The Year for a Fairytale Wedding

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The Year for a Fairytale Wedding

Stay Stateside and Still Feel Like a Princess

edited by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady

For what seems like forever, millions of little girls have dreamed of growing up, meeting their handsome prince, and living happily ever after in the palace following a fairytale wedding. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t Kate Middleton, and life certainly isn’t a Disney movie, but that’s ok, because those little girls have grown up, and their version of a perfect wedding “palace” may be a bit different now.

So let Kate Middleton have Prince William and Buckingham Palace. On this side of the pond, a bride can still feel like a princess and enjoy the royal treatment on her special day at one of these hotel palaces – complete with a wedding coordinator at her beck-and-call.

Aurora Inn & E.B. Morgan House – Finger Lakes

From the handsome Federal style red brick of the Aurora Inn to the commanding grey Italianate exterior of E.B. Morgan House [named one of Travel + Leisure’s most romantic hotels in 2011] where green ivy snakes its way between the arched windows of the façade, weddings at these two sister properties [which can be used in tandem or solo] tend to mirror the same elegant stateliness of the two historic estates. Picturesque green lawns roll down to the sparkling waters of Lake Cayuga, setting the perfect scene for an outdoor wedding with old world elegance. A wedding day coordinator is included with every wedding, so that couples can truly spend the day enjoying themselves and their guests, and of course the celebrated cuisine of executive chef Greg Rhoad and one of the divine dessert displays created by pastry chef extraordinaire, Trina Meyers – 14 different sinfully delicious desserts in addition to wedding cake. Toast the start of a wonderful life together with local wines from the Finger Lakes Wine Trail – or send personalized bottles home with guests as a party favor.

WWW.aurora-inn.com
866.364.8808

The Clifton Inn – Virginia Piedmont

With an elegant warmth and nostalgic grandeur akin to a royal country manor, The Clifton Inn seamlessly blends the world-class service and exquisite dining one would expect from a Relais & Châteaux caliber hotel with the intimacy and personalization of a private estate. Every bride is equipped with both a day-of wedding coordinator and a personal assistant who will take care of everything. Eighteen guest accommodations allow the bridal party to stay close to the festivities, while elegantly appointed outbuildings including The Carriage House and the Honeymoon Cottage offer the newlywed couple privacy. With beautiful mountain vistas, Clifton’s 100 acres [which were a gift to Thomas Jefferson’s daughter and her husband upon their own marriage] offers a variety of settings – including a side croquet pitch tucked beneath towering trees and enclosed by a handsome brick wall – a favorite ceremony site; a spacious slate-covered pool deck perfect for cocktail hours; a permanent tent foundation on site – with a dance floor customized to match the wedding colors; and a striking wine cellar that makes a truly unique rehearsal dinner setting.

WWW.thecliftoninn.com
888.971.1800

The Roxbury – Catskills

Couples can celebrate their love in a spontaneous, romantic, and rather dramatic fashion with an elopement getaway to The Roxbury, where a dazzling new elopement menu includes an officiant for the ceremony, passes to the Shimmer Spa, and a customized keepsake to commemorate the occasion. Five packages highlight five of the super-chic motel’s unique guest accommodations – all of which are distinctive, many of which reinterpret the worlds created by popular television shows and movies from the 1960s and 70s. A wedding coordinator will oversee all of the details once couples select one of the five experience options – such as, for example, the opportunity for couples to take their love to the limit with the Final Frontier experience. An intimate ceremony beneath the magnificent suite’s twinkling stars will ensure the union lives long and prospers; in honor of their union, the couple will have a star named for them and will receive a framed certificate recognizing their new celestial tribute. And about that palace? The Roxbury’s towering turrets lend a bit of royal flair to the big day. WWW.theroxburymotel.com

607.326.7200