); ?>Couples always tell us that the biggest stressor surrounding their wedding day is rain. It’s no doubt that outdoor wedding ceremonies are ideal, but are they always realistic? Reports say that 2018 was the wettest year on record in over 2 dozen cities across the U.S., including Central PA which had over 67 inches of rain. Looking back at our first wedding season, roughly 80% of our wedding ceremonies had to be indoors due to weather. So, how can you keep rain from ruining your wedding? The answer is simple: Select a venue that has an indoor ceremony option. When searching for your wedding venue, consider spaces that only have a separate indoor ceremony option, one that is not the reception room just flipped. Trust us on this. Not only will your guests feel that they are experiencing two amazing spaces at your venue, but it also offers less stress. Why?
Consider the following: It’s raining on your wedding and the ceremony is being held in the reception space. You are officially married, now what? Where do your guests go for cocktail hour while the room is being flipped? Where are you going to get photos indoors, now that you can’t go outdoors? Historic Ashland has already solved all of those problems for you. Our lower level is 5,000 square feet of climate controlled event space including two ceremony options, built-in bar, and intimate lighting. Couples can access the Loft for photos as well as the upper level of the Lodge and Mansion for photos. These indoor spaces provide options for countless, unique wedding photos. If the weather is looking undesirable, we will ask you to make a decision for your ceremony by noon the day of your wedding.
Historic Ashland clients can also elect to get married indoors, regardless of the weather. Some couples don’t want to worry about the weather, thus, getting married indoors is always an option. We even have some couples getting married on the upper level. (You’ll see photos of this below). It’s easy at Historic Ashland. The ceremony and cocktail hours take place on the lower level, and then guests are escorted upstairs for the reception.
So, when searching for your wedding venue, make sure you ask these questions so rain doesn’t ruin your wedding day:
- What is the rain plan?
- When do we need to make a decision to move indoors?
- Who sets up the ceremony?
- If the ceremony is in the same place as the reception, where do guests go during the room flip?
- Do we have options to select from for the ceremony?
