A Dayton, Ohio Bed and Breakfast Located in Fairborn, OH Just North of Cincinnati & West of Columbus

If the idea of hearing Here Comes the Bride as you walk down a well-worn church aisle makes you want to say "I don't!" then imagine this: The peal of carillon bells over the city of Dayton as you stand on the top step between the columns of the landmark bell tower at Carillon Historical Park.

Or maybe you would prefer a spiraling entrance down a three-story staircase toward your reception in the Wintergarden at the Schuster Performing Arts Center after your ceremony on stage in the Mathile Theatre.

Perhaps you just want to elope in a circle of friends while standing in a grove of pine trees that is so still you can hear the pine cones drop to the ground.

For couples needing a neutral site for an interfaith wedding, who don't like to be beholden to banquet center house rules, or want simply to "Have it Your Way," there are nontraditional alternatives for ceremony sites.

"Some couples just want a relaxing wedding," says Karen Hamilton, owner of the Ohio Barn Bed and Breakfast in Fairborn. Her restored German bank barn, built in 1895, houses two suites on a lower level ideal for bride and groom dressing rooms. For $1500, couples get the barn, the bed and breakfast, a white pergola for the ceremony — even a bonfire for fireside conversation after dark. "You get the run of the place," Hamilton says. "It's a simple start to a new life."

Whatever the reason for a change of pace, something different doesn't have to be decadent. For as little as a requested donation of $150, couples can have their wedding at the pine forest in Glen Helen Nature Preserve in Yellow Springs. At other public parks such as Wegerzyn Gardens and MetroParks and Carillon Historical Park, contributions go directly toward maintaining the historical landmarks. So not only can couples get married in an unusual place, they can feel good about their act of preservation.

At the other end of the scale sits the Benjamin and Miriam Schuster Performing Arts Center, weighing in at a minimum $10,000 price tag for food and beverages. The nuptials there rival Hollywood weddings for lustre and stage drama—some couples have married on the stage of the Mathile Theatre. "At this level, people pull out all the stops," says Lisa Wagner, director of catering. "Once they pay the bill, they can do whatever they want," including stage lighting for the Wintergarden palm trees and elaborate centerpieces reaching 4 feet high.

Alternative wedding locations may offer plenty of creative options, but there are decisions that come with the territory. Hamilton reminds couples to be sure to find an officiant willing to perform a service in their chosen location.

Pat Cavage of Wegerzyn Gardens warns of the weather. "You have to be a brave person if you're going to have an outdoor ceremony, particularly if there's no shelter," she says. "You don't want to get caught in the rain!"

Be prepared as well for a lack of privacy in the public parks. Not that a stranger is going to crash your wedding, but there might be someone flying a kite, says Tina Combs, outdoor wedding coordinator for Carillon Historical Park.

"You're taking a risk," she says. "It's not for everyone."

But some risks carry great rewards. For couples looking for something different, that is exactly what they hope for.

Here is our list of alternative locations to help you customize your wedding and put the "I" in "I do."

Carillon Historical Park

1000 Carillon Boulevard

Couples walk up the long row of steps from Carillon Boulevard to the large concrete apron surrounding the Deeds Carillon bell tower. The carilloneur chimes the bells by hand 15 minutes prior to the wedding and for the bridesmaids' procession, followed by the bridal march for the bride and a recessional after the wedding service.

The area tends to be windy, so they limit the use of arches and loose decorations. Receptions are typically held in one of the historical buildings, such as the train station.

You must be a member of Carillon Historical Park to reserve it; call 293-2841, Ext. 105.

• Cost: $300. The carilloneur is extra.

• Contact: Tina Combs, 866-1751

• Seating: 150-200 people can stand comfortably on the concrete apron surrounding the tower.

• Availability: The first weekend in April through the last weekend in October.

Dayton Art Institute

456 Belmonte Park N.

This is a popular location for formal weddings. The artwork and architecture provides an elegant backdrop for a metropolitan wedding. Enter the Gothic Cloister through a heavy, wooden door topped with stained glass and dance and dine under a glass dome. The Italian Cloister offers an outdoor setting with plenty of stonework and a clay-tile roof atop gothic columns. For extra flair, rent the entire museum. You must be a member of the Dayton Art Institute to book your wedding; family memberships start at $60.

• Cost: Varies, depending on the space.

• Contact: Chuck Barnett, 223-5277

• Seating: Gothic Cloiser, 250; Italian Cloister, 125; great hall and lower court, 125.

• Availability: Year-round. Books well in advance.

Polen Farm

5099 Bigger Road, Kettering

Owned by the City of Kettering, Polen Farm is a 19th-century farmhouse situated on 15 acres. Couples can rent the entire facility, which includes a two-story barn, a gazebo with wrought-iron benches for seating, an outdoor brick patio covered by a tent, and the house, which is connected to a modern banquet room. A large picture window in the house is often used for photographs. A special open house will be held 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

• Cost: The entire facility rents for $1,625.

• Contact: Meredith Quigley, Polen Farm coordinator, 435-9787.

• Seating: 200 at the gazebo, 70 in the house, 60 in the banquet room.

• Availability: April through November, and only a few dates are available in 2005. Plan for 2006.

