10 Exciting Destination Wedding Locations in the U.S.

 

(This story was originally published in Cocktails and Joints)

 

Destination weddings can take away a lot of the hassle – and cost – from the bride and groom, but it’s difficult to plan when your guests don’t want to leave the U.S.  You can still find some exciting places to head out of town for your nuptials without anyone needing to make a trip to the passport office. In fact, you may find some of these places offer unique scenery you won’t get on an island.

Geyserville, California

Geyserville, California

Between the Mayacamas Mountains and the vineyards, the backdrop for your ceremony will be amazing at the Geyserville Inn. This Sonoma accommodation is laid back and attentive at the same time. It’s family owned and there’s only one wedding at a time. Guests can stay right at the Inn in one of the well-appointed 41 rooms or suites.

You should also consider the rehearsal dinner or next day brunch at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. It may be in the heart of Sonoma, but it’s part Europe with a bit of Hollywood. The property includes a castle the Academy Award-winning director had designed to look like the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.

Infinite Monkey Theorem Winery

Denver, Colorado

Forget everything you know about wineries and consider Infinite Monkey Theorem for a destination wedding venue everyone will be talking about. This urban winery doesn’t have a vineyard. Instead, they have a warehouse for their canned wine (which happens to be delicious).

Their tasting room and lounges are located in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood and Infinite Monkey has become a popular location for untraditional weddings.  Just a short drive away, the Springhill Suites Downtown Denver offers oversized rooms and a great location to put your guests up in. 

The Resort at Longboat Key Club

Longboat Key, Florida

If you still want that tropical beach wedding, but you don’t want to leave the country, The Resort at Longboat Key is your answer. Here you can enjoy the best of both worlds with a marina, golf club, beach, pools, and multiple restaurants, all a short drive from Sarasota.

Longboat Key offers a selection of venues for your ceremony, from the beach to the banquet rooms. You’ll also find plenty of suite and apartment accommodations to satisfy everyone coming to your wedding.

Deer Path Inn

Lake Forest, Illinois

How about a classic and historic inn for your destination wedding? Deer Path Inn is modeled after an English manor and has the pedigree to match, having housed Chicago’s elite and Hollywood stars since the 1860s. Every touch to details will be available to your guests at this luxury property, where limousines and butlers are readily available.

Consider the English Garden for your ceremony, followed by a cocktail hour in Windsor Hall. With only 55 rooms in this boutique hotel, you can take over the place with a wedding no one will ever forget.

Newfields

Indianapolis, Indiana

Whether you are looking for classic scenery or old time beauty, the Newfields property can provide it. IMA is located on the 26-acre estate known as Oldfields that also includes the Lilly House & Gardens. The photo possibilities for the wedding ceremony are endless and will not disappoint.

 

For your reception, chose from venues such as the Garden Terrace built by J. K. Lilly Jr., or the Deer Zink Pavilion. Plan to take a gondola through White River State Park before the event, and have the family stay downtown at JW Marriott, which stands above Indianapolis, but is convenient to all.

Mackinac Island

Michigan

Time will stop for your destination wedding on Mackinac Island. You won’t have a problem finding a horse and buggy here as it is the top mode of transportation – cars are not allowed. As for the ceremony, it’s easy to find a spot. Fort Holmes is the highest point on the island and the latest popular wedding location, but you can’t go wrong at the Grand Hotel, which has the longest front porch in the world.

The Grand Hotel is the obvious place to stay on Mackinac, but quite a few bed and breakfasts line the shore if any of your guests want a bit of privacy of their own.

Rafael Winery

Peconic, New York

Napa may have started the destination wedding winery scene, but the North Fork of Long Island has mastered it. Enjoy the beauty of the Rafael Winery vineyards for your ceremony and their Renaissance Room for your reception. Or, make it a quiet ceremony on the porch. Whether you rent out the whole winery or just bring the family, this spot is so beautiful you’ll never forget it.

