Sanderling Resort

of our guests raved over it. Many of our guests stayed at the resort over the weekend and could not get over how nice it was. I would definitely recommend The Sanderling as a wedding venue and we plan to go back to stay for a few nights again as soon as possible.

ch wedding. The elopement package that I chose was perfect for the small, intimate wedding I was wanting. The vendors for my cake, flowers, and decor that I was set up did a wonderful job and were able to match my vision. The food provided for my wedding by the resort was also very good. Overall I had a great experience and highly recommend choosing the Sanderling!

at the Sanderling: our rehearsal dinner and wedding (including ceremony & reception). The venue alone is a lovely backdrop with gorgeous facilities and well equipped to handle anything you could possibly dream of- but you also get INCREDIBLE people. Our wedding planner, Taylor, was absolutely fabulous. She made wedding planning a breeze and during crunch time the week before the wedding with many unplanned obstacles she kept her cool- or rather the cool of everybody-and solved every little issue that came up- with a calming smile on her face. Taylor not only excelled at the more expected wedding planner roles, but she went way above and beyond with her thoughtfulness and attention to detail. Her thoughtfulness helped create a very touching moment between me and my godfather at the rehearsal dinner. The day of the wedding we had a delay with the transportation and she quickly addressed the issue and the ceremony still started almost exactly on time and the rest of the evening went off without a hitch. At a meeting with Taylor a couple months before the wedding she assured me I would be able to eat, drink and dance at my own wedding. Admittedly, I was a little doubtful as I had so many warnings from other brides that you just don't have time between visiting with guests and performing all the wedding "duties" i.e. cake cutting etc. Well, I did ALL of those things to my heart's desire as Taylor as created a seamless timeline that allowed my husband and I to literally have the night of our lives. There isn't near enough space here to describe all the wonderful things about the Sanderling- but everything: the place, the STAFF (best bartenders, waiters & support staff ever!!), the food (THANKS CHEF!!)... all top notch!

experienced a major family crisis the day before the wedding, Debbie was there to make sure I was doing alright, and everything still went off without a hitch! You can't beat the food, and the sunsets are absolutely breathtaking. Would give it 6 stars if I could!!

cial, more well-organized, or more thoughtful. From the beginning, our wedding coordinator Taylor (and her assistant Kristin) was so incredibly helpful and accessible. She was SUPER responsive to every phone call, email, or general question and always had time to chat and offer creative input with a positive attitude. The facility itself is GORGEOUS! We were married on the North Beach (toes in the sand and everything) and then had our cocktail hour and reception in the Event House/Deck. It was the perfect amount of space for us-we had about 70 people and we comfortably filled the Event House dining space. The banquet staff and bartender were lovely and the food was phenomenal!! I've never heard so many compliments at a wedding about the food! One of the best things we did was offer our guests a signature cocktail as they came down to the ceremony and the resort was completely accommodating with helping us do that. I recommend planning a sort of "after-party" for your wedding guests since everything at the resort pretty much shuts down around 10pm (due to a sound ordinance). We reserved space at the No. 5 Bar & Lounge above the Lifesaving Station right on the property and it stayed open till about 2am.....definitely a great post-game spot for the true night owls! I really can't say enough about the Sanderling. My family and I have gone there throughout the years and have always loved it but now it holds an even more special place in our hearts! Please seriously consider the resort as a wedding venue location in the Outer Banks. And if you have the pleasure of working with Taylor, then your experience will be that much more wonderful. :)

stress free the weekend was for them and I owe a lot of that to Taylor and her awesome team. She was open to any of my suggestions and made the planning process and weekend of so smooth. If you're looking at the Outer Banks, you already know the location is gorgeous. You choose Sanderling because of the excellent service, great food, and fabulous sunsets.

short of phenomenal. We had the pleasure of working with their event coordinator, Taylor, who made every aspect of our event flow seamlessly. There is no one else who we would rather have collaborated with in planning our special day. The entire Sanderling staff goes so far beyond to ensure that your entire party has the best experience in every aspect of their stay. If we started listing examples, this review would never end. Our guests loved that the resort had everything that they needed in one convenient location, rooms, pool, beach, spa, gym, and several restaurants. Many of our guests were first time visitors to the Outer Banks and due to their experience at the Sanderling we have been told by many, that it will not be their last.

deal with, and, quite honestly, worked miracles making her beach wedding happen in spite of Hurricane Matthew! It was an amazing experience. Family and friends are still talking about how wonderful The Sanderling Resort is, and how this wedding was the best one ever attended. I wouldn't change a thing. Best memories ever...

with me and talk about my wedding vision and how we would achieve it. I hadn't visited any other venues, and I no longer wanted to. I was completely sold! Professional, detail-oritented, kind, caring, organized...they were the whole package and more. She consistently remained in contact with me, and I still felt comfortable being 8 hours away from our venue. She and others were extremely patient with my indecisiveness and weekly questions, which she answered quickly. Her ability to talk me through each stage of the wedding process and especially all of words of encouragement on the day of my wedding and before I walked down the aisle will always be remembered. Initially my parents felt some sticker-shock, but on the day-of and once everything was complete, they were over the moon with happiness of how everything (every single thing imaginable) was taken care of with such grace, knowledge, and preciseness, and we wouldn't have changed a thing. My mother continues to comment on what a blessing it was to have her as a wedding coordinator, and that the level they work at is unmatched. It truly is amazing what she and her Sanderling team accomplishes, and I highly recommend them as a venue for any celebration or wedding. THE absolute best!!

