If you dream of a skyscraper-filled wedding or a ceremony surrounded by ancient buildings, then checking out the best of the best is a must.  Whether tying the knot in the middle of the city or on a cliff that captures the view in full splendor, the city itself makes all the difference in the world.  Discover your true city calling and make yours a destination wedding with this gorgeous collection of concrete.

Prague, Czech Republic

Moscow, Russia

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Istanbul, Turkey

Cape Town, South Africa

Tokyo, Japan

Bangkok, China

Sydney, Australia

New York, New York

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This article was originally posted onBridezilla.

Today, I wanted to talk a little bit about finding a venue. This was pretty difficult for me. Before I was officially engaged, I had my heart set on getting married at Fallingwater, a home designed by the awesome architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.

source

*swoon*

This dream was dashed after my parents told me how disappointed they would be if I didn’t marry in the Catholic church. Plus, this venue only fits 125 people, and we need room for about 300.

Next, we had to think about a venue that could fit that many people and that was less than 30 minutes from my church. I would have loved to have had the reception at the WVU alumni center, but they were already booked. After that fell through, hotels were the only venues I could find that could accommodate our number of guests. (Can you imagine that many people in a tent?!) I started e-mailing hotels and was having trouble finding packages that included things we wanted for under $200 per person + gratuity + tax. I find this absolutely ridiculous for my region. It would be something I would expect from a large city, but not my little town! There had better be two penny weights of gold in that slightly overcooked chicken before I pay that much!

I did find a gorgeous ballroom in a historic hotel downtown that would have been PERFECT, but it would only fit 175. When I found this out, I totally had a Mary/Joseph moment.

Enter: Lakeview Resort. I had thought of Lakeview since it is close to my home, has beautiful views, and would provide gorgeous photographs. I was so nervous coming into the meeting with the coordinator because if this plan fell through, we may have had to hold the reception at Panera. Luckily, the prices she quoted were far more reasonable than the other packages I was given at the other venues. My mom signed the contract on the spot, and a huge load was lifted from my shoulders. Unfortunately, we couldn’t reserve the room with the view of the lake, as it only fit 250. I truly hope we have at least 251 people showing up to our wedding, or I’m going to be a little irked.

The space is a fairly generic hotel ballroom, so they don’t really advertise photos of it, though there are plenty of pictures of the space with the view of the lake. (Imagine that!) I could have been a total creeper and snatched some photos of my venue off of Facebook, but I decided against it.

Here are a few pictures of the venue’s view.

source for above images

Did any of you have these headaches while trying to choose a venue? Did it all end up working out in the end, or did you end up with a concussion from smashing your head against a wall?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

The dress is the shining moment, but unless the venue, the frame for that glorious dress, is equally dazzling the entire event could fall flat.  Of course, dazzling does not have to mean mortgaging the house.  Take inspiration for some optimal locales, including a Hollywood studio and an underwater aquarium, to create the statement you truly want and the memories you’ll truly cherish.

Hooray for Hollywood

Strut right into the high-octane glamorous world of Hollywood set amidst the legendary grounds of The Studios at Paramount; the studio that was once home to Marlene Dietrich, Mae West, Audrey Hepburn and Gloria Swanson.

Receive your guests as they gather around the famed Bronson Gates by the studio’s main promenade.  The ceremony itself can be held in front of the lit up iron gates or it can travel on to studio grounds in front of the fountain at the center of the circular courtyard.  The possibilities are endless as you move into the Paramount Theatre, complete with logo marquee, for your reception or have an outdoor party on one of the many city skyline backlots that have been used in countless movies and television shows.

Maybe you just want to pose with famous movie props for your wedding photos, screen your personal love story in a grand cinema or take your guests on an adventure through a private tour of the entire backlot.  Hollywood really is the land of dreams.

Nature for the Indoor-Lover

Take the outdoors in with an atrium setting.  In your indoor wonderland, you can create the most magnificent outdoor setting of your dreams or even just a whisper of the outdoors with elegant sky high windows mimicking a greenhouse.

