Choosing a Ceremony Site
Although it's your big day, you don't want to make it too difficult for your guests to attend your wedding, or you'll end up with a roomful of grumpy people. For your guests' sake, choose a location that it not too far to drive to or convenient to a major airport. Virginia's main airports are located in the D.C. area, Richmond, Roanoke, Norfolk, Newport News, Lynchburg and Charlottesville. Are there any family members you wish to attend who are too ill or infirm to travel far? For their sake, consider holding your ceremony nearby or, if you're set on a faraway site, be sure to include them in pre- and post-wedding festivities. The same advice applies if you want a destination wedding that a number of your friends will be able to attend; it's a good idea to hold your reception or engagement party near home.Another thing to consider is any facilities you'll need. If you want a sound system, a stage for a band, or special lighting, make sure that the location you're considering can offer those amenities.
Also make sure that your chosen location can accommodate the number of guests you're planning to invite. Will everyone be able to mingle comfortably? Will they be able to park easily?
Some additional tips if you're considering an outdoor wedding:
Think about the weather. Summers in Virginia can be very hot, and winters can be very cold! Spring and fall might be better bets for outdoor weddings, but be prepared for a surprise cold spell or heat wave.
If you settle on an outdoor wedding, be sure to have a rain location ready so you won't be scrambling on the big day. You'll probably have to pay full price for it, but with a little planning you can use this extra location as a reception site or changing room, too. Another option is a tent, but again, this will have to be reserved in advance and paid for.
If your outdoor location is in direct sunlight, the early morning or later afternoon will be better for pictures, but make sure you know where the sun will be; you don't want to blind anybody. You can also pick a shaded area for the bulk of your photos. Also, make sure to visit the location you're considering at the same time of day you plan to hold your wedding.
Outdoor weddings are not for those who would flip out if wind mussed their hair or flowers. There's no controlling the wind!
Popular Virginia Wedding Locations
Wine Country: The wine country in northern Virginia offers couples picturesque views of the Blue Ridge mountains and rolling vineyards, delicious and affordable wines, plus the luxury and fun of private wine-tastings. A few wineries that host weddings include:King Family Vineyards (Crozet): Convenient to Charlottesville, this winery offers guests mountain views, full use of reception and catering facilities, and winery staff.
Breaux Vineyards (Purcellville): As well as the use of terraces, pavilions, and patios, Breaux Vineyards offers the services of a wine educator for a special tasting presentation, customized souvenir wine glasses, and hayrides.
Veramar Vineyard (Berryville): Offers ceremony and reception locations, including a tented fountain courtyard, estate gardens, and tasting rooms with a server; an event coordinator; and a suite for the bride and her wedding party to use for wedding day preparations.
State Parks: If you and your partner love the great outdoors, think about holding your ceremony in or near one of Virginia's many state parks. If you’re the rugged type, you and your guests can camp; you can also stay in cabins or in a nearby resort. A few parks popular for weddings include:
Douthat State Park (Millboro): Tucked away in the Allegheny Mountains, Douthat State Park offers visitors camping, swimming, fishing and boating. Cabins and lodges are available for rent. The amphitheatre by Douthat Lake is popular for wedding ceremonies.
Clayton Lake State Park (Dublin): Located on Clayton Lake in the New River Valley, this park offers swimming, hiking, boating, hunting, and offers several cabins for rent. A gazebo is often used for weddings.
Great Falls Park (Mclean): This park features breathtaking waterfalls, hiking trails, and picnic shelters. Weddings are often performed on the platforms overlooking the falls.
Living History: Virginia is a state rich in history; the state is home of the first permanent New World colony, decisive battles in the Revolutionary War and Civil War and birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The colonial town of Williamsburg has been preserved so that visitors can relive the past.
If you're history buffs, you might like to hold your wedding at one of Virginia's historic plantations or mansions or in historic towns like Williamsburg and Norfolk. Some historic sites for your wedding in Virginia include:
Oatlands Historic House and Gardens (Leesburg): Historic mansion and wheat plantation that offers its lawns and gardens for weddings. Wedding guests can also tour the mansion before or after the event.
Colonial Williamsburg Resort (Williamsburg): Enjoy the luxuries of a resort, including golf, spa, and fine dining, while indulging your historic interests by holding your ceremony in a historic garden or church in Williamsburg.
Beach Weddings in Virginia: Beach fans will love a ceremony on Virginia Beach, the longest stretch of pleasure beach in the world. Depending on your taste, you might want a simple shoreside ceremony, or you might prefer a sand and wind-free ceremony in a hotel ballroom with a long, romantic stroll down the beach later.
If you want a waterfront wedding further from the beach crowds, consider a ceremony in picturesque Chesapeake Bay. Charter a boat, learn to sail or waterski, or just enjoy walking and shopping in one of the area's many historic towns. You could hold your ceremony on a boardwalk, on the deck of a boat, at one of the areas many resorts, or in a garden beside the bay. A few ceremony sites along the shore to get your search started:
Tides Inn (Irvington): Luxury resort adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay offering wedding planning, ceremony and reception space, catering, and other services to couples and guests.
Virginia Beach Wedding Chapel: Full-service wedding company offering use of their chapel by the sea as well as the services of wedding officiants, planners, and accessories.
Great Neck Park (Virginia Beach): A 70-acre park overlooking Lynnhaven Bay; the gazebo is a popular site for weddings.
Contemporary Art Center of Virginia (Virginia Beach): For a sand- and wind-free wedding near the beach, check out the Contemporary Art Center; hold your ceremony amid sculpture (featuring a chandelier by renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly) and live trees, and invite your guests to stroll through the art galleries before and after the ceremony.