personal to us that reflected our personalities. The resort and location are beautiful and elegant, but still relaxed. Working with a venue that had an on-site caterer made the planning process simple, and the food was outstanding. We did a Mexican themed rehearsal dinner and a modern Southern-themed wedding dinner, both menus were delicious (and we're picky about opinionated about food) and personalized for us. All of the recommended vendors we worked with were fantastic from Renee Landry Events, to Great Cakes and Club Violin. We loved having all of our guests and all of the wedding events (rehearsal dinner, wedding, brunch) at the same place. It made everything easy and maximized our time with our friends and family. I can't recommend The Sanderling highly enough.

ed the location. We booked the venue before I had a chance to visit. Months later at their annual wedding showcase, I was blown away by the beauty of the resort, friendly staff, and delicious food! Once we got to planning, Debbie Norris was the best! She was so patient and responsive to all of our e-mails, even responding once when she was boarding a plane. I'm convinced she doesn't take time off and is always working hard for her couples! The planning process couldn’t have gone more smoothly, especially from across the country. On our wedding day, everything was beyond perfect. We had dropped some things off at the venue with the intent to set up, but Debbie took care of it all! Everything looked better than we could have imagined. If we could plan the wedding over (and I wish we could), we wouldn't do one thing differently. We are so thankful for Debbie and the Sanderling team! We can't wait to make more memories there in the future!

tforward, honest and was willing to work with my daughter to make this the special day she dreamed about. We booked the date and venue and this became the most wonderful, least stressful wedding on the planet. Debbie worked with Tracy to select colors, menu, etc. Once the details were finalized, there was little else to plan for other than selecting home rentals at Duck for the various families attending the wedding. Wedding Day dawned with rain blowing sideways and a chill in the air even though it was June. Debbie called first thing in the morning and walked us through 3 different game plans, depending on what the weather continued to do. Luckily, Tracy and Chris were able to be married on the beach, with blue sky and sunlight in the late afternoon. On to the reception, which was outstanding on every level. The hors d'oerves were excellent as was every aspect of the meal. The wedding cake was perfect for a beach wedding and Debbie added a lot of wonderful touches to the decorations, flowers, etc. We enjoyed sitting outside listening to the ocean and later enjoyed a bon fire with after dinner drinks. It was a magical evening for everyone who came to celebrate with us. And, while our wedding group was on the smaller side, Debbie and all the Sanderling staff made us feel like we were the most important wedding they'd ever done. I can't recommend Debbie Norris, the Sanderling staff and the venue enough if you are looking for a top notch wedding location and experience that is still on the more reasonable side.

things would go wrong on my wedding day and I'd just have to take that in stride. As a bit of a perfectionist, that was a hard pill to swallow and I kept preparing myself for things to go wrong but the magic of working with the Sanderling is that they never did. I worked with an amazing planner on staff there. Debbie was an absolute dream. Whenever I had a question, she had a quick response with an answer. She's worked with so many vendors on the island, so she's established relationships with every single one of them. This helps a ton in the final days when everything is coming together. The staff at the Sanderling is truly professional, and they will take care of your friends and family as if they are your own. Debbie's enthusiasm for my wedding was genuine and helped me feel even more enthusiastic about my big day (even when I was a ball of nerves!) I would highly recommend attending their wedding showcase, which they put on for all couples getting married at the Sanderling. Not only will it give you a sense of the quality of service and food (which was MINDBLOWINGLY DELICIOUS) but it gives you a sense of how that would work for a wedding of 100+ people. I think we were all sold when we realized that the food didn't taste like bland wedding food, it was restaurant quality and a nice restaurant at that! For our wedding, we opted for stations - which gave our guests the choice of mixing and matching their own selections. The food at our wedding received rave reviews (and yes, even as the bride and groom we got to eat - our coordinator made sure of that). The venue itself is one of a kind. The pavilion is the perfect space to transform into your dream venue, it's a big open room with a beautiful view of the Currituck sound. You can be married on the beach, showcasing the beautiful Atlantic ocean, and have your guests see the sunset during dinner over on the sound side in the pavilion. I think every single one of our guests marveled at the sunset the night of our wedding. Plus, the Sanderling has so many touches they are willing to add to make your big day that much more special. I think my husband had some reservations about essentially having our wedding and reception at a hotel, but the Sanderling never felt like a hotel. It felt more like a home for our closest friends and family. I would highly, highly recommend the Sanderling to anyone who is considering having a wedding on the Outer Banks - or just getting married period. You won't regret it! My only regret is that our wedding is over!

y taken care of. My husband and I can't stop talking about how perfect everything was. We also loved our bartender from the Rehearsal Dinner at Keeper's Loft to the reception at the Event Deck/House. Thanks again to the Sanderling and most importantly to Debbie!!