Simplistic modernity can be the perfect balance for highly ornate atriums like at The Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC.  On the other end of the spectrum, bold and bright décor at the Rincon Atrium and Yank Sing Restaurant in San Francisco takes “all out” to new levels.

The atrium at The Fairmont Hotel in St. John’s, New Foundland is picturesque at dusk with a stunning view of steep hills.  The Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth, Michigan holds just a peek of atrium opulence juxtaposed with a more traditional and historical floor space, while Brooklyn’s The Palm House is the incarnation of a beautifully domed birdhouse-style atrium.

Where the Wild Things Are

For the animal lover, take the ceremony and reception straight to the zoo and aquarium.  For a sleek, ultra hip feel, scout out your neighborhood aquarium for some amazing underwater finds.  The Pittsburgh, Florida and Georgia aquariums, respectively, are amazing locales for a watery wedding minus the beach.

Bring it above ground for a fun and playful wedding at the zoo.  Feel like you’re on a safari as you exchange rings where nosy giraffes, especially at the Santa Barbara Zoo (image two), poke their head in to see what’s going on.  Watch the wildlife up close at the San Francisco Zoo or stay a safe distance away while at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.

Not Just for the Nerdy

Weddings can celebrate both the love of two people and of great education.  Make your passions or hobbies part of your day by holding the event in your favorite museum.  The Natural History Museum in London is hands down the best venue if a larger-than-life skeleton of a T-Rex is what you want in your theme.  Art lovers can relive the Renaissance at The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.  Seattle’s Museum of Flight is a gift from heaven for aviation enthusiasts.

If being a book worm speaks to your soul, find a quiet space in a public library for your special ceremony.  The Seattle Public Library is very avant garde for those with an industrial-esque wedding theme.  Take it classical or festive at the New York Public Library where just about any theme can be created.  For true book lovers, keep the charm of an old library firmly intact by incorporating a wedding into the already usable reading space like in the Boston Public Library.

It’s your wedding, make a statement! See more unique destination weddings.

This article was originally posted onBridezilla.

Destination: wedding. Bridezilla loves Groomzilla scrawled into the sand. Vows and “I love yous” whispered under a trellis made from a hundred purple orchids. The sun slipping behind the horizon as you stand in a swirling ivory gown.

Not your thing?

“Sunset soiree” and “destination wedding” don’t have to be synonymous. Think outside the beach and jet-set to these ultra romantic and unusual destinations.

The best thing about these three venues: there’s no need for a bikini wax.

Destination: Tower of London

All the ladies wear hats in London. Love it!

Getting hitched at the Ann of Bolyne execution spot might seem morbid; however, the Tower of London also houses the glittering crown jewels and coronation dinnerware that will make you rethink registering at Target. I globe-trotted to the Tower just last month and had the honor of watching this bride, only a few steps from marital bliss.

It was a grand London entrance.  No red carpet – just the click-clack of stilettos on cobblestones.

Destination: The Ice Hotel, Quebec City

It’s another stop on bridezilla’s world wedding tour.  Situated on the St. Lawrence River in Canada, Quebec City is undoubtedly the most romantic city in North America. Everyone speaks French. Charming cafes and courtyards dot every twist and turn. In the winter, the Quebcois build quite literally, the coolest wedding venue:  The Hotel de Glaces, or Ice Hotel.

Snow archways, shimmering crystal sculptures, an ice bar and other accouterments will make your winter wonderland wedding one to remember. It’s burr-eautiful!

Destination: DainTree Ecolodge, Australia

Hey there, environmentzilla – get hitched without hurting mother earth. The DainTree Eco Lodge has 15 “Bayans” (traditional tree houses) shrouded in the world’s oldest rainforest. How is that for romantic? Indulge in an aboringinal massage. Go au natural in the pool.  It’s tranquil. It’s tropic.  But there’s nothing beach about it.

This article was originally posted onBridezilla.

One of my favorite things about where I live is Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, a huge public mosaic installation by Philly native Isaiah Zagar. A few months ago, Mr. S and I went to check it out. We fell in love. It’s so strange and unique and beautiful and colorful. I love the idea of getting married inside a work of art. And I think our guests would love it.

