Weddings in the great outdoors
    To find locatations where you can hold a ceremony and/or wedding outdoors, start by checking out our directory of wedding and reception sites. (Go to listings.)
    This shows which commercial locations have an outdoor area for weddings; it also indicates which have a water view, and whether that is ocean, river, lake or sound. Many of these places have terraces or decks close to their banquet halls, so your guests have a ready refuge from rain or sun.
    One romantic outdoor spot -- though availability is limited and rental isn't cheap -- is Airlie Gardens, which is managed by New Hanover County. Not far away is another public site, the New Hanover County Arboretum. A showcase for flowers, trees and garden landscaping, it has a central pond and is less expensive than Airlie.
    A similar setting, with a water view and surrounded by cypress trees, azaleas and other flowering shrubs, is the Fragrance Garden at Greenfield Lake, a Wilmington city park. Another city facility, which combines an elegant modern building with an open-air patio, is the Halyburton Park Event Center. Call Wilmington's Parks & Recreation Department for details.
    Near the geographic center of Wilmington, Hugh MacRae Park has a beautiful pond with landscaped lawns and waterside gazebo that's popular for outdoor weddings. Contact the New Hanover County Parks Department for information.
    The editors have a personal attachment to another spot: the oceanfront at Fort Fisher, opposite the state historic site museum. We held our wedding there, in one of the very few spots in North Carolina where trees provide shade within just a few feet of the beach. Our wedding arch was a pair of gnarled old oaks, framing a view of blue sea. Nearby, the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area offers event permits for weddings on the beach itself. The Beach Wedding guide, below, includes details on booking these sites.
    One important caution: because you can't control the weather, be sure you have a sheltered back-up location in case of rain. Include it, and directions if necessary, on your invitations. An alternative approach is a tent. (More on tent rentals)
    Most towns don't permit tents on the public beach. For more on beach weddings, see our detailed guide to beach weddings. (Beach wedding regulations)

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