s were stunning. More importantly, even, the entire resort staff was super friendly and accomodating. Miguel helped us with our bags at check-in and check-out, and he even remembered we'd been married th day prior and congratulated us! The little things were all there and the entire weekend was spectacular. 10/10 would recommend to any bride whose heart is set on getting married at the beach.

to finish. With only 2 months to plan, she helped us navigate the wedding planning and made it stress-free. I never realized the importance behind having someone help the day run smoothly until Taylor did just that. The Sanderling was also like no other; peaceful and serene. Our suite had ocean to sound views and they went above and beyond to fulfill every request. I couldn't have imagined a better wedding/resort experience and can't wait to come back for our one-year anniversary. Thank you Taylor & The Sanderling! -Sarah & Max

was perfect and picturesque, and the reception was first class. The food and service was outstanding and our guests went wild for the Bacon Bar. If you are looking to plan an OBX wedding, get in touch with Debbie Norris. She made life easy on us and was with us from planning through the ceremony and until the last guest left the reception. Her recommendations for vendors were exceptional. Being out-of-towners we could not have pulled off our incredible wedding day without Debbie.

eryone to expirence the wonderful staff and beautiful accommodation of the Sandling Resort!!!!

r assistant. They both went over and beyond to make sure we had the perfect wedding. Debbie is very experienced in her profession and we felt very comfortable with her making any decisions, changes that were in our best interest. Debbie works very well with other vendors, keeping them updated with changes, itineraries etc. We love that she is a risk taker and allowed us to get married outside when weather was in question, and most all made it possible for our two dogs to be a part of our wedding! I am one with a type A personality and likes to be in control, and for one of the first times in my life had no reservation with her taking the lead. For any future brides looking for a magical place...this is a sure thing and any bride would be lucky to have Debbie make it all so to the best of her ability!

d remember fondly. Without a doubt, the Sanderling is the premier wedding venue on the Outer Banks. There are many stunning ceremony and reception locations within the resort, highlighting both the ocean and the sound. For our events, we utilized the Event House, the Event Lawn, and the Pavilion. With each unique setting, we were able to experience a distinctive ambiance. We became engaged at the Sanderling and we have stayed at the resort a number of times, so it was exciting to see friendly and familiar faces as we checked in for our wedding week. When Staci, our beloved bartender greeted us with warm hugs, it felt like we were being welcomed home! The Sanderling staff is exceptional. From the front desk and valet staff to the housekeepers, everyone we encountered warmly welcomed and congratulated us. We were so excited to share our love of the Sanderling with our family and friends. The resort exceeded their expectations and many guests have reached out to us to say that it was the best wedding they have ever attended. Many guests have expressed that the food was outstanding, some of the best dishes they have ever tasted! The Sanderling's facilities and dining options are top-notch and the beach speaks for itself. Our family and friends fell in love with the resort’s casual, yet elegant ambiance and many plan to return for vacation! We feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with Alicia, our event coordinator; she is absolutely phenomenal. Alicia was incredibly patient throughout the year, answering our questions, directly answering the questions of family members, securing the most accessible guest room for my handicapped grandmother, the list goes on, but most importantly she calmed our nerves. With our hectic and unpredictable work schedules, it was easy for us to overlook dozens of details, which Alicia was consistently on top of. With Alicia at the helm, we were able to relax and enjoy the days leading up to our wedding, fully confident that she would pull off a spectacular event. We both appreciate and we will never forget the composure Alicia and Taylor brought to us on our wedding day! Our day was truly magical thanks to Alicia, Taylor, and Staci, along with the rest of the Sanderling staff. It was difficult to leave the Sanderling after an amazing week, but we know we will be back many times to create memories as a married couple!

rk for you. I spent my wedding day getting ready, spending time with family, and getting married! - not worrying about a thing when it came to the details of the day. The staff really took care of us, our wedding party, and all of our guests. We got really lucky with amazing weather - had the ceremony on the beach, the cocktail hour on the event lawn, then the reception in the pavillon soundside. The food was incredible and we are still getting comments about it from guests. It was a perfect day and we could not have asked for more!

vorite place in the world with the people who mean the most to us. When we looked for wedding locations in OBX, there was absolutely no contest - the Sanderling is the best spot there is. What makes the resort the best option is not just its convenience (all of our guests in one amazing resort), its beautiful event locations (the pavilion and the event lawn are breathtaking), or its superior quality. The best part about getting married at the Sanderling was our amazing wedding planner, Debbie Norris. From our very first meeting, we knew that we needed to work with Debbie - she has a great sense of humor, she is incredibly organized, she knows the vendors and easily matches them to her couples, and (most importantly) she genuinely cares about the couples she works with. We spent many emails, phone calls, and in-person meetings planning our wedding with Debbie, and not only did she make us her priority, but she made it seem like we were her main priority (even when we knew she had many other couples she was working with). On the day of our wedding, we were blessed with perfect weather (70 and sunny) and the day was absolutely flawless, thanks to Debbie, her assistant Taylor, and the awesome staff at the Sanderling. Debbie calmly kept us on schedule but also made sure that we were having a great time! The food was phenomenal (our guests are still raving about it!), the bartenders were great, and everyone is still telling us what a wonderful time they had. If you are considering a wedding at the Outer Banks, the Sanderling is your place! We cannot recommend it highly enough.

