Sanderling Resort

is it. We are from Baltimore, MD but knew we wanted to get married in the OBX, NC as it holds a lot of amazing memories for us and our families. When we were searching and comparing venues - the Sanderling Resort struck us as being very equipped for out of town planners like ourselves. It had all the amenities we would need for hosting our guests for the long weekend and the vibe of the resort is unmatched. It was very clear from start to finish that they knew what they were doing and that everything would be taken care of. And it absolutely was! Our coordinators, Davis and Kristen, were very enthusiastic, timely and professional with all of their responses from the beginning stages of planning, all the way through the day of and beyond. It was a perfect fit for my husband and I whose only real request was that we be told where to stand and that everyone have fun! The day flowed so effortlessly - thanks to Kristen and the amazing staff - which is what I believe all couples are in search of! On top of the amazing service, the beautiful venue and the amazing staff, the food was absolutely PHENOMENAL! Our guests are still raving about it. One of my favorite things about planning our wedding at the Sanderling was the friends and family feel of it all. All of the preferred vendors know each other pretty well and work together all of the time, which makes the experience that much easier and more magical. We feel as if we were welcomed into this exclusive family and it's a one-of-a-kind experience we would not have gotten anywhere else! We cannot thank Kristen and the amazing Sanderling team enough for putting together a wedding that far exceeded our expectations.

eam. We went with the Event House elopement package, which included a beer canoe and s'mores by the firepit! Over the course of planning, our original Sanderling wedding planner left and Kristen Allen took over. Kristen was able to take over seamlessly and made sure that we had everything we wanted for the big day. We never had to worry because she made sure every detail was perfect! Even when we had to make some last minute changes to the reception due to the unusual amount of bugs outside, she kept us informed and relaxed for our special day. Surprisingly, the bugs stayed away that night and we could enjoy the outdoors and firepit! I couldn't imagine having our wedding anywhere else or with any other planner!

about using them as your venue is that it is a one-stop shop, so you never have to worry about running out of anything. Not to mention being able to get married on the beach and have a reception on the sound makes everything so beautiful and photogenic. Amazing food and wonderful staff made our special day perfect. Highly recommend.

rt of amazing. She was there every step of the wedding planning journey to help us with all of our questions, and was wonderful to work with. The Sanderling is a stunning venue, and their entire staff was phenomenal throughout our wedding day and our entire stay. Our wedding day was seamless; Debbie made sure that everyone was where they needed to be, when they needed to be there, so that I could focus on our day and enjoy every moment! The Sanderling will always hold a special place in our hearts; without Debbie and her team, our dream wedding would not have been possible! Our family and friends still talk about how beautiful our ceremony and reception was, and how incredible all of the food was during the cocktail hour and dinner. Needless to say, we would highly recommend the Sanderling for your wedding day, or special event!

bbie was always easy to reach, confident and organized in our planning, and focused on bringing the vision we had for our wedding day come to life. We could tell that Debbie and the Sanderling Resort have much experience serving couples and our experience with them could not have been better. We highly recommend Sanderling Resort for your East Coast wedding!

azing wedding planner! You were professional, poised and gracious at all times. Thank you so much for being there for me from start to finish, being so patient with me, and putting up with my worries phone calls, questions and last-minute changes. Our wedding was beautiful and perfect. It was the day we had always dreamed of. The flowers, decorations, the cake, and the reception were stunningly gorgeous. Thanks to you, Kris and I were able to fully enjoy our wedding day without a worry in the world! Please do not hesitate to use us as a reference for other brides and grooms looking for a wonderful wedding planner for their special day

package at the Sanderling Resort in Duck NC and what a beautiful wedding we had! I would do it all over again if I could! Our guests are still talking about it. The Sanderling did not miss a beat! Our event planner Kristin Allen was so amazing and so professional. She helped us with every step of the planning, the vendor selections, the food, the beverages, the music, even down to bustling my dress before the reception. As the bride, she was my right hand and everything went as planned that day...on time...she did not miss a beat! We could not have been more pleased. The meal was absolutely delicious and every detail was in place. The staff was so professional and made all our guests feel welcomed. From the time all our guests checked in to the time they left it was a great experience. We cannot say enough wonderful things about the Sanderling. If you are wondering if this would be a good venue for your wedding then look no further. The Sanderling made our day one we will never forget!

