flowerartgarden.com

The beautiful city of Boston and surrounding area has lots to offer when it comes to weddings: Modern and historic venues, great hotels and restaurants, beaches and harbors. Below is a small sampling of Yankee hospitality.

Marry in style at The Castle at Boston University;  or choose a cozier setting like The Cambridge Swedenborg Chapel ,a Gothic-revival stone chapel near the famous Harvard Square. The Harding Allen Estate in Barre, Ma is a quick 90 minutes from Boston and offers a vareity of reception services.  Another beautiful venue is Blue Inn on the beach, located on Plum Island.Sightseeing is a must.  Below, A view of famous Beacon Hill’s Acorn Street; Boston’s Chinatown; Downtown Boston known as Back Bay. For a land and water tour try the wacky Duck Tour which starts out as a land vehicle then splashes into the harbor.

History is everywhere in Boston.  The House of Paul Revere is one of the features on the Freedom Trail tour.

Quaint shops abound on Newberry Street.Below a photo of The Harbor Islands regatta and some New England delicacies including Boston Cream Pie and Pork with clams.

New Orleans, of course, with its Ghost Tours, Voodoo Tours, Cemetery Tours and all around spooky feeling.

Photos:  The French Quarter;  St. Roch Cemetery.

Salem, MA always comes to mind at Halloween.  The Witchy town has taken full advantage of its history with many dark offerings for the season.

Photos:  An historic Salem house; The Salem Witch Museum.

 Above right: Seattle’s underground city (Today’s Seattle was built on top of  it) is said to be haunted.

If you prefer a haunted hotel, and who wouldn’t right?…then check out the ones below.  Photos:  The famous Stanley Hotel in Colorado was the inspiration for Stephen King’s “Overlook Hotel” in the movie “The Shining”; Thayer’s B&B in Minnesota offers Ghost Hunting packages and Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre; a room at The Thomas Whaley House in San Diego looks creepy enough for me; and last, the haunted Union Station Hotel in Nashville, TN.

You don’t have to travel to Germany to add a Bavarian flavor to your wedding, although I’m sure that would be fun.  Photos:  An updated Dirndl from designer Anina W.

Baumkuchen or German “Tree Cake” is a traditional favorite.

The spectacular Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany. 

A dish of Sauerbraten would be right at home at a German-style wedding.  The Bavarian Inn of Frankenmuth in Frankenmuth, MI, is also a wedding venue.

Other Photos:  A traditional Wedding Cup; Chrisities.com, New York, shows off a German, silver  Monteith bowl.  At a worth of between $50,000 and $80,000 its a little pricey for a wedding gift but a great idea for a similar, less expensive find.  Below, beautiful bridal wear from German designer, Karl Lagerfeld.

There is no scarcity of unusual wedding chapels and venues deep in the heart.  You can go for traditional, mix it up with Tex-Mex or flat out do it western style.

Photos:  The historic Ball-Eddleman-McFarland House in historic Ft. Worth offers facilities for weddings.

A western wedding cake from AZCakes.com

The charming Briscoe Manor wedding chapel in Richmond, TX.

Colorful Mexican paper flowers.

Castle Douglas in Rockwall gives you a real chance to be a princess for a day or go for the quaint Rose Cottage at Butler’s Court Yard in League City.

All lite-up is the not-so-ordinary Heather’s Glen in Conroe.

Offer your guests a taste of Tex-Mex like the pork ribs below.

Parador House is an historical landmark in Houston offering up lots of wedding day charm.

Throw together an outfit with the flirty little dress below paired with a hat and wedding boots from Satnspurs.com

Other photos: Marbella, Houston, TX; Chapel Dulcinea, Houston; Villa Antonia Chapel, Austin.

A wedding in Mexico-so much to choose from.  Here is a little photo collection of some venues, locations, and accessories.

In the Tampa Bay area everyone knows Clearwater Beach, and St. Pete Beach but did you know that just a little north of Clearwater you can find some small town charm to add to your wedding?

