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Great film locations make fabulous wedding destinations

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Thursday, October 1, 2009 5:00 PM

Destination Weddings & Honeymoons

Great film locations make fabulous wedding destinations

Courtesy of Rosecliff

Take a page from the scripts of the most romantic movies ever made and have your wedding at a site that is part of movie history. Tammy Levent, CEO of Elite Travel, tells you where you can be the star of your own romance.

Somewhere in Time
The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island was the meeting place for Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour in Somewhere in Time. Just traveling to the hotel is like going back in time since no motorized vehicles are allowed on the island; transportation is only by horse and carriage or bicycle. The Grand Hotel was built in 1887 and has hosted Mark Twain, Thomas Edison and five U.S. presidents - and six First Ladies helped decorate the six rooms now bearing their names. Basic rooms start at $235, and while larger weddings and receptions are pricey ($5000 minimum), the Romantic Wedding Package for two to ten people is priced from $900 (weekday) to $1500 (weekend). That includes...
a garden ceremony, or ceremony on the Front Porch, a bouquet and boutonniere, a wedding cake and a Champagne toast for the wedding party. Another option for the ceremony site is the gazebo that was created specifically for Somewhere in Time. It is now situated on bluffs overlooking the lake, east of Fort Mackinac, and can be rented for $800.

Gone with the Wind
A number of antebellum mansions claim to be the inspiration for Scarlett's beloved "Tara" from Gone with the Wind, but the movie itself was mostly filmed on a studio backlot in California. However, Nottoway mansion, built in 1859 and located in the middle of Louisiana's Plantation Country, is everything Tara should be. The original owner built the White Ballroom with the weddings of his seven daughters in mind and it continues to hold weddings today. Reception packages range from $90 to $136 per person and include an open bar, dinner, floral centerpieces, some photography, and at the higher end, an additional cocktail hour inside the mansion. Having the wedding ceremony at the mansion costs $500, and receptions must be held at the mansion also. Out of town wedding guests receive discounted rates on rooms, and full plantation breakfasts and welcome beverages are included for those staying the night.

The Great Gatsby
Rosecliff, one of Newport, Rhode Island's magnificent Gilded Age mansions, was the home of The Great Gatsby in the 1974 film. More recently, scenes were filmed there for 27 Dresses (2008) starring Katherine Heigl. The mansion, or "cottage," was modeled after the Grand Trianon at Versailles and was built with the purpose of hosting grand events. The ballroom is the largest in Newport and has windows from floor to ceiling that look out over the ocean and the estate's gardens. Ceremonies are often held on the lawn with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres served on the covered terrace. Dinner, with room for dancing, takes place in the Grand Ballroom where the tango scene in True Lies was filmed. Gatsby's mansion isn't for budget weddings. During the high season, from June to September, a Saturday wedding is $15,000 for 4 hours; an October wedding on a Friday or Sunday can be as low as $7500. Prices are for the venue rental alone, but tents, tables, chairs, parking and event staff can double the rate. —Tammy Levent

comments (2)

category: Destination Weddings & Honeymoons
Comments
1. A number of antebellum mansions claim to be the inspiration for Scarlett's beloved "Tara" from Gone with the Wind, but the movie itself was mostly filmed on a studio backlot in California.I love this wedding destinations.
  
  posted by Morgan | October 2, 2009 5:22 AM
2. Those are not bad prices for a destination marriage ceremony and the tent is really beautiful.It reminds me of my Beach Wedding in had in Florida last year.Tents are really cool.
  
  posted by tracy | November 14, 2009 12:06 PM
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