outstanding spot it was. Although the weather wasn't what we would have liked for the Rehearsal Dinner (Mega storms) the atmosphere inside surely made up for the lack of a perfect sunset. The staff were incredible, moving around last minute changes for us. The service and food were outstanding to say the least. I have so many to thank but Kristen and the team really left a great impression on us all. We also had a Sunday brunch which was equally outstanding and all the invitee's loved it! If I have the opportunity to have my other son's wedding there I certainly wouldn't think twice about it! Joe Anzalone

was absolutely seamless. We could not have picked a better place or had a better time! All of our guests fell in love with it too! Thank you for making our day so special!

er night. It was a dream come true!

t was simply perfect! The Sanderling had been on our radar for years, but since we lived out of state, we hadn't had the opportunity to visit the resort in person. In late June, we were in the area for another wedding and jumped on the opportunity to visit. As soon as we stepped on the property, we knew this was where we wanted to get married. Debbie took a last minute meeting request from us, squeezing us into her busy Sunday, but you would have never known. From the every beginning, Debbie made us feel special. She took all the time necessary to show us around the property and outline the available options. When we got home we started the virtual planning process with Debbie, which was a breeze thanks to her knowledge, responsiveness and attention to detail. In the end, we have Debbie to thank for helping us pull off our special day. We wanted our day to be low key and the focus to be about spending this precious time with one another and our immediate families. Debbie totally got it! She made our dream wedding attainable, and we were able to get everything planned in less than two months. The Sanderling staff and accommodations were fabulous. All of our guests loved their mini vacation in the Outer Banks. We could not have asked for anything more!

everything fun, from the rehearsal to the day of our wedding she was on top of things and she was very attentive.Sanderling Resort is a great place to have a wedding, our guest really love the venue and the accomodation. As for my wedding planning, Sanderling made everything so convenient by having a list of great vendors, from our photographer Ryan and Rachel, flowers amd decoration Shirly from Sugar Snaps, Cake/cupcake Carolina Cupcakery, dj Matt music masters, and Rev. Jay Bowman. I was able to plan ahead of time because of their vendor list, and everyone was easy to work with, they all made us feel comfortable and free of worries. The staff at sanderling was amazing, they were very professinal and made our guest feel welcome and comfortable with their stay and on our wedding day. If i have to do it again i would choose Sanderling Resort without a doubt. Thank you Sanderling Resort and staff

ear prior to our wedding day and Davis was so patient, honest and professional throughout. Once we were finally able to meet in person, we knew that we were able to trust her with everything! She infused so much fun into our planning process and made it stress-free. On our actual day, we didn't worry about a thing; she seamlessly worked with each of our vendors to ensure our day flowed well and our guests (and the two of us) were taken care of! We could not have chosen better. Thank you so much to Davis and the Sanderling! We will be back for our anniversaries!

to pick and made sure everything ran smoothly the day of. We knew we wanted a beach wedding, and having it at the Sanderling made planning so easy.

vendor adjustments, and skirting a thunderstorm, our day went off without a hitch. Throughout our planning year, Davis was available for any and all questions we had, helped us choose vendors, and guided us through all the many traditions and norms wedding planning entails. She really got to know us and our families and we felt special even though the Sanderling handles many weddings every single week. I couldn't have picked a better venue or coordinator if I had a billion-dollar budget!

edding. We chose the elopement package at the Event House deck and had our ceremony on the beach. With this package, Davis made everything very easy and contracted out our officiant, florist, and baker. Despite only having less than two months to plan everything, the day was absolutely flawless and this was all thanks to Davis and all of the amazing staff at the Sanderling Resort. We wanted an easy and low stress planning process at a beautiful location and I don't believe we would have gotten this anywhere else.

