Casey & Sam: Beauty on the Beach Near Corolla Casey Powell and Sam Gammon tend to take the road less traveled. During a weeklong trip to California, they discovered a small clearing at Yosemite National Park where Sam surprised Casey with a proposal. Yet their hearts remained on the East Coast. The couple, who met in high school, chose a childhood destination on the sandy North Carolina shores to make their wedding dreams come true. The Bride Casey Powell, a 25-year-old contracts management analyst The Groom Sam Gammon, a 26-year-old information security engineer The Date May 28 The Scene A ceremony set against a sand dune, followed by a reception at an Outer Banks beach house in Corolla Sand and Sky "My family has vacationed in the Outer Banks for as long as I can remember," Casey says. "We wanted to get married outdoors and couldn't think of a better place!" They soon found the perfect spot for the 110-person celebration-a beach house with ocean views and a tent-worthy clearing. "The decor was the sand and the sky...it doesn't get more beautiful than that," the bride says. A Taste of the Tropics Passionate for lively colors, Casey contrasted the natural surroundings with tropical shades of pink, coral, yellow, orange, and green. This duality figured prominently in the bridesmaid look: Vibrant bouquets of tulips, verbenas, and gerbera daisies beamed against the champagne-color tea-length dresses. Beachy Decor Following the ceremony, held in front of a sand dune, guests sipped margaritas around the pool. Under the reception tent, glass hurricane lamps tied with coral ribbon and filled with sand, a large white candle, and shells gave the hot pink-accented round tables an all-encompassing beachy effect. The Fun Never Ends Everyone was having so much fun Casey's father forgot to give a toast. "He realized it at the end, but it was too late!" she says. Not for the newlyweds, who stayed up with friends until the wee hours. We can't imagine them doing it any other way. -- Kathleen Murray Photography by Jeff Greenough See article as featured in The Knot.