too fast!”