Graceland, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee

No, we aren't about to huddle down for a Paul Simon themed wedding, but instead to go with number three on my list of classic/cliched wedding venues-- Memphis!

Known for Beale Street and Graceland, Memphis isn't home to a whole lot else. I lived there for five years, and in spite of continued protestations from native Memphians, I just can't find much to live on. A wedding weekend away, however, is another story entirely!

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Graceland is one of those places that people of all ages from all over the world will come to visit; during Death Week, tourists from the UK, Spain, and Russia pour in to the city to walk through the gates of Graceland and pay homage to the King. The chapel on the grounds is a nice, simple looking cottage with enough room for family and friends while still providing an intimate feel. The reception is where Graceland truly shines, though!

Catering options include everything from Hog Wild BBQ (which I like better than Corky's, also an option) to The Peabody, and their venues can hold anywhere from 65 to 1200 people! They also have a full staff for event planning and can do the entire thing for you in one fell swoop. Much like Atlantic City, Graceland is looking to make me obsolete!

Memphis itself has several options for weekenders looking for something fun-- the FedEx Forum hosts sporting events and concerts, The Peabody holds High Tea and has the world-famous ducks that march from the roof of the hotel down to the lobby, and Beale Street continues to put out amazing music and food to go with the libations! For those of you with family nervous about traveling, the airport is small and easy to navigate!

In Midtown Memphis, you'll find local restaurants like Bosco's (which would host a mean rehearsal dinner) and the Bayou (which would be perfect for a gator-loving bachelor party), and my absolute hands down favorite BBQ outside of Texas-- Central BBQ. There's also the Brooks Museum for an afternoon of art, and Overton Park right beside it if you're looking for a picnic.

Sure, I'm not a big fan of Memphis, but if you're looking for a classic/cliche wedding location it can't be beat!

Atlantic City Wedding!

So, you're thinking to yourself much like I was that Jersey ain't known for romance... lately, it's mostly known for Jersey Shore (which I have never watched and still know lots about-- that's how prevalent it is) and it seems to always be in the constant state of mockery for it's nickname, "The Garden State." In my previous life as an airline ASA/CSA I knew it for Newark, the least on time airport in the world and home to the people who hated to be forced to fly there.

Great way to start a blog entry on weddings, amirite?

It's because of all these things that places like Atlantic City have had to step up their game and reinvent themselves, though, and that's why my second "classic/cliche" (if you can find a way to combine those two words, I will pay you. In love.) wedding destination is Atlantic City, NJ-- the Vegas of the East Coast.

You can honestly tell a lot about a city by the website they put together-- my hometown's website, for example, is simple, cute, and functional which is very Decatur. Cities in the middle of nowhere mostly go for simple and functional with most attempts at attractive thrown out the window. Atlantic City has gone all out and created a subtly snazzy website with a lot of information, pictures, and links for the inquisitive tourist.

Much like Niagara Falls, Atlantic City has made tourism its bread and butter. They have spots on their site specifically for tour groups and meeting planners, so clearly they have this down. If you're looking to do a wedding that is well executed, you don't even need to hire someone like me. Dear God, Atlantic City, NJ just made me obsolete!

ANYWAY-- you're wondering how a casino town could be a great place for a wedding? I mean, sure, Vegas but Vegas is THE casino town, right? Apparently not-- I, for one, would be all about this view on my wedding day:

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I'm right, right? So anywhere that's smart enough to have views like this is bound to have good food, right? One Atlantic is where this shot was taken, and they feature a wide array of attractive attributes. You know, outside of the shiny shiny above. Not only do they cater, but they cater with attention to organic food and farm to table supply chains! They are a Two Star Certified Green Event Facility, which is fantastic and lends a little more credibility to that Garden State thing... 

Outside of the venue, Atlantic City provides plenty of fun in the sun (and shade) for the wedding party on the go. The website even has a section on "Free" and "low cost" options in the area, which is a catch! Like any good casino city, there are also some amazing restaurant options-- everything from sushi to burgers and boardwalk fare. Another fantastic point? The website (I know, quiet about the website already) says it's 72 degrees there! I'm not sure about where you are, but here it's 81 feels like 84 and that's a cool night this week! Add to list of summer wedding destinations? Yes.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that I've already sold myself on Atlantic City and I'd sworn previously I was never going to set foot in NJ... just goes to show you what a fantastic website will do for tourism. Oh, and a completely re-vamped public image... Well played, Atlantic City, second on my "classic/cliche" weddings list!

About that...

You know how you have lots of projects around the house that you start and then "real life" (aka, your job) gets in the way and you lose track of it all and before you know it all the berries in the fridge aren't good anymore? Well, I set up some automatic updates and apparently massively messed that up, so that's why you haven't seen any posts from me this week! I'm fixing that for the week to come and hopefully we won't end up with more bad berries-- I mean, unposted blog entries! So, amazingly cliche weddings, here we come!

LOVE!

Internet drama aside, I'm baaaaack! And I'm so happy to come back to the blog on this note-- the first same sex couples were married in New York this week!!

All politics aside, I'm in this business because I love love and the sight of so many happy faces and so many wonderful people finally getting to celebrate their love just brings tears of joy to my eyes.

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I'm not going to lie, I also am a huge fan of The Office and love the cheesy Niagra Falls wedding, so these lovely ladies definitely caught my eye and have inspired me to look at some classic wedding spots that we don't think about because we want something new and inventive, and this week will be dedicated to all the  newlyweds in NY-- best wishes and many happy years to you all!