From intimate celebrations to grand soirées, the region’s array of reception and ceremony locations hold something for everyone.

Words by Marilyn Odesser-Torpey

Delaware

If a beach wedding is your dream, the oceanfront Addy Sea bed and breakfast in Bethany Beach can give you the backdrop you desire on its front lawn or right in the sand. Inside, the 13-room Victorian mansion, included in the rental cost, is furnished with antiques and original tin ceilings and woodwork. Prices start at $160 per plate, including a full bar and wedding cake or sweets. In season (May, October, June and September), food and beverage minimum is $10,000. Saturday event rental is $6,300 in May and October, and $6,900 in June and September. Sundays are available at a discounted rate. Rental fees and minimums vary during off-season months. 99 Ocean View Pkwy., Bethany Beach; 302-539-3707; addysea.com

At Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club, front and back lawns, where you can rent a tent, provide scenic backdrops to an outdoor ceremony. You can also wed inside the Dunes Room, where floor-to-ceiling windows look out to sweeping views of the golf course. Buffet packages start at $105 per guest; seated dinners start at $120. 7 Clubhouse Drive, Ocean View; 302-537-5600; beartrapdunes.com

At Smyrna’s Belmont Hall, seal your union in the sunken garden (complete with a pergola, pond and two waterfalls) or inside the 1773 Georgian mansion. The house, which can accommodate up to 50 guests, is available year-round. The gardens are open May through October. For an indoor-outdoor wedding, costs start at $520 for 25 people or fewer, and $1,120 for larger parties. 217 Smyrna-Leipsic Road, Smyrna; 302-264-9048; belmonthall.org

Located right on the oceanfront, the posh Victorian Boardwalk Plaza Hotel offers spellbinding panoramic views of the Atlantic. Romantic décor adds to the ambiance with white-lace overlays, gold-rimmed dishware and candles at the center of every table. Hall rental starts at $1,500. Buffet and seated dinners begin at $150 per plate. 2 Olive Ave. & the Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach; 800-332-3224; boardwalkplaza.com

Nothing says romance like a blooming rose garden or a spot in the shade of majestic trees. Find both at Wilmington’s Carriage House at Rockwood Park, along with a four-season reception patio and a fully restored 150-year-old carriage house with stone walls and wooden beams. The surrounding 162-acre park offers a picturesque backdrop for photos. All-inclusive seated or buffet dinner packages, including venue fees, range from $99 to $75.95 per person. Food service is provided by Greenery Caterers. 4671 Washington Street Extension, Wilmington; 302-472-2433, greenerycaterers.com

At Bellevue State Park’s Cauffiel House, up to 100 guests can witness your nuptials from a romantic garden adjacent the Pump House. Follow with a reception in a tent on the lawn, or move the party inside the 1928 Colonial Revival-style home set on the park’s 44 acres. The space includes a formal parlor, dining room and sun porch, where guests can imbibe and dine on delicious small plates prepared by Jeffrey A. Miller Catering. Catering costs start at $111.25 per guest. The house rental fee, which includes overnight accommodations in the seven-bedroom home, as well as continental breakfast the next morning, is $1,000. 1016 Philadelphia Pike, Wilmington; 302-219-3149; jamcater.com

Fully renovated last year, The Counting House Restaurant & Pub is located inside the 1836-built, National Register of Historic Places-listed Brick Hotel in Georgetown. Diverse rooms and dining packages accommodate between 25 and 85 guests. Ceremony packages are between $500 and $1,200; room rentals for cocktail parties and reception range from $500 (for the Union or Side Pub) to $1,200 for the Main Dining Room or Rooftop. In addition to full meals, separately priced specialty stations including tacos, grilled cheese, mac and cheese, and doughnut bars are available. 18 The Circle, Georgetown; 302-856-1836; thecountinghouse.net

Nestled between Wilmington and Newark, The Farmhouse features 4 acres of landscaped grounds and gardens, complete with a ceremony site and pergola. The wraparound deck overlooking the outdoor gazebo bar is the perfect place for a cocktail reception. The house itself, originally built between 1830 and 1840, is warm and welcoming. All-inclusive packages provide a premium open bar, fresh floral centerpieces, wedding cake, two dressing suites and hotel accommodations at the Christiana Hilton, with complimentary shuttle service. The cost is $1,000 for an outdoor ceremony, $750 for indoors. The venue fee for a reception is $500 to $2,000 in season (May to October), $500 to $1,500 off-season (April, July, November and December), and is waived between January and March. Seated brunches and dinners start at $110 per person, dinner buffets at $115. 5600 Old Capitol Trail, Wilmington; 302-999-8477, thefarmhousede.com

A quaint village of lovingly restored 18^th– and 19th-century homes creates a fairytale backdrop for your intimate wedding in Historic Odessa. Have your ceremony in the garden or on the 72-acre front lawn. Afterward, host cocktails on the patio followed by dinner under a tent or inside the Corbit-Sharp House or stone barn. Catering is by Cantwell’s Tavern. Rentals include exclusive access to the grounds, and cost per head falls around $130. 302-378-4119; historicodessa.org

Say “I do” with a view of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal at Thousand Acre Farm in Middletown, where an Amish-built post-and-beam barn features climate control, a fireplace, waterfront views from every window, and all the amenities you need for a rustic-chic reception. One hundred and ten acres of verdant farmland and bridges provide the backdrop for photos. A one-hour complimentary rehearsal and bridal suite with deck are included. Cost is $7,000–$7,900 on weekends, $8,500 holiday weekends, $4,300 weekdays, and the off-season price of $5,200 (including heated barn) on weekends in January through March. 260 S. Reedy Point Road, Middletown; 302-893-3510; thousandacrefarm.com    

