Chadd + Val’s Tropical Waterfront Wedding

Chadd and Val said I do at Herrington on the Bay, which they reimagined into a private tropical paradise. Read more on their special day including photos from their wedding on the Polynesian Lawn and Paradise Ballroom reception.

How They Met

The couple met at a coffee shop back in high school through mutual friends. It wasn’t long after that they went on their first date. In 2009, Chadd asked Val to be his girlfriend at the beach, their favorite place.

Eight years later, he finally popped the official question, again on the beach!

The Engagement Story

Val and Chadd both love the beach, so naturally Chadd knew he wanted to propose there. While there were some difficulties in the proposal set-up, it all came together. As Val went to join Chadd on the beach after a day out shopping, she had no idea what was in store for her. He greeted her at the end of the dunes and took her hand. He led Val down a candle-lit path and at the end of the pathway, there was a heart outlined with more candles and a bouquet of roses. The moment she realized what was happening, she burst into tears and of course said yes to Chadd!

Wedding Planning Process

All along, this couple knew they wanted Herrington on the Bay as their venue. After initially inquiring online, Val met Brittany who became their event coordinator and Adria who was their “day of” coordinator.

“The great thing about Herrington was that I didn’t stress about a single thing and everything went so smoothly on my big day.” – Val

For their outside vendors, the couple used The Knot Wedding Planner to complete the tasks of finding vendors, completing payments, and giving them a timeline of when to send save the dates and invites.

Big Day Recap

Although many tears were shed from the prospect of hurricane Florence potentially causing a rainy wedding day, at some point during the afternoon, the sun decided to come out for a beautiful ceremony!

The most memorable moment though came during the main ceremony. Early in 2018, Val’s grandmother passed away and as the only granddaughter, she was given all of her jewelry including her wedding band. As it turns out, Chadd actually had her grandmother’s real wedding band. During the exchange of rings, he surprised Val with it so she would always have a piece of her grandmother, especially on the special day.

What about the details?

This bride thought she had all her details set but then discovered that finding a florist that wasn’t overwhelmed with their tropical theme would be harder than expected. A friend recommended Ann’s Garden and after the initial consultation, she knew they could make her vision come to life. When the flowers arrived, Val was absolutely speechless!

What wedding advice do you have for other couples?

There are four pieces of advice this couple has to share with couples planning their wedding.

1. Get a timeline! As this bride explains, “If it wasn’t for Herrington and The Knot Wedding app keeping me on track, I would have had no idea when things were to be completed.”
2. Turn to your married friends for advice. After all, Val says, they’ve been through it before.
3. Don’t stress about the weather. Although for this couple, there was a hurricane in the forecast! Val says couples should take that stress and channel it towards gratefulness for all that have gathered for your special day.
4. Don’t forget to take it all in.

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