choosing a ceremony site

[MNbride07]

I just got engaged a little over a week ago!! I want to start planning our big day because we're planning on getting married in just over a year from now. Our biggest question is where we want to get married. My fiance and I are not "involved" in a church right now. Plus, I'd rather not get married in a church without the intention of continuing attending there. We would love an outdoor wedding, but having to pick not only the actual ceremony site but also an alternative place in case of bad weather seems like a lot of work. Did anyone else have a not-so-easy time deciding on a ceremony site?

[SoontobeMrsClark07]

Mine was really easy, but I know of a couple of people who had the same dilemma. Around here, there are a lot of places that will let you have the ceremony there in case of bad weather. These are places like hotels, banquet halls, and things like that. Sometimes you can find reception halls or venues that have an indoor and outdoor ceremony site that you can just use according to the weather. You might want to also consider a tent if you fall in love with an outdoor place. You might also try a pavillion. They can sometimes block rain and give the ceremony an outdoor feel.

[LaceyinPgh]

I had a really hard time and finally gave in to what someone else wanted. Three months later, I regret it now. If you are looking for an outdoor wedding that will provide a back up rain location, start calling around to local hotels (often they have gardens) and local country clubs. Usually those will be your safest bets. I know that several wedding sites also include local listings you can sort through by area. You might want to give that a try.

[Kacie_bride]

I had a hard time finding a site too. I live in a small town and go to a small church that is not big enough to fit all my guest in. I finally found a little woodsy type resort.

[kevinsbride2B]

My hard part came deciding cause i didn't know what I wanted and I wanted it all!!! We're getting married next September and as much as I would have loved the outdoors I just thought about the weather in September and how un-trusting it is. For our reception we chose an old hotel with a HUGE flowery courtyard attached. Thatway we can have guests out there before dinner and incase it rains we can move it all into the lobby of the ballroom.

[Twigler]

We were in the same boat you were. We were going to have it at a church I used to go to, but we started having problems with the pastor. So since my parents live in the country (not too far out of town but far enough for privacy), and because we have a big empty grassy lot, we decided to have it there. It is going to mean a lot more to me anyways because it is where I have lived my entire life and I can always keep that idea with me. As for the weather issure, we are just going to have some big tents around in case it starts to rain or if it is really hot. If worse comes to worse, we are going to have the ceremony at the VFW (where our reception is). There are going to be a lot more costs with having the wedding at our house (more decorations, the cost of the rented chairs, maybe an alter, etc) but I think it is going to be really worth while! I know it is a scary decision, and not all brides want to be faced with the stress of the weather, so you will need to decide if having an outdoor ceremony is worth it to you. Let me know if you have any questions and Welcome to Onewed!!!

[septemberbride06]

Ours is outdoors (September 9, 2006) Just over 18 days away!!! Anyway, We ddi not pick a seperate location in case of rain. We are having it in a local park pavillion. It is covered,a nd hopefully it doesn't rain!!