GayWeddings.com

When this oft-asked question about finding a site comes up, I encourage GLBT couples to talk about kind of ceremony they envision before selecting a ceremony site. Would you want to do this in a religious-oriented setting (church, synagogue, etc.)? How many people would you like to have? General logistics & planning challenges notwithstanding, it's relatively easy to create a ceremony that will help you and your partner feel "married" and you don't have to select a religious institution for your ceremony.

To get married in a non-religious setting, you can looking into booking a B & B, an event space, a park, a botanical garden, a hotel suite, museum space, etc. You are truly only limited by your imagination and the options in your city.

From there, you can look into hiring an officiant to help you design the ceremony or to conduct your service. I recommend you check our vendor directory listings for folks in your area or search for other non-denominational officiants who advertise locally. Celebrant USA is also a great resource and serves many states.

If you have the time to consider becoming a member of a congregation, the Unitarian Universalist Church and the MCC Church are in most cities and are supportive and welcoming churches. I know that some Episcoplian Churches will open their doors to gay couples and Synagogues in the Reform tradition are also supportive. I'm sure that there are other religious traditions I have missed, which support same-sex couples.

So, help me out... has anyone else found some great resources for finding a ceremony site?

Fortunately, we live in an urban area, so we were actually overwhelmed with choices. Of course, all were very expensive. What really helped us was to pay close attention at each wedding we attended during the time we were engaged, taking close note of those things we really liked and didn't about the wedding space.

In the end, we realized that what we really liked was a location that allowed us to express our love of the outdoors and created a warm and inviting space for an intimate wedding. We also really liked the idea of having a ceremony/reception at the same location. We ended up finding a wonderful conference facility that allowed us to house all of our guests. This gave us more time with our loved ones and meant that no one had to worry about getting lost between the ceremony and the dinner.

quote:

Originally posted by Kathryn:
When this oft-asked question about finding a site comes up, I encourage GLBT couples to talk about kind of ceremony they envision before selecting a ceremony site.

*snip*

So, help me out... has anyone else found some great resources for finding a ceremony site?

Reception sites that routinely have weddings will have the low-down on all the ceremony options in the area, in a way that you would never be able to figure out on your own. This is particularly helpful if you are getting married someplace where you do not live, or if you are providing the officiant or even just you do not want to join a congregation to get married someplace. I know that seems a bit backwards (you'd think that you'd pick the ceremony site first, then find reception options nearby), but reception halls and their staff are usually treasure troves of wedding information, and they will save you a huge amount of time and effort in finding ceremony options. All the reception halls we looked at (all across VT) were able to give us a comprehensive listing of ceremony options, and we were able to get in touch with those and figure out which ceremony and reception combination best met our needs.

We ended up getting married in a tiny church just down the street from the reception hall that was filled to the brim with our guests. It is a historical building that is only open for private events like concerts, and we never ever would have thought to contact them had our reception site not told us about it. Being able to walk from ceremony to reception was so convenient, and the church caretaker could not have been more lovely! It was an Episcopalian church, we were bringing a Lutheran pastor, and we were the first same-sex ceremony in the space. We were also the first couple to have a ceremony there during the winter, since it had no electricity.

Oh, and I absolutely agree 100% that it is a good idea to have a ballpark estimate of how many guests you'll have going into the process. An in turn, it's very very important to have at least a rough guest-list draft before you start looking, because if either set of parents are contributing to hosting the wedding, they will probably have ideas about who should be invited that might make the guest list way bigger than you think possible. Size for the larger-than-expected guest list (about twice as big as we thought) was the single biggest eliminator of reception and ceremony options for us.

I know I am partial but... Wyoming is so beautiful full of mountains and trees. We are definatly coming around in the way of the stigma. I am hoping to have my wedding here in an outdoor chapel on the way to Yellowstone. I would totally check it out.

Speaking as a Reverend, I think that if you can dream it you can do it! You first need to think about what type of setting would be perfect for you! I know that is a big decision to make and a very personal one. That is why on my website www.marriagesondemand.com I say we want to make YOUR dreams come true. You need to find someone who will do it the way you always dreamed it could be. Someone who will officiate where ever you want the ceremony to be. Then you really can have it the way you want it. Then the possibilities are endless... In a park,at a sporting event,on the beach, at an amusement park, in a hot tub, at a swimming pool, on a golf course, on horseback, on a roller coaster, at an historic location, in a museum, in a hall, see almost any place at all.

Best Wishes,
God Bless,
Rev Bill

Sonoma County's Wine Country in Northern California! It's gorgeous and the weather is always amazing.
We are located just over an hour North of SF and can easily accomodate groups for the intimate destination ceremony.
www.domenichelliwines.com click to farmhouse for more information.

When looking at ceremony venues there is a lot you have to take into account. How many people are you expecting? Is this area handicap accessible (especially wheelchair accessible) for your guests? If its outside what is their contigency plan in case of rain or if it gets too hot? What is included in the price? How long has the venue been hosting weddings? Can you bring in outside vendors or can you only use the ones they list (hotels are known for only allowing specific vendors inside)? Even how close are the bathrooms? How far away i sthe reception area from the ceremony site (important if you don't want your guests to drive 45 minutes from one place to the other)?

We wanted an outdoor ceremony in a garden setting that was still intimate. The place we chose not only had a beautiful garden terrace area but also an area inside in case of rain. They use the foyer area for cocktails and cheese trays while you have all your pictures taken. My favorite part was that the reception area was only 20 feet away from ceremony area which was a must for us. I also liked that they did not schedule any other event to take place in their garden or surrounding areas until after the reception ends. So whatever it is that you do look for there will always be a place that will fit it.