Source

There are also some really practical reasons why this venue will work. First of all, it’s surprisingly affordable to rent for the entire day. And imagine the money we’ll save on decorations! I mean, this place is so colorful and vibrant already that we wouldn’t need much else. It’s close to our home and easy to get to.

But there are a few drawbacks. First of all, if it rains, there is room to put up a tent, but it will seem incredibly crowded. It’s a large installation, but not very roomy, as most of the garden is taken up by a labyrinth of sorts. There is one large area big enough for our tables, but tenting the area may feel a bit claustrophobic. Yes, we’d only have to worry about that in case of rain, but rain could very well happen.

Also, after seeing countless photos of brides and grooms traipsing through fields, farms, and flowers, I began to feel disappointed that there’s not a single patch of NATURE in the gardens.

So, Mr. S and I decided to add the Magic Gardens to our list of contenders, but we continued our venue search…

A few weeks later, Mr. S and I scoped out another venue: Bartram’s Garden, which is the oldest living botanical garden in the U.S., right here in Philadelphia.

It’s in a fairly remote area of the city, and we had to drive through a verrrrry sketchy part of town to get there. Here is a the conversation that Mr. S and I had on our drive there, as we approached the place:

Me: I want to let you know that this garden is apparently located in a pretty crappy neighborhood, according to the reviews I read online. But—

Mr. S: Oh, then I don’t want to get married here.

Me: BUT, the reviews all say that it’s beautiful once you turn off of the street and into the gardens.

Mr. S: Well, some of my family members have never been to Philly before, and I don’t want them to see (gestures to the scenery, which is worsening as we drive) this when they first get here.

Me: Well, what’s more important? What your grandmother thinks about the neighborhood or the fact that we might love it and feel that it’s right for us?

Mr. S: I know. I’m just saying.

Me: Okay, well, just wait until we get there, and please, try to have an open mind?

(Neighborhood gets even worse)

Mr. S: I really don’t know about this.

Me: *Sigh*

And then, we turned into the garden, parked the car, and saw this:

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

It was quaint, lush, and stunning, and right in the middle of the ’hood!

It’s a bit more expensive than the Magic Garden but more versatile in that there is plenty of space to use, and we can use it how we wish. Their preferred caterer is very accommodating and extremely affordable. It is incredibly beautiful in the spring, and I love how it’s not too landscaped or manicured.

After Mr. S and I looked at these two options, we were kind of tired of venue research. Unlike Miss Socks, who had the motivation to check out about a bajillion venues in Philly, Mr. S and I are lazy sloths who would rather lie around our living room watching Netflix than zooming around town checking out wedding sites.

We liked both the Magic Garden and Bartram’s and would be happy to have our wedding at either place. So we decided to make a pros and cons list:

By weighing our options, Philadelphia’s Magic Garden came out the winner by a hair. So it would make sense that we chose it, right?

Except that we didn’t!

We decided that the rustic, historical vibe of Bartram’s Garden was much more fitting for the type of wedding we wanted. Sure, it meant paying a bit more and traveling through a rough part of town to get there, but our intuition told us that Bartram’s was the site for us, so we went for it!

Now that we had our rustic, pastoral backdrop, it was time to get started on planning the par-tay!

How did you decide which venue would be best for you?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

We were engaged… we had our wedding colors all picked out… now what? Well, for me, the most important thing to do next was choose a venue. I really felt like I wasn’t going to be able to do anything else until that was decided on. The venue sets the mood for the entire day—will it be formal or casual? Indoors or outdoors? Gorgeous or hideous? (Just kidding on that last one.)

If we’re being completely honest here, I had a venue in mind for about a month before we even got engaged. This venue was the epitome of the perfect wedding to me… it was everything I had ever dreamed of. Absolute perfection. It is the venue I pictured in my head every time I thought about my wedding, and the only place I could possibly visualize for Mr. C and myself to get married at.

(Source)

Stunning, no?