Ohio Barn Bed and Breakfast

8790 Dayton Road, Fairborn

A restored 1895 German bank barn on 3 acres of land is a one-stop wedding spot. Two private suites, part of the bed and breakfast, on the lower floor of the barn provide dressing rooms. A white pegoda and chairs are used for the ceremony, and then guests walk through the sliding barn doors and up the ramp that used to load equipment into the large main room of the barn. The facility is available on your wedding day from 11 a.m. to midnight, allowing for a leisurely event.

• Cost: $1500 for the entire farm, which includes the bed and breakfast rooms, the barn's large reception space and ground.

• Contact: Karen Hamilton, 878-8015. www.ohiobarnbnb.com

• Seating: Up to 100 guests.

• Availability: Rents May through early October. Several dates are available for 2005.

Wegerzyn Gardens and MetroPark

1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave.

The historic gardens at Wegerzyn Gardens provide storybook backdrops for outdoor weddings. You can hold your ceremony under the arches in the formal red rose garden; in the tidy federal garden reminiscent of Georgetown colonial-era gardens; in the large stone star of the Victorian garden; or in among the columns in the English garden.

• Cost: $250 contribution

• Contact: Pat Cavage, 277-6545. www.metroparks.org.

• Seating: Standing-room only, though they do allows chairs for guests with physical limitations. No facilities are available for receptions.

• Availability: Wegerzyn has several dates available from May 15 through Sept. 30. Held 1-8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays only.

Pine forest, Glen Helen Nature Preserve

Corry Street, Yellow Springs

Originally part of the farm owned by Thomas Mann, founder of Antioch College, the forest was planted in the 1920s as an experiment by the State Division of Forestry. Be prepared to hike to get there — the pine grove is deep in the preserve. You'll stumble upon the quiet den of tall stalks and forest floor bedded with pine needles high on a hill. The pine tree canopy creates unusually quiet acoustics, and it can feel like a hideaway.

• Cost: $150. Groups must make reservations with with the Glen Helen Ecology Institute.

• Contact: Glen Helen Ecology Institute, 767-7375. www.glenhelen.org/navigating_gh.htm.

• Seating: Standing-room only, no more than 30 people.

• Availability: Because it's in a nature preserve, the pine forest doesn't offer options for decorations or personal touches. All vegetation, rocks and stones, wildlife and natural features are protected. Call in advance to see if any large group has registered for your planned date.

America's Packard Museum

420 S. Ludlow St.

Built in 1917, the original factory-owned dealership has a restored Art-Deco showroom with a black-and-white checkerboard floor displaying 50 historic Packard cars. A large pavilion dates back to 1930. Car Collector magazine named the musuem one of the country's 10 best museums in 1998.

• Cost: Museum showroom fee is $350; pavilion is $700. Additional $5 per head for both spaces. Rent a chauferred Packard, starting at $285.

• Contact: Amy Jump, 226-1710; www.americaspackard

museum.org.

• Seating: Seats 200 in the showroom, 500 on the pavilion.

• Availability: 2005 dates are still available. Fridays and weekends in October are extremely popular.

Benham's Grove

166 N. Main St., Centerville

This 19th century farmhouse is an historic oasis in the suburbs. The Victorian home has covered patios and enclosed porches and sits on lanscaped grounds with a large gazebo, cottage, barn and brick walks and terraces. Doubles as an indoor/outdoor venue.

• Cost: The entire complex rents for $1,295 season; parts of the complex range from $235 to $795.

• Contact: 433-1913. www.ci.centerville.oh.us/benhamsgrove

• Seating: The barn seats 80, the house seats 70, and the entire complex accomodates 200 people.

• Availability: Peak season runs May 1 - Oct. 31; off-peak (when rates are cheaper) runs Nov. 1- April 30.

GreatStone Castle

429 N. Ohio Ave., Sidney

A 4,200-square-foot bed and breakfast mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places, GreatStone's construction gives it a castle-like appearance. It features three turrets, 18-inch thick limestone walls, rare hardwoods and stone columns. The "castle" sits on two acres of gardens with 100 year-old oak trees. The facility coordinates all activities and service providers for the wedding.

• Cost: Custom-priced, but approximately $575 indoors, $675 outdoors. Receptions are $7.50 per person, with an $850 minimum on Saturdays.

• Contact: (937) 498-4728. www.greatstonecastle.com

• Seating: A ballroom holds 100; add the reception hall and you can seat 130. Outdoor weddings seat 225.

• Availability: Books about 45 weddings a year.

Schuster Performing Arts Center Wintergarden

Second and Main streets

The Wintergarden is ideal for pulling out at the stops. Pay the minimum food and beverage cost, and everything else is out of pocket — but you have the ultimate in creative freedom. A few couples have held their ceremonies in the Mathile Theatre, where guests watch the nuptials from the theatre seats. Receptions are held in the six-story, light-filled glass atrium of the Wintergarden among the 30-foot palm trees.

• Cost: A minimum $10,000 food and beverage tab includes tables, linens, service, set-up and clean-up. All additional items, such as flowers and decorations, are the responsibility of the wedding party.

• Contact: Lisa Wagner, Director of Catering, 222-1510. www.schustercenter.org.

• Seating: 125-400 people, including a dance floor.

• Availability: Year-round. The Wintergarden is becoming a popular place for weddings—dates for 2005 are mostly booked, so couples will have to wait for 2006.

Contact Stephanie Irwin at 225-2292.

Copyright ©2005 Cox Ohio Publishing, Dayton, Ohio, USA. All rights reserved.