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Museums, parks give weddings elegance, simplicity

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By Meredith Moss, Staff Writer Updated 6:00 PM Thursday, December 31, 2009

Couples have a vast array of wedding venues from which to choose. Ceremonies and receptions may take place in settings from botanical gardens to wineries, from pretty backyards to favorite restaurants. Adventurous couples have exchanged vows atop a climbing wall and under water.

A study by Brides magazine published in the January issue makes it clear that all aspects of the American wedding have been re-invented — including the locations. According to the study, fewer than half of weddings now take place in a house of worship. One-third of couples marry outdoors.

We photographed each of our brides in a setting that seemed to complement her personal style (see pages 16-17):

• What better fits the Princess bride than a hotel ballroom complete with sparkling chandelier? We captured our Cinderella bride at the Dayton Marriott, 1414 S. Patterson Blvd., where hundreds of couples have tied the knot over the years. Wedding specialist Maureen Gallagher-Ogles says it’s one-stop shopping: The hotel, which can accommodate weddings ranging from 50 to 500 guests, offers in-house catering, and certified wedding planners. Out-of-town guests can stay at the hotel, and rehearsal dinners and brunches can be held there as well. To check out packages, see www.daytonmarriottweddings. com or call (937) 226-6836.

• America’s Packard Museum, 420 S. Ludlow St., is an ideal venue for our off-beat bride — before and after the ceremony guests can check out the gorgeous vintage cars and the bridal couple can also make arrangements to arrive or depart in them. The Main Museum, built in 1917, accommodates 200 for a sit-down dinner; the Packard Pavilion can handle 350. To schedule a site visit, contact Donna Whitby, events director at (937) 226-1710.

• We took our trendy bride to the beautiful Wintergarten at the Schuster Center where a wide array of ceremony/banquet options are available. The culinary team from Citilites prepares the menus, and any number of guests — even 1,000 — can be accommodated. For more information, contact Renita Brown-Smith at (937)228-7591, ext. 3629.

• The elegant bride will feel at home surrounded by beautiful art at the Dayton Art Institute. Each year local couples celebrate their important day in the Great Hall, the Entrance Rotunda or the Gothic Cloister. For an additional fee to provide for security, galleries can be open for the evening. Catering is by Elegant Fare. For information, see www.daytonartinstitute.org. Or call Chuck Barnett, director of facility rentals, at (937) 223-5277.

• The bride who loves nature or a simple setting will want to consider a park, arboretum or nature center. For our photos, we chose Aullwood Audubon Center where couples can have a wedding indoors or outside — some have chosen to marry among the animals at Aullwood Farm!

The Aullwood auditorium can seat up to 160; you can hire your own caterer. Aullwood’s Ardith Hamilton says she encourages and offers suggestions for eco-friendly green weddings. She suggests serving food buffet-style to reduce waste and decorating with natural items like bamboo, plants, trees, moss and wheat grass paired with soy candles or low lighting.

“We have had couples give seedlings as wedding favors,” said Hamilton. You can contact her at (937) 890-7360.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2440 or mmoss@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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