p emails with our Sanderling wedding coordinator, Wendy and The Sanderling team exceeded every expectation in every possible way. They delivered. The entire team was professional, responsible, responsive, detail oriented, and provided exceptional customer-service at every point of contact. While it would be easy to write on and on about how impressed we were with The Sanderling, I'll share a few highlights that capture how they made our special day so special. 1) Wendy Murray. This woman is incredible. We feel incredibly lucky to have had her work with us as our Sanderling point-of-contact. Her attention to detail, masterful problem solving skills (though these truly were few and far between - things like the wine distributor having a last minute issue procuring the special wine we had wanted), and effective communication skills made it a joy to work with Wendy. Our family worked with her to plan a farewell brunch at the hotel and had a similarly wonderful experience. 2) It felt like everyone at the Sanderling cared deeply and personally about the success of our wedding. This was evident in interactions with everyone from front desk staff to the catering/serving team. A particularly memorable interaction happened the day after the wedding, when, on our way back to our room, met two members of the housekeeping staff in the hallway. They stopped us, congratulated, and even commented on how they had heard it was such a wonderful event and were sad that their shifts didn’t include time to see the actual event. 3) The food was delicious. Every course, from the passed appetizers at the cocktail hour to the chicken 'n waffles at the after party, was perfect. One guest commented 'It was not only the best catered meal i've ever had, it was one of the best meals of my life!' I couldn't agree more. Chef Jeff and his team are pros. I can't conceive a future trip to the Outer Banks that won't include a meal at The Sanderling. 4) Our guests continue to rave about the magical place known as The Sanderling. We are a couple from California - most of our guests had never been to the Outer Banks, let alone to the Sanderling. “I felt instantly relaxed,” “It was painfully sad that I had check-out,” and “Do you think I can live at The Sanderling?,” are among the many rave comments our guests have shared with us. In wrapping up, I think it's important to note that while at first we were surprised by the cost a Sanderling wedding, both my husband and I agree that it was worth every penny... quite simply, we feel like they delivered the dream wedding. On the day after our wedding we learned that our wedding was The Sanderling's first same sex wedding ever. They were so wonderful and treated us so well... they deserve many, many more.

bie (our coordinator) was fabulous. Everything you need to think about, she has already thought about it and figured it out for you. Planning a wedding is stressful, planning a destination wedding is even more so, but with Debbie at the helm you have nothing to fear. The Sanderling transformed our day into something that could have been out of a magazine. Our guests left saying our wedding was the best they had ever been to (including their own). We were lucky enough to have the most perfect weather you could possibly have for a wedding. We got married on the observation deck overlooking the ocean (all the same sounds without the sand), but even if the weather was crappy, we had an awesome back-up plan (the Event House or the Pavilion). Keep in mind, you get what you pay for. Although the Sanderling is on the pricier side of things, it is the only place in the Outer Banks where you get the best of both worlds, ceremony on the ocean and reception overlooking the sound. The back-up plan is worth the extra money in itself. Compared to some of the "nice" hotels in the DC area we looked into, the Sanderling was less expensive and much, much nicer. Also, the food was to die for. If you are looking for the best place to get married, look no further than the Sanderling.

ceremony on the beach, to dinner and drinks by the bay and a party in the charming Life-saving Station! All of our requests were taken into account and met with a can-do attitude. Debbie even helped fix one of our speakers' picture slide show format during cocktail hour! And even without rehearsing, everything went exactly as we wanted! All the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful and was always smiling. We love this place and will definitely be back!

how we would have planned anything at all! The ceremony on the beach was beautiful and our reception was great and all the food was amazing! It was a really beautiful day and I feel 100% confident recommending this resort to other brides who are looking to get married on a beautiful beach in the Outer Banks!

hands. Every time I called her panicked with another question (which was usually more than once a day) she immediately put me at ease. She led me through the process with patience and professionalism. From the moment we arrived at the Sanderling the day before the wedding till the last guest left the wedding reception Alicia and her assistant were right there doing everything necessary to ensure that everything went off without a hitch. The vendors we used through the Sanderling were also incredible. Marsha at Great Cakes provided an incredible wedding cake and didn't bat an eye when we needed a cake topper at the last minute. And especially Shirley Cook of Sugar Snap Events who did the flowers and wedding decorations for us and who also patiently endured endless phone calls from me. The end result was a beautiful wedding with a happy bride and groom.

azing and so helpful since I had no idea what I was doing and not a lot of time to figure it out. All of the vendors we booked through Sanderling -- Sugar Snap Events, Rev. Jay Bowman -- were fantastic as well! Everyone in attendance had a wonderful time and continuously said so! There is not one thing I would have changed. The thing I wouldn't recommend is the spa. I got a gel main, a pedi and an updo and my husband got a massage. None of the services were great (the woman who did my hair was so nice and did a great job considering I have very thin hair and told her "just do whatever!") but you can get better results for less money elsewhere. The resort, staff and amenities are bar none. I highly, highly recommend Sanderling. We will definitely be back to celebrate our anniversary and hope to make it a tradition!