Main Line

A stone stairway and landing in the memorial garden at Bolingbroke Mansion in Radnor makes for a dramatic setting for your ceremony, which is followed by cocktails on the side patio. (If you’d prefer, this can be enclosed to keep the elements at bay.) For supper, prepared by Catering by Design, the 1727 fieldstone mansion features four small rooms, each accommodating 30 to 50 guests. Dinners begin at $80 per person. 424 King of Prussia Rd., Radnor; 610-866-9500; bolingbrokemansion.com

Set on 7 acres on the banks of the Delaware River, The Corinthian Yacht Club of Philadelphia, founded in 1892, is one of the oldest yacht clubs in in the country. For an intimate wedding with waterfront views, exchange vows on the front lawn and then toast the occasion in a cocktail tent.  For dinner, move to an indoor space filled with nautical art and artifacts, before heading back outside for a night of dancing. All-inclusive packages start at $125 per person. 300 West 2nd St., Essington; 610-521-4705; corinthianyachtclub.clubhouseonline-e3.com

Celebrate with up to 50 guests at The Duling-Kurtz House & Country Inn in Exton, built in 1830 and decorated with Early-American antiques. Outdoors, manicured lawns, flower gardens and a winding stream set a magical stage for a wedding ceremony. An a la carte menu is available for parties of up to 24 guests; for between 25 and 50 guests, a three-course party menu is available, starting at $45 per plate. 146 South Whitford Rd., Exton; 610-524-1830; dulingkurtz.com

Built in 1860 on a hill overlooking two wooded acres, the Victorian-style Faunbrook Bed & Breakfast in West Chester sets the stage for elegance and can host up to 50 guests; an outside event under a tent holds up to 100. Costs range from $1,200 to $6,400, depending on the season and size of your party. A wedding package includes a one-night stay in all seven guestrooms, as well as a pre-event breakfast. 699 West Rosedale Ave., West Chester; 610-436-5788; faunbrook.com

At the General Warren in Malvern, charming 1745 restaurant and bed & breakfast, choose from a host of ceremony spaces—be it fireside a dining room, in the cozy Spring House (heated in winter), on the terrace or by a formal garden with flowing fountains. From décor to dinner menus, every detail is customized for your tastes by the property’s owner. The North Room, overlooking the Spring House and its terrace, holds 15 to 25 guests, while the Carriage Room holds 25 to 40 and the Admiral Vernon up to 50. The restaurant can accommodate up to 130 guests. For weddings with fewer than 20 guests, dinner starts at $80 per plate; for larger parties, $100 per plate. For the ceremony, which can be added if the reception is also booked here, the cost  is $100 for 50 or fewer guests, and $200 for parties larger than 50. 9 Old Lancaster Rd., Malvern; 610-296-3637; generalwarren.com

The Inn at Grace Winery in Glen Mills features a wooded area out back for a storybook-like ceremony, while a back patio overlooking more greenery is perfect for cocktails. For dinner, the renovated 1750s barley malting barn offers the perfect setting. Cost is $6,500 December through March; $,8500 in April, July, August and November; and $10,500 in May, June, September and October. 50 Sweetwater Rd., Glen Mills; 610-459-4711; gracewinery.com

You’ll feel like royalty at Merion Tribute House in Merion Station, which resembles a castle with its eight landscaped acres, regal arches and balcony from which brides have been tossing their bouquets since 1924. The property offers a scenic spot outdoors for a ceremony, or you can exchange vows in the indoor Legion Room, which holds up to 100 guests, or the Ballroom, for parties over 100. Three front rooms connected to a flagstone terrace serve as cocktail space, and dinner is served in the ballroom. Cost is $2,600 to $6,000. 625 Hazelhurst Ave., Merion Station; 610-664-1267; tributehouse.com

Nestled among 2,600 acres of Ridley Creek Park, Newtown Square’s Parque Ridley Creek is an English Tudor stone mansion surrounded by fountains and formal gardens landscaped by Olmsted Associates, the firm that designed Central Park. Inside, a grand stairway and glamorous oak-paneled ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows and stone fireplace offer ample room for dining and dancing. Catering is by Peachtree Catering and Events, which also offers kosher options. All-inclusive buffet and seated dinner packages start at $170 per guest. 351 Gradyville Rd., Newtown Square; 484-580-8260; parque-peachtree.com

Modeled after Shakespeare’s home in England, The Saturday Club, built in 1898 with wood beam cathedral ceilings, reflects the classic Tudor style of the Elizabethan era both inside and out. The clubhouse can comfortably fit 100 guests for dinner and dancing. Cost is $1,100 Fridays; $1,400 Saturdays; and $700 Sundays. 117 West Wayne Ave., Wayne;
610-688-9746; saturdayclub.org

Surrounded by a quaint village with preserved 18^th-century architecture and landscaped grounds in Chester Springs, The Washington at Historic Yellow Springs is a former Colonial inn that hosted George Washington and offers outdoor accommodations for a ceremony and cocktail reception. Dinner is served on the first floor inside. A wedding package includes exclusive use of the grounds, including the patio, courtyard, ruins, gazebo and herb garden. Cost is $3,200 to $3,750 May through October; $2,500 to $3,000 April through November; and $2,000 to $2,500 December through March. There is an additional $500 for an outdoor ceremony. 1701 Art School Rd., Chester Springs; 610-827-7414; washington.yellowsprings.org

Wyndham Alumnae House, a 1796 fieldstone farmhouse on the campus of Bryn Mawr College, paints an opulent setting for a dream indoor-outdoor wedding, where guests will also have access to the propert’s gardens and arboretum. Ceremony costs start at $500; reception rental is $1,300. Catering, including an extensive menu offering hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, ranges from $35 to $70. 235 North Merion Ave., Bryn Mawr; 610-526-5234; brynmawr.edu./wyndham