That, my friends, is the Barr Mansion. Sadly, this venue recently burned down (rather, part of it did), but it is still an amazing venue and will hopefully be back on its feet soon. I actually found out about Barr Mansion through Mrs. Mouse’s posts, and I fell head over heels in love with this place. I had a sneaking suspicion that it was going to be way out of our budget, but for some reason I held onto hope that it would work out. I refused to let myself email them to ask for a price sheet until I was officially engaged, and so as soon as I could reach a computer after that ring was on my finger, I sent off an email asking for more information. Of course, I was right, and there was no way we would be able to afford it. So, it was back to the drawing board for me. Once I got over the sadness of losing my “dream” venue, I pulled out my trusty MacBook and started Googling like crazy! I researched (obsessively) for weeks, trying to find the best place possible for the best price possible. Since this is technically a destination wedding for Mr. Cardigan and me, I wanted to make this as easy as possible for us – I wanted to make sure that I narrowed down the list as far as possible before we visited any places. We would have to make a weekend trip to Austin every time we wanted to visit venues, so I honestly wanted to visit as few as possible.

After a couple of weeks of researching, I felt like I had seen every single wedding venue that existed in Austin. Twice. Maybe even three times. I had a few top contenders, but I just couldn’t decide between them all – they were all so pretty! Soon enough, I had it narrowed down to just a few different choices.

1: Bella Notte on Main

(Source)

This place is seriously gorgeous. Of all the places I looked at, Bella Notte located most conveniently, and I really loved that. It’s located in Round Rock, which is in North Austin, and much closer to where my family lives than a lot of the other places. Their packages come with all of the linens and some very pretty place settings, but they do not have an in-house caterer, which was something that was important to me. I have enough decisions to stress over, I didn’t want to add a caterer to the list! Another thing I loved was that this place has so much natural beauty, you don’t really need many decorations!

The beautiful reception area (Source)

2: Angel Springs Event Center

(Source)

LOVE THIS PLACE! Angel Springs is also located pretty conveniently, in a smaller town in North Austin. It’s in a more secluded area and is surrounded by tons of trees and beautiful hills (we are in the Hill Country, after all!). My absolute favorite thing about Angel Springs was how inclusive it is and the amount of options you have. They have packages for cake, flowers, photography, videography, a coordinator, and tons more. You can choose any or all of them, and you aren’t obligated to go with their photographer, etc. if you don’t want to. Within the different categories, you can choose from a “Sapphire”, “Emerald”, or “Diamond” package, each of which offers a little bit more than the last. It’s a really nice setup, and I loved the convenience of it – especially with how bad I am at making decisions! Plus, this place couldn’t get any more gorgeous:

(Source)

(Source)

I really loved that this place completely showcases the beauty of the hills and greenery in Austin – many people who come visit only see the city, and then end up missing out on all the really gorgeous stuff. The only problem with this venue? $$$$$$$. When I emailed to get pricing on their packages, I almost fell out of my chair. It was not quite as pricey as Barr Mansion, but still way out of my price range! But, with all they offered, they were still on the list – I had to remind myself that the price I was seeing was for almost EVERYTHING!

3: Villa Antonia

(Source)

DROOL. Villa Antonia is the epitome of a Hill Country wedding venue. It’s actually located about 10 minutes away from my parents’ house, on the side of a huge hill. It overlooks the lake, and it is so incredibly, breathtakingly gorgeous. Wanna see more? (Note: All of the following images are from Villa Antonia’s website)

This venue is so incredibly gorgeous, and it showcases all of my favorite parts of “my” side of Austin: the hills, the greenery, and the lake. So beautiful! The only problem? They don’t include much of anything with their package, and they ain’t cheap. Sigh.

4: Vintage Villas (NOTE: Unless otherwise indicated, photos taken from their website)

Ohhh, Vintage Villas. Y’all, this place is so gorgeous it makes my heart skip a beat. I’m serious. Want to see the view?

