Wedding DJ at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Atlantic Beach in Atlantic Beach, NC

The Space

This DoubleTree sits directly on the Atlantic Ocean on Bogue Banks, and the building has already survived one full life cycle. It operated as a Sheraton until Hurricane Irene forced it shut in August 2011, then reopened June 18, 2013 after Newport Group put five million dollars into rebuilding it. That history matters less for the wedding than what it left behind: a beachfront property with 200 guest rooms, 190 of them looking straight out at the water, ready for a wedding party to fill.

The property carries 11 separate event venues under one roof and along its grounds, adding up to 10,000 square feet of usable space, so a couple is not squeezed into a single generic room. A 300-foot pier reaches out over the water with its own beachfront bar, and the Beach-side Clubhouse opens directly onto the sand. Between the pier, the clubhouse, and the indoor ballroom, a couple can put a ceremony on the beach and walk guests inside for the reception without leaving the property.

Capacity & Layout

The Grand Ballroom is the room built for a full wedding, at 5,400 square feet and rated for up to 800 guests in a reception layout or 500 for a seated banquet with dancing and a stage. That gap between the two numbers is the couple’s floor plan decision: pack rows of chairs for a big theater-style toast, or open the room up with round tables, a dance floor, and a DJ booth, and the room still has headroom either way.

For the events around the wedding itself, the hotel’s smaller rooms fill the gap: the Atlantic room at 1,800 square feet and the Conference Foyer at 1,500 work for a rehearsal dinner or welcome cocktail hour, while the Cape Fear, Cape Lookout, Hatteras, and Pamlico rooms at roughly 900 square feet each suit a smaller family gathering or a bridal party’s prep space without renting the whole ballroom for a single evening.

Amenities

On-site dining covers both formal and casual: Prime 1079 serves surf and turf with an al fresco terrace for a rehearsal dinner outdoors, while Molly’s Beachside Bar & Grill runs a seasonal, casual menu for a welcome party at the pier bar. Parking is complimentary for the whole guest list, and the hotel takes oversized vehicles, meaning a band trailer or a photo booth van, with advance notice rather than turning them away.

With 200 rooms on site, out-of-town guests can book a block without shuttling to a second property, and the hotel keeps them busy between events with an indoor pool and a seasonal outdoor pool. Pets are welcome at $75 per stay with a 50-pound limit, useful for a couple who wants their dog in photos. A 24-hour fitness center with Peloton bikes and a 24-hour business center round out what guests need before and after the wedding weekend.

Location & Getting There

The hotel sits on the Crystal Coast, about ten minutes from Morehead City and two miles from the Atlantic Beach town center, close enough for guests to explore the coast without a long drive back to their rooms. The nearest airports are Coastal Carolina Regional in New Bern, 36 miles out, and Albert J. Ellis, 55 miles out, so most guests are flying into New Bern and driving the rest of the way in.

We have worked a wedding on this property before, and the split between indoor and outdoor space is the thing to plan around: the Grand Ballroom is a large, hard-floored interior room where sound carries cleanly and a DJ setup can run at full volume without a curfew fight, while the pier and beach ceremony sites are open air, so vocals and speeches need a stronger PA to cut through the wind and the surf.