The Vanlandingham Estate is located in Charlotte, and provides a beautiful outdoor backdrop for this wedding.

Congratulations Karen & Matthew!

Thanks to Lem Lynch Photography for providing the images!

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Congratulations Sasha & Chet!

Thanks to Lem Lynch Photography for providing the images!

Brides – Have your wedding featured on WedShops! Click here for more information

Photographers click here to submit a wedding.

View previous featured weddings.

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Their engagement portrait was photographed at the University of South Carolina campus in Columbia, SC, and the Bridal Portrait was shot at Reedy River park in Greenville, SC.

Congrats Courtney and Jon!

Thanks to Lem Lynch Photography for providing the images!

Brides – Have your wedding featured on WedShops! Click here for more information

Photographers click here to submit a wedding.

View previous featured weddings.

Alert guests well in advance

Send your invitations a couple months earlier than you would for a regular wedding. This ensure that your guests have enough time to plan ahead. A destination wedding usually requires people to take several days off work, and invest a good deal of money into travel. Informing your guests as early as possible gives them the time to get their schedule sorted out, and their travel plans finalized. One great idea is to send a “Save the Date” card 6-8 months prior to the wedding before sending a formal invitation.  This gives your guests plenty of time to adjust their plans.

Check your hotel for group rates

Many resorts or hotels – particularly in popular travel destinations – will often have bulk group rates for rooms or services. If not, many will give you and your guests free upgrades. Make sure to find out well in advance.

Travel somewhere reasonably priced…

…if you want most of your guest list to attend. While a wedding in an Irish Castle might seem like a great idea, keep in mind that it will be cost prohibitive to many of your guests. Consider a destination location that’s not so far that people will a) not be able to afford it and b) not be able to attend due to time restrictions.

Keep in mind that some people will not attend. Don’t be offended.

Remember that no matter where you have your destination wedding, a good chunk of your guest list simply wont be able to make it. You have to go into your wedding planning with this in mind, and not get offended when some of your guests can’t make it – even if they are close friends or family. And make sure they know that its OK if they don’t attend. You may even want to state this in your invitation.

Hire a local wedding planner.

It will be very difficult to deal with all the details and intricacies of your wedding from afar. Make sure to get a local planner to help you out. Local planners know all of the good venues and vendors, and can help you out immensely. And many have a great deal of experience dealing specifically with destination weddings. Working with a good wedding director can take a lot of these hassles out of your hands and make your wedding day run smoothly.

If you are hiring local vendors, make sure to get references.

Depending on where you are getting married, there are likely plenty of wedding vendors. Make sure you get at least a couple references from previous clients and real brides before hiring anyone. This is especially true if you are getting married in another country where seeking legal damages for a lousy vendor can be difficult if not impossible.

Research marriage laws.

Research local laws for marriage, and do so well in advance. This is especially true if you’re getting married outside the country. But some states have different laws as well. Some locations require great deals of paperwork, blood tests, and all sorts of other requirements. Make sure to look into this before planning your ceremony.

Arrive early to make sure everything will run smoothly.

Make sure to show up at least a day or two in advance of the wedding. This will enable you to visit all of your venues and do a dry run of your wedding. It will also put your mind at ease and reduce your stress level significantly.

Thanks to Lem Lynch Photography for the images.

Do you have any great destination wedding tips! Leave a comment below!

Planning an outdoor wedding in the Charlotte area? Outdoor weddings can be wonderful, but there are some factors you may want to consider.

Have a backup plan in case of weather.

You plan your wedding so far in advance that there is no way to determine what the weather will be like.  What if it rains?  Good venues will have an indoor area where you can move your wedding in case of inclement weather.

Alert your guests.

Make sure everyone knows that your ceremony will be outdoors.  Don’t assume everyone knows that the ceremony or reception is outside.  Guests may have allergies or other issues that you may not know about.  The polite thing to do is give them warning so they can so they can prepare appropriately.

Be aware of the sun.

If you’re having a mid-day ceremony, consider that the sun may be beating down on your guests and you may want to have a brief ceremony.  Getting married a little later in the evening might be a great idea – but keep in mind: if you have your ceremony at sunset; be sure that your guests are not staring straight into the sun.

Be aware of insects

- especially in spring, and especially if it has been rainy lately.  Setting up citronella candles or fans can clear the air of mosquitoes.  Also, some venues will spray an area for bugs before your wedding – be sure to check.

Consider the temperature.

