When former wedding industry professional Abby and her love Joe chose Sunset Beach, North Carolina for their nuptials, they couldn’t have guessed that this dreamy location would prove to be the perfect fit in every way… minus an element completely out of their control.

The location first appealed to the couple for sentimental reasons. The bride, Abby, grew up overseas and would visit her family’s home on Sunset Beach frequently. The North Carolina destination always seemed to feel like home to her though, and it was only natural to return “home” to wed the love of her life. When the couple found a local venue, Wrightsville Manor, the stars aligned for Abby.

“I truly fell in love with the venue,” Abby says. “What I loved about it was that it didn’t feel “beachy” at all. We didn’t want a beachy wedding, so this felt like the best of both worlds. I also didn’t want to get married at a venue where I had planned multiple weddings at. This made it more special and felt even more like ‘my’ venue.”

With her prior experience in the wedding industry, Abby also had a list of favored vendors all across North Carolina.

“I put huge value in hiring an amazing wedding team! For example, my florist, photographer, and wedding planner all came from Asheville, NC, and my makeup artist was from Charlotte NC,” the bride says.

Thanks to the help of Verge Events and their other “rockstar” vendors, planning was easy breezy. However, Joe and Abby’s demise came in the form of a natural disaster: Hurricane Dorian. It hit the coast on Thursday, but, luckily, the damage to Wrightsville was minimal. However, the storm caused some BIG issues when it came to guest travel.

“My guests flew in from all over the country and even some from London,” Abby says, “Some flew into Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh and then drove. Others got lucky with their flights. Some chose to arrive early.”

All in all, Abby and Joe count themselves very lucky with how everything turned out despite the setbacks of the hurricane. However, they do highly recommend wedding insurance and a solid vendor team.

“I remember before the wedding it got so stressful that I told the Verge Events team to just make the call themselves on what needed to be done. That is how much I trusted them! Wedding insurance did also save us a ton of money because of the hurricane,” the bride says. “Could not recommend wedding insurance enough if you think something like this could be a possibility.”

In the end, nothing–not even a hurricane–could keep Joe and Abby from having the time of their lives with their loved ones. With perfect weather (on the day of the wedding at least), the couple’s day dripped in gorgeous floral arrangements, gold details and picture-perfect moments but none as momentous as finally getting to say “I do.”

Vendors: Photographer: Shoots The World;  Wedding Planners & Designers: Verge Events; Ceremony/Reception Site: Wrightsville Manor; Florist: Studio Flora Diva; Stationery: Charlie Paper; Caterer: A Thyme Savor; Hair & Makeup: Be Pretty; Gown Designer: Sassi Holford; Bridal Shop: Ladies of Lineage; Groom’s Clothing Designer: Bonobos; Band: PUNCH for EastCoast Entertainment; Ceremony Musicians: Deans Duets for EastCoast Entertainment; Linens: Nuage Designs & BBJ La Tavola; Lighting: Illuminating Events; Cold Fireworks: Ultra Mix Events; Rentals: Cottage Luxe, Party Suppliers and L&L Tent Rentals