Below are a few photos covering Palm Harbor, Dunedin and Tarpon Springs.

The Witch’s Brew brews up some coffee and treats on Old Palm Harbor’s main street.

Known as the White Chapel you can hold your wedding in historic style.

Caladesi Island wins best beach awards for a reason.

Dunedin, one the cutest towns you’ll find is home to Bon Appetit Restaurant and Sunset Ballroom. 

Flannagan’s Irish Pub can also host a wedding.

Don’t forget to check out romantic Honeymoon Island.  Weddings are held at the Innsbrook Resort and Golf Club, Palm Harbor.

Head to Tarpon Springs, a mostly greek village which hosts the annual dive for the Epiphany Cross.  If you get there in January you can witness young men throw themselves into the icy water for this traditional prize. 

Tarpon Springs also features the famous Sponge Docks, The beautiful St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral and Pappas Dockside Venue.  If you want to really travel back in time marry at the Safety Harbor Church.  Safety Harbor also features one of nicest main streets anywhere.

You can do mountain or lakeside lodges, Swanky hotels, or celebrate at The Native Heritage Museum.  Rent a train why don’t you.. available from Alaska railroad.  Want your ride to turn into a pumpkin at midnight?…There’s a coach waiting just for you… or rough it through wilderness with a whole team of horses.

You don’t have to look hard for natural beauty and nature at its purest.  But wild as it is, you will still find wedding cakes, catering, wedding attire and the usual trimmings.

At Chena Hotsprings Resort you can visit the Ice Museum or have your wedding beneath an Aurora experience.

In San Francisco you can more or less choose any type of wedding you want.

Here we show a few locations for ceremony and reception and a few famous landmarks.

I was fortunate enough to spend some time in San Francisco a few years back.  Its a city that leaves its mark on your memory and emotions.  In many ways its amost a country unto itself with so many different things to see and do, from bright city lights to wine country to historic landmarks.  Rich in history and natural beauty, San Francisco also rivals the best of world-famous cities with its magnificant architecture.  If ever there was a place made for photography buffs… and weddings, this is it.

I am showing just a sampling, in two parts, of all that is available in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

As a transplanted (to Florida) dyed-in-the-wool Brooklynite, I know New York well.  Although the media often portrays NYC as a fast-moving, mega-city, the truth is that Manhattan and the outer boroughs, are really a collection of small towns, each neighborhood having its own distinct characteristics and ethnicity.

When you factor in expansive Long Island, Upper-class Westchester, and rural upstate New York, the wedding/honeymoon possibilities are endless.

The New York Metro area, also known as the tri-state area, consists of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.  These other states have so much to contribute on their own that I will feature them separately at a later time.

I’ve chosen just a few venues, and wedding items to give you an idea of all that is available.

Photos:  You may get to actually see a Ben-Israel cake instead of Just photos or drop by Kleinfeld for designer wedding dresses or visit Bellina custom-order Bridal Designs.  Cakeline is also out of New York.  Then catch the subway to Brooklyn and check out Bridal Style Boutique for cute headgear or to see a wonderful Michelle Doll wedding cake.

Get hitched at St. Bartholomew’s church and party at the St. Bart’s Cafe.  The Midtown loft offers a trendy, edgy open space to hold a memorable reception and an outdoor terrace overlooking the city.

For something funky and unique give The Foundry a try.  It really is an old foundry building retooled for events, located in Long Island City, Queens or…

Get out of town and head out to Long Island to nearby Glen Cove where you can celebrate amid the finery at the Glen Cove Mansion or the quaint charm of the Millerridge Inn in Jericho.  Travel until you reach the end of land and touch the Atlantic Ocean and you can have a romantic lighthouse wedding at the famous Montauk lighthouse, Montauk, NY.

Head North for some spectacular countryside.  The Onteora Mountain House in the Catskill Mountains can give your wedding a view to die for, ditto The Hunter Mountain Resort on Hunter Mountain.