The night of the wedding, I had noticed the cake was not served. I asked many servers who told me it was coming. Twenty minutes before the night was over the cake was not served and I heard through another guest that when they asked the kitchen, a server had told them that "the cake could not be served because it was not up to the Sanderling's Standards". Debbie and the kitchen staff made the decision not to serve the cake without speaking to anyone in the family. Right before the wedding ended, I was told the same comment by a server and demanded to speak to Debbie, who for the whole night was nowhere to be found . Instead I spoke to her assistant who told us the cake was "chemical tasting" and they did not want to serve it. At this point in the night it was too late anyways. Either way, the next day we found out that the bride/groom and twenty other people had the cake and loved it. The bakers baked four other cakes that day to which everyone loved at those weddings. The Sanderling never asked anyone who paid for the cake to pull it. It was not their decision. My family is now out $800. The Sanderling is refusing to budge. Debbie also dropped the ball on many other things that night. She hid a flip flop basket under the guest table the whole night that the guests were going to use for dancing and also told us she would have the bridal suite cleaned by the time they came up, which never happened. The Sanderling is not worth the money to have a wedding there and Debbie does not do her job the way she should for a bride on a special day.

my wedding planner and she was amazing! She helped me stay so organized and handled my vendor and potential weather crises with ease. I never once felt nervous about having a destination wedding because I knew I was in good hands with Debbie. Staying at the Sanderling, I felt like royalty the way they take care of their guests. Everyone was so nice who worked there. And the food was some of the best food that I have ever eaten in my entire life! One of the nice features that the Sanderling offers is beach houses for rent on their property. My guests rented 4 out of the 5 houses for the long weekend wedding getaway. The Sanderling provided the perfect backdrop for the most perfect day. As I like to say about the time spent down there, it was the perfect vacation where two people happened to get married in the middle of it.

day) without a hitch. Wendy and all of the staff were extremely helpful, supportive and friendly to our entire party, they made us all feel like royalty all weekend. The food and beverage was excellent, from the bacon bar on Friday to the seafood, tenderloin and pasta stations at the reception to the fabulous brunch on Sunday. It was so relaxing to have the guests staying at the resort for the wedding weekend and enjoy the ocean, spa and pools, and not to have to drive anywhere. It exceeded all of our expectations!

rea, and when it came time to select a wedding destination, my personal connection to the area definitely played a part. But beyond that, we knew the Sanderling would be a special place for our special day. We wanted a small and intimate affair, and we knew that choosing an Outer Banks wedding would allow us to have a location remote enough to keep the crowd small, but accessible enough to actually allow our close friends and family to make it. And it worked out. We had about 65 people at our wedding, which wound up being the perfect size for our chosen Sanderling locations: the Observation Deck for the ceremony, the Event House lawn for the cocktail hour, and the Event House (room, deck, and lawn) for the reception. I'd highly recommend the Observation Deck to those of you planning a wedding small enough to use that space (it holds about 75 people). It was a great way to hear, see, and feel the ocean and the beach without actually making guests dressed up in fancy wedding attire rough it on the sand. And the Event House was a perfect spot for us. The interior of the space leaves a bit to be desired in its native state, but with the proper designer (we worked with Dorothy at Bells and Whistles and can't say enough good things about the job she did) the space can be beautifully transformed. And regardless of what you choose to do with the interior space, you'll be able to enjoy the deck and lawn, which were both incredible. We kept the doors to the interior open, so it was free flowing all night. Everyone had a great time. We had our Friday rehearsal dinner off site, but had our Sunday brunch at Kimball's Kitchen. The food and service for both the Saturday and Sunday events were wonderful. Everything is truly delicious, and everyone is so nice and helpful. And of course, the help began long before that: Debbie Norris, our on-site event coordinator, was the sweetest, kindest, and most wonderful woman. She's a true delight and will do everything possible to help make your day what you want it to be. In short, we loved everything about the Sanderling, and our guests did as well. Many people told us that they were already planning return trips with friends and family. It's a wonderful spot in general, but a particularly wonderful spot for a wedding.

uper smooth! Also was so fun to work with and became a good friend. The spa was great! My hair and makeup looked amazing and they did exactly what I wanted. The girl's hair looked great too and such fun styles I haven't seen before. I am still getting so many compliments on the wedding and how much everyone loved it! Highly recommend for an amazing wedding at the beach! We also stayed in the large oceanfront suite in the south inn. WOW. So big and so nice, made getting ready for the wedding with everyone so easy. What a treat! Can't say enough great things about the resort, definitely worth the price.