For the best enjoyment of the east end, try the spring or fall when things are quieter and you’ll have a selection of reasonably priced rooms to choose from, even if your guests want to stay in the Hamptons.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Cleveland, Ohio

The ultimate destination wedding venue for a music lover is the home of rock and roll, Cleveland, where you can have your nuptials at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They can accommodate weddings for as few as 20 and as many as 2,000.

If you’d like to have the ceremony in a spot that’s a bit quieter, try the waterfront, overlooking Lake Erie. Your guests will be more than comfortable staying at the Westin Downtown Cleveland, which is walking distance away. The Urban Farmer at the hotel is a great spot for your rehearsal dinner.

Big Cypress Lodge and Bass Pro Shop

Memphis, Tennessee

For outdoors lovers, a visit to a Bass Pro Shop is always a treat, but what about getting married in one? The Pyramid is one of the most unique locals you will ever see. Inside is the largest Bass Pro Shop in the country, as well as Big Cypress Lodge, a hotel within the store. The 103 rustic rooms in this hotel look out at the store in a site like you’ve never seen before.

In the center of the pyramid is the tallest free standing elevator in the U.S. This elevator will take you to the top of the pyramid, where you’ll find a circular bar and surrounding deck that offers a 360-degree view of Memphis, with a bit of Arkansas and Mississippi.

The Edgewater

Madison, Wisconsin

Let your wedding have one destination at The Edgewater on Lake Mendoza. Regardless of the season you’ll be guaranteed some amazing views for your ceremony and reception whether you are up at the Sky Bar or down by the beach. The Edgewater accommodates small and large events, with everything taken care of from your rehearsal dinner to the post-wedding brunch.

Be sure to set up your appointments at the Edgewater Spa for your bridal party, where the specialize in wedding services. You can also take a yoga class to make sure you are fully pampered and relaxed for the big day.

Joliet: A Historical Prison and Rock and Roll History

 The first Illinois Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction was delayed because of the pandemic. When they rescheduled, I was ready to go experience this exciting night – and spend some time checking out the city of Joliet.

I took my friend Lisa along. It had been quite a while since we had traveled together, but we certainly had a lot of trips behind us.

Our first stop was at a place I’ve never been to in any city, a prison. We spent about two hours on a private tour exploring one of the most famous in the country. Old Joliet Prison, which was featured in the Blues Brothers movie.  

 

Given the importance of keeping a lot of the historical artifacts, the accessibility to every building wasn’t available to me. I still felt I got to see a lot from the outside in my scooter. I let Lisa do the deeper exploring and picture taking.

It was even more interesting to hear about how important these structures were to the development of the prison system in the state, and one might say to the United States. The first prisoners arrived at this facility in 1858 and it was a functioning place of incarceration until 2002.

We also learned about two books that tell a lot of the story, Joliet Prison Blues and Old Joliet Prison: When Convicts Wore Stripes, both by Amy Kinzer Steidinger. The boxes depict a lot of the treatment of prisoners, which was criticized in later years.

After we left the prison, we were more than ready for lunch and headed to downtown Joliet. Lunch was at Chevre Latin Café.

It was a nice day to sit out on the patio. The food was both excellent and unusual. We shared some empanadas, then Lisa had the Café Steak Bowl, and I had the Chicken Bowl with Plantains. We were too stuffed for dessert, but we ordered lattes and picked up Cheesecakes by James next door to bring back to our hotel. We settled on one cherry and one turtle.

 

Before we went to the hotel, we met up with some other journalists at the Bishop Hill Winery for tastings. We didn’t stay long because I was tired and wanted to put my feet up before the night’s festivities.

We quickly checked into Harrah’s Joliet Hotel. It was a nice hotel. It wasn’t quite like some of the previous Harrah’s properties I had stayed at, but had a few restaurants and a large casino. It was also within walking distance (in my case mobility scooter) of everything we would be going to that evening and the next day.

