want a destination wedding in ohio

rcarloma

I grew up in Ohio, but my fiance and I currently live in Brooklyn, NY. I have a large family who still lives in Ohio, so we decided on having our wedding near Cleveland/Lake Erie area. I always wanted to have a destination wedding where our guests could hang out for the weekend and have fun. Does anyone have any location ideas or wedding reviews that would be helpful. I am sold on having my wedding in Ohio to make it easier for my family and friends, but I don't want to give up on my hope for a weekend getaway with all our out-of-towners from NY. Please help!

sarapara

Geneva State Lodge in Ashtabula county is gorgeous!  Plus there are lots of wineries nearby that guests can go to.

Or the Put-In-Bay area in Sandusky would be cool

JKohio

Another vote for the lodge at Geneva. A friend of mine was married there and loved the venue.
http://www.thelodgeatgeneva.com/

Also, look into Punderson Manor Lodge in Newbury.
http://www.pundersonmanorstateparklodge.com/

How many guests? Walden Inn in Aurora is gorgeous (but pricey)!
http://yourwalden.com/

AllieKH3

It's not really near Cleveland, but the Hocking Hills is a beautiful area with lots of options for cabin rentals, great scenery, and I've read about weddings being held there often.  It would probably be a 2-3 hour drive, but it would be a nice weekend getaway still in Ohio.
Or you could consider Amish Country.  There are several great bed and breakfasts, cabins, and hotels that accomodate weddings.  It would only be an hour or two from the Cleveland area.

sarapara

Punderson is a good idea too.  Forgot about that one

JKohio

Oh, and outside of the Cleveland and even Akron area... Mohican State Lodge in Loudonville is about 1.5 hours south of Cleveland.

tldh

Don't underestimate just how busy you will be in the days before the wedding.  I had planned on spending time with OOT guests and wound up only seeing them at the wedding.

I lived in Cleveland for ten years.  If you have guests who will be coming in from out of town, may I offer a suggestion for what I did for my wedding in West Chester PA?  Because almost everyone came in from out of town, I blocked rooms in Philadelphia and made some serious goodie bags complete with Philly soft pretzels and beer tucked in with suggestions and tourist brochures.  We e.mailed sports schedules a couple months ahead in case people wanted to plan for that also. 

Most important, we rented a van to drive them from the hotel to the wedding/reception site.  That way, they could enjoy themselves and I didn't have to worry about them drinking and driving on unfamiliar roads. 

Be sure to recommend Lola's, Pickwick and Frolick if they have shows going on that night, The Rock Hall, The Science Center, The Cultural Gardens, Little Italy and the entire theater district.  There is a bus now that goes straight up and down Euclid from downtown to the Clinic.

Don't sell the city short on things to do.  A fellow knottie from South Jersey told me that she and her husband went to Cleveland for a vacation a few weeks ago and had the time of their lives.  She gave me a call out on the boards to tell me she now understands why I had a hard time leaving.

rcarloma

Hello Everyone,
Thanks for the amazing feedback. Just an update...we booked The Lodge at Geneva State Park. I cannot wait for the big day. I am definitely planning on taking advantage of the local attractions and wineries. If anyone has any additional ideas about things to do in the area or other fun ideas, please let me know. We are planning on creating a weekend event and having guests use the lodge as homebase. Thanks again for all the entries.