er, but after our experience with the Sanderling Resort I can 110% say that even people who have never been to the Outer Banks that are looking for a destination wedding should very strongly consider getting married at the Sanderling Resort. Just a few of my million reasons to love the Sanderling Resort and pick it for your wedding: 1. The service is wonderful! The staff went out of their way to make sure everyone was happy during the rehearsal dinner, welcome reception, and then our entire wedding day (ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception). They all took such great care of us during the events. We had crab during the rehearsal dinner and the staff went table to table making sure all our guests knew how to crack crab! Each of them made sure everyone had plenty to drink and eat and that they didn't need anything else. I can't tell you how many staff members asked me during the reception if they could bring me more food or drink as I was running around saying hello to all the guests. One of the servers named Wanda even wiped sand off from my back that had blown on during beach photos after the ceremony! 2. The wedding coordinators are amazing. You are given a wedding coordinator when you book your wedding and reception there. Debbie was fabulous. She quickly and happily responded to my million emails the months in advance and the week of the wedding she met with me several times to hash out last minute details. She was there the entire wedding day and ensured that everything went smoothly. She is fabulous and anyone who has her help during the wedding planning process and wedding day is a very lucky bride. (My only regret is that now that the wedding is over I miss her lots!) 3. The food was superb! I can't tell you how many of our guests told me, my husband, and our parents that not only was it the best food they had ever had at a wedding but some of the best food they have EVER had. From the bacon bar to the seafood bar everything was absolutely delicious and I saw pretty much every guest go back for second helpings! 4. The location is beautiful. We got married on the event lawn and had the reception in the pavilion. Both locations were absolutely perfect and everyone commented how pretty the locations for the different events and the resort were. 5. The spa - I had my hair/makeup done in the resort's spa as did my bridesmaids. Viviana did my hair and she was fantastic! She was so tolerant of the fact she had 6 bridesmaids and my mother giving their opinions along with me changing my mind about 10 times.....and despite everyone giving their opinions my hair ended up perfect. 6. An excuse for a vacation - many of our guests used our wedding as an excuse for a mini vacation and spent a long weekend at the resort. Everyone who stayed there told me how much they enjoyed their time at the resort and loved the fact that once they got to the resort they never had to leave as they had multiple places to eat, pools, the beach, and lots of activities. In fact, a few of our friends have told me they plan to return to the resort next year for a family vacation! The Sanderling Resort is a fabulous location/resort and truly helped me have the wedding of my dreams!

know you're at a great place. And they won't stop talking about the food and drinks. If anything, don't offer the filet or crab cakes, because you'll have to hear about how amazing they were for the next 6 months. Over and over, we heard "everything here is absolutely first class." As for service, Sanderling is absolutely top notch. If you are lucky enough to work with Alicia, your planning and day-of coordination will be easier than you ever could have imagined. She's responsive, knowledgeable, professional, and has a great attitude. She made what could have been a stressful process an absolute pleasure, and the day of our wedding we didn't have to do anything but enjoy the experience. Thank you to everyone at Sanderling Resort, and extra thanks to Alicia. Someone once told me that you wake up the day after your wedding and say "Wow, all that time and money and now what do we have?" I woke up the day after after our wedding at Sanderling Resort and thought "Wow, that was the best time and money we ever spent."

Debbie. We had our wedding out of state because neither wanted to plan it. Debbie made the whole thing flow smoothly, last minute change and concerns were taken care of no problem! The ceremony was beautiful the view is amazing I love North Carolina but never been to obx and im glad we chose it the place is beautiful.

The food was terrific and the atmosphere was perfect. It was everything we hoped it would be. We received so many compliments from our friends and family, some of whom traveled from Florida to be there. I'm hoping more family members choose to get married there as well. I'd love to plan another event there!

smoothly. Worth the money and time....lovely lovely lovely. She chose excellent vendors and it was the best wedding ever.

ie. Debbie was there to help us throughout the planning process and coordinate among all of our vendors. She helped our day go so smoothly and really, truly made our day HER priority. We cannot be more thankful for her services, vendor recommendations, and execution of our vision. Her team must also be recognized because everyone else she works with at Sanderling was also on their A game for us, Natasha is a rock-star too! Debbie helped make everything we wanted to have happen that day - happen as seamlessly as possible. She kept us on target and took care of everything so that we could truly enjoy our day, which goes by TOO FAST !!!! Every idea or change we wanted - Debbie handled it. Even some out-of-the-box ideas we really wanted, Debbie / Sanderling were able to do it. Debbie went well above and beyond her job for us and for that we will always be grateful. She did whatever it took to make sure we (and our guests) were happy. The bridal party was at the Spa for hair appointments that morning and Debbie came over to check in on us too. All the girls loved their hair. My groom and I had actually booked the Couples Suite Massage the first night we arrived before the "chaos" began and it was the best decision that I would share with brides-to-be. I was too excited to eat much that day at all so I'm only a little sad that my bacon donut was cleared away from our table before I had a chance to taste it!The bartenders were fantastic, and our guests raved (still are raving) about our entire event, especially the food. It may be one of the more expensive venues but you truly get what you pay for so keep that in mind when you see pricing. You will get so much in return and the peace of mind knowing it is all handled by true professionals. They are also flexible with a wide range of budgets too. Debbie helped us incorporate many DIY items too like programs, chalkboard signs, etc. We exited our ceremony on my groom's motorcycle and Debbie loved the idea. You can definitely make your dream wedding happen at Sanderling !!!