I always like a reason to get dressed up and I did so for the event, as did Lisa.  It was being held at the Rialto Theater, a beautiful and historic building in Joliet. The Illinois Hall of Fame was the brainchild of Ron Romero, the President & Founder of the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66. He was (and is) determined to bring publicity to the huge collection of music that has come out of the state.

Many people don’t realize how many top performers come from Illinois and this first induction class was certainly a good sampling: Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon, Chicago, Buddy Guy, Muddy Water, Dick Biondi, Larry Lujack, Ides of March, The Buckinghams, WLS Radio, and Chess Records.

 

The show was phenomenal, with representation from all the Hall of Famers, including Kevin Cronin from REO, and the full bands of The Buckinghams and the Ides of March. The rest were video acceptances, and live tributes by those such as Blues legend John Primer.*

It was quite an evening. I never saw so many people standing and singing for so long. Everyone knew the songs and it was one big giant singalong, especially for moments such as The Buckinghams singing “Kind of A Drag.”

If I hadn’t been so tired from the long day, I would have loved to get to know some of the performers, but it would have to wait for the next one. Lisa and I headed back to the hotel. We hadn’t really had dinner in the rushed evening, but there was the cheesecake. Yes, both pieces were delicious.

 

*For more specifics on the concert, check out this story.

I was hosted on this trip, but opinions are my own. 

Click for Next Day's Blog

Rock Hall and More in Cleveland

I always relish trips with hotels and resorts because they keep the schedules light so you can enjoy their accommodations.

Westin Cleveland Downtown had brought me to Ohio to write about their equisitely renovated property.

I had a leisurely first day exploring and day two was about checking out a few of the top sites. I was especially looking forward to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I slept in and hit the gym at the Westin Cleveland. They had spared no expense in the remodeling and stocking the fitness studio with state-of-the-art equipment, televisions, headphones, and even water and towels.

After a pilates workout, I went back to the room to shower and order my breakfast from room service.

I had a yogurt parfait with lots of berries, as well as an order of blackberry pancakes.

My first stop of the day was at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where I was getting a private tour from Director of Communications Shauna Wilson.

The excitement was mounting as I got closer and closer to the building, which reminded me a bit of the Louvre.

Outside the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a sign dedicating this spot as the “Birthplace of Rock ‘N’ Roll.

These dedication is due to one person, Alan Freed, a Cleveland disc jockey who used the term “rock and roll” for the first time in 1951.

Once inside, I found Shauna and the tour began. Every time I walked past something, I would be more and more amazed.

I stopped to text a picture of Jerry Garcia’s guitar to my brother, a true Deadhead, then marveled at the Inductee Class display.

On every turn, there was something remarkable, as you can see from just a sampling of the photographs (more below the text)

I could have easily spent the entire day in the Rock Hall, but I also wanted to get to the Great Lakes Science Center, which was right next door.

I was glad I did leave some time as it was another impressive museum, with lots of interactive displays for kids of all ages to enjoy.

I especially loved the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, dedicated to astronaut and Ohio native John Glenn.

I walked back to the Westin Downtown Cleveland the long way, enjoying a beautiful day.

I had worked up quite an appetite exploring so I decided to have an early dinner.

I was back at the Urban Farmer for dinner and just as impressed as I had been the day before. My dinner started with a bread tray unlike one I had seen before.

I had my own can-sixed corn bread as well as some lightly salted rolls that had a bit of a Bavarian pretzel quantity. While I was tempted to feast on these and cancel my dinner, I’m glad I didn’t.

The smoked chicken with green wheat, date, and rapini was delicious with a side of the Roasted Foraged Mushrooms.

I managed to save room for the S’mores Tart and was glad I did before I headed up to my room for the last time.

In the morning, I grabbed a veggie frittata and housemade English muffin for breakfast before heading to the airport. It had been a great stay at the The Westin Cleveland Downtown and I knew would be heading back to this city again soon.