mack dab in the middle of hurricane season. Luckily we hit JACKPOT on both! Debbie, our amazing wedding planner, put both my wife and me at immediate ease when we met her. She was/is amazing. Deb was there for us to answer any questions, give advice, and to calm the two of us down. I cannot thank her enough. Deb made sure our special day was WAY more than the two of us could have ever dreamed. Deb's only downside was that she was not a Patriots fan ;). Sanderling is the most amazing place to get married and the food and service are second to none. If you are thinking about getting married on the Outer Banks Sanderling is the only way to go! And if you are lucky enough to have Deb as your wedding planner, trust you're in the best hands on the island.

he venue is stunning, especially the sunset on the pavillion deck. Food was delicious and there were so many options. If you want a stress free, beautiful, laid-back beach wedding, The Sanderling is your venue!

n not say enough good things about her! We were planning from far away for this destination wedding and she made everything so easy on us. We had our perfect wedding because she was there to help us make it happen. She made sure to keep any stress should could off of us, which I really appreciated. Our ceremony was on the upper deck over looking the ocean, which was perfect for our 37 guests to all fit on top of together. The cocktail hour and reception were outside of the event house. I loved this space because we had so many different areas for our guests to enjoy themselves. We had a dance floor, fire pit with s'mores, cornhole, large jenga, and a bar with beer canoe. Having a destination wedding has its challenges, but the Sanderling Resort made it very easy for us. Our guests had the most amazing time and we had the wedding we dreamed of. We can't wait to spend anniversaries at the Sanderling!

h. Davis' listened to all of our thoughts and provided wonderful advice. All of our guests had an amazing time and have not stopped raving about the food. We cannot recommend the Sanderling enough

are still talking about how wonderful the food and desserts were.

wait to go back!

THE MIDDLE OF A HURRICANE. That's right folks A HURRICANE (or tropical storm but whatever) and I would not have changed a thing! It was the most perfect and thrilling life experience I could ever ask for. If it is within your means, DO NOT WAIT, book the Sanderling for your wedding. Rain or Shine, they know how to throw one hell of a party.

s, and knowledgable. With its views of the Sound and the Ocean, you cannot get a better location. Before our wedding, I would have written a 5-star review about the Sanderling and gush about its impressive qualities. However, it's what happened during our wedding that has made me a life-long loyal guest. We got married during Hurricane Matthew. The week leading up to the wedding was tortuous as we awaited what would happen to the wedding we had planned for two-and-a-half years. It was excruciating. Yet, Taylor and the Sanderling staff never wavered in their positivity. We knew we were in extremely capable hands. The wedding was beautiful and everything went smoothly, even if the plans abruptly changed. The Sanderling knows what it's doing. You can trust them and let them take the lead--even during a Hurricane.

ig day with no issues. The food provided was so delicious...all 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.

The resort is very beautiful and perfect for an Outer Banks beach 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!

he beach AND sound sides of the island. We had two events hosted 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!

job of taking care of the bride the entire time - even when we 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!!

by the way!) and the entire process could not have been more special, 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. :)

f me and my guests. My mother and my bridesmaids raved about how 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.

The Sanderling is a beautiful resort and their staff is nothing 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.

They worked diligently throughout, were an absolute pleasure to 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...

was one of the busiest people present, she took out time to sit 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!!

thly, while letting us create a unique wedding that really felt 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.

to family. He had lived in the Outer Banks years ago and suggested 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!

Special Event Manager. From that first call, Debbie was straightforward, 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.

d I was warned by just about everyone I talked to that plenty of 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!

concern and I was able to enjoy myself Everything was flawlessly 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!!

t our ceremony outdoors and the weather was perfect and the views 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.

hank them enough!

hrough the Sanderling, handled everything flawlessly from start 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

ately greeted by name and given the VIP treatment. The ceremony 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.

professionalism for a perfect wedding. We strongly encourage everyone to expirence the wonderful staff and beautiful accommodation of the Sandling Resort!!!!

se cleaning Etc. Debbie Norris was our coordinator and Taylor her 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!

g, creating an incredible weekend that we will always cherish and 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!