on. Our wedding coordinator was Debbie Norris and she was incredible. Debbie was always available to answer questions via phone and e-mail; typically, my e-mails were answered within minutes. She stood by us every step of the way to make sure every detail was perfect. The food at the reception was exceptional and all of the recommended vendors did a fantastic job. My husband and I both live in Pittsburgh, so we planned everything over the phone after seeing the resort. Debbie was great about helping us identify the best vendors. The wedding was above and beyond anything we could have expected. The food was exceptional, the flowers/decorations were phenomenal, the venue was stunning. The only complaint I had was that my room was quite small especially considering I had several girls getting ready in there, but we still had a beautiful ocean view. I also used the spa for hair, make-up and nails for myself as well as my family/ bridal party the day of the wedding. The team did an amazing job and was great with accommodating last minute scheduling conflicts. We also ordered lunch for our group and were surprised by how lovely the set up was. We really had our dream wedding. I highly recommend choosing the Sanderling as a venue, if you are starting to plan your wedding in the area.

ll. The ceremony was held on the new Observation Deck with its stunning view of the ocean. The reception was held in the Pavillion which had the most beautiful view of the sun setting over the Sound during dinner. The food served at the reception and cocktail hour was exceptional and the service was impeccable. Debbie took care of every detail and one of our guests even commented that I was the most relaxed mother of the bride they had ever seen. All of our guests had a wonderful time and many of them said it was the nicest wedding they had ever attended. We could not have asked for a more beautiful day and would like to thank The Sanderling and their recommended vendors for making our daughter's wedding as beautiful as possible. I would love to do it all over again and would highly recommend a destination wedding at The Sanderling!

discussed what they do for weddings, we were sold! Our wedding coordinator was Debbie Norris and she was incredible! My husband and I both live in DC, so we planned everything over the phone after seeing the resort. Debbie was great about helping us identify the best vendors and choose the food, since we could not make it down for a taste test. In the end, the wedding was above and beyond anything we could have expected. The food was incredible, the flowers/decorations were beautiful, the venue was stunning. We really had our dream wedding! I highly recommend choosing the Sanderling as a venue, if you are starting to plan your wedding in the area.

wedding weekend. We had both our welcome dinner and wedding/reception here. For the welcome dinner we did stations, and had a plated dinner for our reception; everything was delicious. Our Ceremony was on the event lawn which has a stage that adds a nice backdrop for pictures. Our reception was in the pavilion which is a great clean space to create whatever setting you so choose, also perfect view of the sunset over the water. I also must add that Debbie, one of the event sales/wedding coordinators at the Sanderling Resort was excellent. She was attentive, reminded you when needed and there 100% during the weekend. She made sure you didnt worry about anything day of. Wouldn't have gone so smoothly without her! If your thinking about an OBX wedding I highly recommend that you contact Debbie at the Sanderling.

ut 2 of my 3 bridemaids were not that pleased. The stylists were not very open to thier ideas about the styles they wanted, they just kind of did what they felt looked good. One of my girls was not happy and she felt rushed at the spa and ended up taking her hair out before the wedding and redoing it. Also my husbands mother has above the shoulder length hair and after her wash and stlye she asked the stlyist to pin the top of her hair back into bobbypins, very simple no curling or twisting needed, and they charged me 25 extra dollars for an updo?! at the time I didn't have the time to be upset but if it were any other day of my life i would have put up a fit. Overall my experince there was fine, but I felt it would have been better to have styliest came to our house so we could have eaten, had a few cocktails, and not felt so nickel and dimed.

ely manner as well as helped to keep me on task by sending me reminders or suggestions. I know that it is her job to plan and manage.....but Jessica went well above.We felt that she truly cared about us and how special this day was to Dorman and I, our children, and our families. Jessica worked with all the vendors, knew them well, and made sure I didn't have a thing to worry about come wedding time. It was very high stress personally for both my husband and I leading up to the wedding but when we got to The Sanderling for our wedding weekend all the stress just melted away. From the rehearsal, to the wedding, to the reception, to our going away brunch.......everything was magical. All of our friends and family stated that it was the best, most fun, most emotional/romantic wedding they had ever been to. That was my vision from the beginning.......and Jessica and The Sanderling helped me live out my dream. The accomodations and service were fantastic......the food was amazing......and everything went perfect and according to plan which is not easy with 200 guests. As glad as I am to be married.....I will be sad not to correspond with Jessica as much. She made the planning process so easy and fun......helping to keep my anxieties at bay!!! I cannot thank The Sanderling and Jessica Chapman enough for making my dream wedding a wonderful and magical reality!!!

ecommend planning your wedding at the Sanderling!

ous choice for this special day. We had 110+ guests coming from Los Angeles to Georgia to celebrate with us. Living in Maryland and planning a “destination wedding" seemed a little overwhelming, but the day was absolutely flawless at The Sanderling with Jessica Chapman at the helm. So take my advice...make it memorable...make it at The Sanderling Inn and Resort!

