You are definitely making history no matter when or where you say your I Dos. Your families will remember your special day, your children will honor it, and your wedding will end up getting recorded on a family tree, somewhere ages hence. Some couples, though, decide to not only MAKE history but also to honor history when they marry. They do that by choosing a venue of historical interest. No beaches or wineries for these folks. They are into places with a pedigree. So in this blog I thought I would share with you some possible historic venues for your upcoming wedding.
The first I will mention is Westover Plantation. This plantation was built by the Byrd family. That name will sound familiar to you if you know anything about Virginia history. It’s a big name in Virginia politics. Westover overlooks the James River, midway between Richmond and Williamsburg. No doubt the river once served as a highway for the inflow and outflow of spices, tea and tobacco.
The plantation is presently owned and occupied by a wonderful Byrd relation who graciously opens it several times a year for non-profit events, as also for weddings. The rooms are not large, though, so both your wedding and reception would have to be outside. A tent is the way to go for your reception if you decide to stay on-site for that. The plantation home is open for wedding guests to tour at their leisure.
Hanover Courthouse is another historic venue. Patrick Henry, (whose utterance, “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” helped ignite the Revolution), tried and won a case there. The courthouse, built in 1735, is located in Hanover County, Virginia. It is one of the oldest courthouses in our nation. It is small, though, and it presents some logistical problems for weddings. That is because there is not room up front, for a wedding party, and not much room for walking in and out, either. There is no center aisle.
There is an historic pub across the street, though—a one time waterhole for dear Patrick. The pub is available for rent, for your wedding reception.
Finally, I mention Polegeen Church in Mechanicsville, Va. If like me, you are Presbyterian, you may have heard of this historic church, which sadly, burned to the ground during the Civil War. A memorial structure (see picture) and a visitors’ center stand in its place today. So technically Polegreen is NOT a church any more, but it has a sacred “feel” to it if you get my drift. The church which again, burned to the ground in the 1800’s was built in 1743. It was one of the first non-Anglican churches built in the New World. Samuel Davies was its founding pastor. He later became president of Princeton College (now, Princeton University). Polegreen’s space can be rented for weddings. There is no site for a reception, but there is ample parking in a nearby lot. Your guests could travel elsewhere for your receptionl
That’s it. Using history to make history. Not a bad idea….
Happy wedding planning
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