If it is hot and you are having an outdoor reception, it’s a bad idea to have food that cannot stand up to being outdoors.  Things like fish or anything with mayonnaise should be avoided.  If your outdoor reception will last into the night, it may get colder.  Make sure your reception venue has indoor space, or be sure to let your guests know that it may get a little chilly.

Working with a good wedding director can take a lot of these hassles out of your hands.  Great venues – like the ones listed below – have taken into account all of these considerations (and many more!) and will assist you greatly in making your outdoor wedding perfect.

Check out these great outdoor wedding venues:

Victorian Crow’s Nest

Monroe, NC

Located close to Charlotte in Monroe, NC, the Victorian Crow’s Nest is a beautiful Victorian styled wedding venue. Available for weddings and receptions, with a capacity of 250.

Learn more about the Victorian Crow’s Nest

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Belmont, NC

Located in Belmont, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a beautiful Botanical Garden that hosts both weddings and receptions. A truly unique location for your wedding. Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Birkdale Golf Club

Huntersville, NC

Located in Huntersville, Birkdale Golf Club is a fantastic location for your wedding. Have your ceremony outdoors on the lawn, then celebrate your reception inside the Palmer Pavilion. Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about Birkdale Golf Club

University Hilton

Charlotte, NC

Located in uptown Charlotte, the Hilton Charlotte University Place provides an urban outdoor location for your wedding. Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about The University Hilton.

Carrigan Farms

Mooresville, NC

Located Mooresville, Carrigan Farms features a beautiful rock quarry and a sandy beach. Carrigan Farms can host your outdoor wedding and reception from March through November. Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about Carrigan Farms

The Point Lake Club

Mooresville, NC

Located just north of Charlotte in Mooresville on the shores of Lake Norman, The Point Lake and Golf Club is a beautiful location for your wedding and reception. Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about The Point Lake Club.

The Peninsula Yacht Club

Cornelius, NC

Located on the picturesque shores of Lake Norman, The Peninsula Yacht Club’s quiet elegance offers an unparalleled experience on your wedding day.  Weddings and receptions.

Learn more about The Peninsula Yacht Club.

Note:  Most of the venues listed below have several areas within their venues with different capacities to match the size of any wedding.

Founder’s Hall

Capacity: 500-1000

Located right in the heart of downtown Charlotte at the corner of Trade and Tryon in the Bank of America Corporate Center is Founder’s Hall.  Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about weddings at Founder’s Hall.

Belk Chapel

Capacity:  500

Located in the Myers Park area of Charlotte on the campus of Queen’s Univeristy, Belk Chapel is one of the most popular locations for your wedding ceremony.  Available for weddings only.

Learn more about Belk Chapel.

The Point Lake Club

Capacity: 500/Reception  230/Ceremony

Located just north of Charlotte in Mooresville on the shores of Lake Norman, The Point Lake and Golf Club is a beautiful location for your wedding and reception.  Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about The Point Lake Club.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Capacity:  300

Located in Belmont, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a beautiful Botanical Garden that hosts both weddings and receptions.  A truly unique location for your wedding.  Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Carrigan Farms

Capacity: 300

Located Mooresville, Carrigan Farms features a beautiful rock quarry and a sandy beach.  Carrigan Farms can host your outdoor wedding and reception from March through November.  Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about Carrigan Farms

Birkdale Golf Club

Capacity: 250

Located in Huntersville, Birkdale Golf Club is a fantastic location for your wedding.  Have your ceremony outdoors on the lawn, then celebrate your reception inside the Palmer Pavilion.  Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about Birkdale Golf Club

Rumbling Bald Resort

Capacity: 200-300

If your looking to get a little farther outside of Charlotte, Rumbling Bald Resort on scenic Lake Lure may be perfect for you.  Available for weddings and receptions.

Learn more about Rumbling Bald Resort.

Image by Lem Lynch Photography

Located on Lake Norman just minutes north of Charlotte, The Point Lake Club is one of the area’s premiere locations for weddings.

Arrive by boat for your ceremony at the Lake Club with beautiful Lake Norman in the background – or get married in one of the Point’s other lovely facilities.

The point has several facilities for ceremonies of different sizes and layouts, ensuring that you can get the perfect venue to match the size and scale of your wedding.

The Point also has a chef on staff that can help you create a custom menu for your reception.  Anything from hors d’ouvres to fully plated meals can be made to your specifications.

Want to learn more about The Point Lake Club?

For more information about the Point, including photos and contact information, click here.

Find other beautiful Charlotte Wedding Venues!