Yeah. That’s my lake. And the hills! Now, this venue is the furthest away of all of them, as it’s actually located on the opposite side of the lake from where I grew up. This is the one venue on my list that strays from what I consider “my” part of Austin, and goes much closer to the actual city. But it’s still amazing to me that you can be so close to the city itself, and still have these amazing views. For those of you familiar with Austin, this venue is located just down the street from The Oasis and Iguana Grill, two restaurants that are famous for their amazing views of the lake and the sunset. This place had all the natural beauty that I wanted, AND on-site catering. And the inside is just as pretty as the outside:

It sounds cheesy, but the second we stepped onto the property I KNEW I had to get married here. Want to see?

(Source)

(Source)

Yeah, I love this place. I had them send me over some more information, and their packages include a ridiculous amount of extras (like the cake cutting fee, some great free decorations, and all the linens!) and the food descriptions on their menu options made me drool. They have three different areas where you could choose to get married, and I loved them all. The one downside? They don’t have a “One Wedding a Day” policy, so there is a possibility that someone else could be getting married at one of their other areas. I wasn’t a fan of that, but they’re all nicely separated, so it wouldn’t be too huge of a deal.

In the end, the only venue that we ended up visiting was Vintage Villas. And the second we stepped onto the property, I knew this was where Mr. Cardigan and I would be getting married. The area that we chose to get married in is the largest of all the options (and the one where all of the above photos are from) and is fenced off from the other areas, so it also has the most privacy. We have the option of getting married outdoors, which I think would be gorgeous, but since the wedding is in January and I have zero tolerance for cold weather (I grew up in Texas. We don’t do cold.) we chose to get married indoors in what they call the “Sunset Room” (the second photo from the bottom on the above photos). Those huge windows you see overlook the lake and they time the ceremony so it coordinates with the sunset – so while you’re getting married, there is a spectacular view behind you.

I am so incredibly happy with our choice, even if it wasn’t what we originally thought we wanted. In the end, we got a great deal on our venue, and even though it’s closer to downtown Austin than the others, it still really shows off the beauty of my favorite place in the world. When we first started looking, I didn’t realize that having a view of the hills and the lake was all that important to me, but it actually ended up being a huge deciding factor!

How many venues did you visit before finding “The One”?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

You know how it goes: you have a general idea of what you’re looking for, do some research, make some calls, look at a bunch of options. Next, you agonize over the pros and cons and eventually embrace your decision. That was pretty much how we came to choose our wedding venue. If Mr. Seashell is reading, he’s rolling his eyes right now. More on that later.

Going with the tradition of celebrating the wedding where the bride is from, we had come to embrace a Rhode Island wedding. From there, selecting the season was an easy choice: spring is far too unpredictable and rainy, summer is too hot and sticky, winter is a crap-shoot between snowy perfection and gloom, and fall is… well, fall is when New England is at its most gorgeous. The rich, golden, colorful leaves, warm days and cool nights, apple cider, pumpkin picking, sweatshirts and shorts at the beach, and grabbing one last meal of clam cakes and chowder before winter arrives, makes fall my absolute favorite season. Thus, in a venue, we wanted something that felt uniquely New England.

And here it is! The Glen Manor House in Portsmouth, RI: historic, beautiful, surrounded by trees and gardens, set on the water, and very Rhode Island. More than anything, it has an essence and feel that captures everything that makes my home state special.

Photos courtesy of The Glen Manor House website

What elements were important in selecting your venue? Was there something you were hoping your venue would specifically reflect?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

When picking a wedding venue, more and more couples are considering France and Italy, it has been claimed.

According to Kelly Chandler, director at the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners, these locations offer something different to the usual overseas beach settings.

She said that the two European countries have weather and history, plus "you can get stunning castles, stately type homes, all sorts of palaces and literally lovely country manor houses".

Ms Kelly noted that although these types of wedding venues do exist in the UK, they can often be a bit more expensive and "regimented".

As a result, places like France and Italy are becoming increasingly popular among those after a bespoke celebration, especially as they are also known for their "brilliant cuisine", the expert continued.

These comments come after several publications reported that there has been a decline in the number of people jetting off to Hawaii for their nuptials.

One of the first and most important things to book on your 'to do' list. Browse through thousands of wedding venues on hitched.co.uk today

This article was originally posted onHitched.