Mid West and mine is all in the Northeast, so where could we have this wedding to stay reasonably within their budgets....this was a simple question to answer....The Outer Banks, NC. We have been vacationing there for a few years and have fallen in love with everything they have to offer. Now where to have it, also an easy answer, The Sanderling Resort and Spa. I wanted a beach background and still wanted a traditional reception, DJ, flowers, great food and drinks and of course a breath taking view. Well, rest assured that is what we got. I worked very closely with my coordinator Debbie for the 4 months leading up to the wedding to plan every detail. We didn't want to wait until next summer so we pushed to make this happen in August of 2012. Planning officially started in April of 2012. Talk about quick....but that was no task for the crew I worked with. Debbie presented a list of preferred vendors, so I had the flexibility to chose who I was most comfortable with. I chose everyone from the florist-decorator, to the DJ and photographer. I also was able to chose every item in the reception site, to each item on the menu and every drink at the bar! There wasn't a detail we were not the decision makers for, which was fabulous! If you have looked into a destination wedding, you know a good portion of locations present their package with their vendors...not much wiggle room for the people paying for the event. We made a trip down in June to finalize some details with all the vendors and with the resort. We had an amazing tasting with 5 star quality! We had a wine tasting...champagne...you name it, we tried it! We opted to keep our wedding small and intimate and went with their elopement package. We had a maximum of 40 adults permitted and that did not include the children. The wedding was held on the beach directly behind the resort, with the most amazing background for pictures. The reception was held in the new Pavilion on the sound-side, where you will never see a more amazing sunset in all your life! I was a little frantic leading up to the big day, as we reside in PA, so everything I chose and decided was left up to Debbie and all of my vendors to pull off. There was no time for last minute changes, so I put 150% trust in her and her team to make this happen, and they DID. How many weddings have you been to where the guests remember the food? Have you ever walked away raving about how fantastic a meal was or how well the filets were cooked for such a large group? Not one person on our guest list did not rave about their meal. We started off with cocktail hour with amazing spring rolls, pulled pork and slaw sliders, tuna tar-tar, hush puppies and a variety of mini quiche. If they had room left for the main course, which was wine paired, it was the most delicious 3 course meal. It started with spinach salad followed by prosciutto wrapped asparagus and the grand finale, the filet and crab cake..AMAZING. Debbie and her team truly made my dream wedding come true. My husband and I as well of all of our guests have the most amazing memories made at the Sanderling because of her hard work and commitment to us. If you are looking for a beach wedding, look no more...THIS IS IT

kept not only me calmed and informed, but also my sister and my mother who were heavily involved in the planning process. With her superb help and guidance, I was able to plan my dream wedding complete with flowers, music and amazing food all within 5 months!! I highly recommend the Sanderling for not only events but also as a wonderful and peaceful retreat from the constant craziness of everyday life. The rooms are beautiful and the staff could not be more helpful and friendly. My husband and I hope to spend our first anniversary there or at the very least, grab a fruity drink at the Sand Bar next year. Love, love, love the Sanderling!!

Our wedding coordinator was amazing. It can be difficult to plan a wedding from a distance, but Wendy always made herself available throughout the planning process with any questions or needs that would come up. All of our venders spoke about this venue with high regard and rightfully so. For being a relatively high-stress person, I was amazed at how relaxed I was on the wedding day, and I can thank the Sanderling for that. In addition to our fantastic wedding coordinator, the rest of the staff was similarly exceptional. Everything was set up as previously planned, they were prepared for the unexpected, and everyone seemed to really care about making our day special. The accommodations are far better than any other hotel I have ever stayed at while visiting the Outer Banks and the Sanderling offers a good deal for their wedding block. Our guests are still talking about how much they enjoyed the wedding and their stay at the Sanderling. You cannot go wrong with this venue or hotel. The price can be a bit expensive, but it is worth every penny. You pay for what you get and I would do it all over again if I could.

ities. Loved my wedding make-up and hair!!

al tasting; Coordination services included- Wendy Murray was outstanding and on top of everything; Friendly & efficient staff; beautiful location; Delicious food, much of it from local or regional sources; luxurious but unpretentious accommodations; salon on-site; reflects the natural beauty of the OBX; boasts eco-friendly products and policies. Cons- the bill can rack up fast- again, you get what you pay for, though. You only get married once! A final note, many of my guests have repeatedly said this was one of, if not, the nicest weddings they've ever been to. The Sanderling had a great deal to do with that.

t the planning process and until the reception ends. She was very accessible through email and telephone for every single concern and she went very far out of her way the entire time to ensure all of our needs were met. She was definitely a blessing the entire day of my wedding, too, coordinating a last-minute rehearsal and making sure everything was set up. She was around the entire night making sure everything went smoothly. She even collected all of our things after the reception while we continued the party at the Swan Bar on location and placed them in our room while we were still enjoying company. This place was amazingly versatile. The grooms drank in the Swan Bar while the girls got ready in our hotel room. Everything was perfect. I couldn't imagine doing anything else and I miss the wedding planning with Jessica now that it's over! Oh...p.s. the food, I keep hearing, was the best food out of anyone's wedding experience. DELICIOUS! I had cravings for weeks after the wedding and no matter what restaurant we went to on our honey moon, the food just wasn't the same. It tasted even better at the wedding than it did at the tasting, by far, and at the tasting it was good.