Outer Banks Wedding Association

Name

Outer Banks Wedding Association

Legal name

Outer Banks Wedding Association

Website

https://obxwa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OBXWA is a non-profit association, founded in 2003 in Kitty Hawk, NC, that runs a curated vendor directory, an annual wedding expo, and a print magazine connecting engaged couples with vetted Outer Banks wedding vendors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wedding Vendor Directory & Event Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Wedding Planning (HSACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vendor Sourcing & Management (Venues, Catering, Photo/Video, Music) (HSACABAG), Destination Wedding Planning (HSACABAD)

Keywords

• Wedding vendor directory
• Destination wedding planning
• Wedding expo events
• Wedding industry association
• Wedding magazine publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Kitty Hawk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Vendor Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from wedding vendors in Dare, Currituck, and Hyde Counties. Tiers range from $450/year (Base/Associate) to $3,700/year (Platinum), with additional benefits like magazine ads and expo sponsorship.
2. Wedding Expo Tickets: Revenue from ticket sales for the annual Outer Banks Wedding Weekend & Expo. General Admission tickets are $25 and VIP tickets are $45, with proceeds supporting the association and local wedding community.
3. Magazine Sales: Sales of the Outer Banks Weddings Magazine, a curated publication featuring real OBX weddings and vendor advertisements. Proceeds support the association and promote local vendors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Outer Banks Wedding Association operates as a non-profit association that curates an online directory of vetted local wedding vendors, publishes an annual Outer Banks Weddings Magazine, and hosts an annual three-day Wedding Expo & Weekend during MLK Weekend. The association connects engaged couples planning destination weddings with local wedding professionals in Dare, Currituck, and Hyde Counties through a tiered vendor membership program.

Product overview

The Outer Banks Wedding Association (OBXWA) operates as a wedding vendor directory and community platform, not a unified software product. The core offering consists of a curated Vendor Directory on the website, the annual Outer Banks Weddings Magazine (print and digital), the Wedding Expo & Weekend event (held each January during MLK Weekend), an inspiration Blog featuring real weddings and vendor spotlights, and a Vendor Membership Program with tiered pricing levels that provides directory listings, advertising, and event sponsorship. These components work together to connect engaged couples with vetted OBX wedding professionals and support the local wedding vendor community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vendor Directory Curated online directory of vetted Outer Banks wedding vendors organized by category (venues, photographers, caterers, florists, rentals, beauty professionals, and more), enabling couples to discover and connect with local wedding professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Vetted directory of local wedding vendors
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Outer Banks Visitors BureaucoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Official sponsor of the Outer Banks Wedding Weekend & Expo. The Visitors Bureau promotes the Outer Banks as a top wedding destination and provides resources for couples including free travel planning guides and area information.
• 108 BudleighsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Wedding Expo venue sponsor. A venue and event space in Downtown Manteo that serves as one of the expo locations.
• Waterfront TrellissupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Wedding Expo venue sponsor. An event venue in Manteo that serves as one of the expo locations.
• The Pearl HotelsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Wedding Expo venue sponsor and VIP lounge host. Located in Manteo, this boutique hotel provides exclusive VIP access for expo ticket holders. Offering promotional rate of $135/night with free champagne for expo registrants.
• Black Pelican CateringminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Wedding Expo sponsor providing catering services for the event.
• Metro RentalcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Major expo sponsor providing event rental equipment. Known for dependable service and high-quality rentals for weddings and celebrations. Values the expo opportunity to connect with couples in person.
• Red Sky CateringminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Wedding Expo sponsor providing catering services. Featured in Victoria & Nick's real wedding showcase.
• Ryan and RachsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Wedding Expo sponsor. Featured in vendor spotlights and real wedding showcases on the association's blog.
• Salt & CypresscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Family-owned restaurant and catering company in Manteo serving as expo sponsor. Offers coastal-inspired dining and catering for weddings with complimentary tastings for expo couples.
• Sarah D'Ambra PhotographysupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Wedding Expo sponsor and featured vendor. Photography services featured in vendor spotlights and real wedding showcases.
• The Pavilion at Pirate's CovesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerWelcome Party venue for the Wedding Weekend. Hosts the Friday evening kickoff event with 'Last Disco' theme.
• Outer Banks Chamber of CommercesupportingOthersNonprofit membership organization representing 1100 businesses on North Carolina's Outer Banks, covering Currituck County, Dare County (including Hatteras Island), and Ocracoke Island in Hyde County.
• Currituck Chamber of CommercesupportingOthersNon-profit membership organization representing over 350 businesses in northeast North Carolina and southeast Virginia.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• WeddingWire: WeddingWire (now part of The Knot Worldwide) is a national wedding vendor directory and planning platform. It is directly comparable to OBXWA's vendor-directory core product, with comparable revenue model (vendor subscriptions) but national scope and significantly larger scale.
• Martha Stewart Weddings: Martha Stewart Weddings is a premium wedding editorial brand covering real weddings, vendor inspiration, and planning advice. It overlaps with OBXWA's magazine and blog in editorial format and aspirational positioning, though it is media-only rather than a vendor directory.
• Zola: Zola is an end-to-end wedding planning platform combining registry, vendor marketplace, website builder, and planning tools. It is comparable to OBXWA as a vendor-discovery and wedding-planning resource, with broader functionality but no local curation.
• The Knot Worldwide: The Knot operates the largest U.S. wedding vendor marketplace, planning tools, and editorial content (including the former WeddingWire). It is comparable to OBXWA because both monetize wedding vendor discovery, but The Knot serves a national audience at massive scale rather than a single curated region.
• Brides: Brides is a long-running wedding media brand featuring real weddings, vendor inspiration, and planning advice. It is comparable to OBXWA's Outer Banks Weddings Magazine and blog in editorial positioning, but operates at national scale with advertising rather than membership as its primary revenue.

Direct peers

• Here Comes The Guide: Here Comes The Guide is a regional wedding venue and vendor directory originally built for California and now expanding across multiple U.S. regions. It is the closest pure-play peer to OBXWA: a curated vendor directory monetizing leads for local wedding vendors in defined geographies.
• Bridal Association of America: The Bridal Association of America is a long-running industry trade organization for bridal retailers and vendors, providing membership benefits, events, and advocacy. It is directly comparable to OBXWA as a wedding-industry membership association, though broader in retail scope.
• Destination Weddings & Honeymoons (Travel + Leisure): A destination-wedding-focused editorial property under Travel + Leisure covering resort and destination wedding venues and vendors. It is comparable to OBXWA because both focus specifically on the destination-wedding segment OBXWA serves, though at editorial/media scale rather than as a local association.

Emerging players

• Carats & Cake: Carats & Cake is a wedding vendor marketplace featuring real weddings and vetted vendor listings, with an emphasis on design-forward and luxury weddings. It is comparable to OBXWA as a curated vendor marketplace monetizing vendor visibility through wedding content.

Others

• Outer Banks Visitors Bureau: The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization for the Outer Banks and the official sponsor of OBXWA's annual expo. It is comparable because it drives inbound tourism demand that fuels OBXWA's vendor and couple pipeline, but it is a DMO rather than a wedding-specific vendor directory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfXwYD1zVmOJYmpTafcKmSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/OBXWA
• Instagraminstagram.com/obxwa
• Xx.com/weddingsobx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Outer Banks Wedding Association