Destination wedding and honeymoon locations close to home can save time and …

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Stacy Teter was just starting to plan her wedding at a winery in Northern California when she came up with a better idea: Why not have the wedding at Walden, the small, upscale inn in Aurora?

“We wanted our close friends and family to be there,” said Teter, of Strongsville. And Walden was already a favorite getaway destination for her and then-fiance Todd Teter.

So with just a few months to go until the big day, she switched gears and starting planning for a close-to-home destination wedding.

It’s a growing trend. For years now, brides and grooms have liked the idea of linking their special day at a special destination. The only problem: The farther away you go, the fewer friends and family members are able to join you.

“This is the better way to do it, closer to home,” said Kendra Buchanan, the catering sales manager at Maumee Bay State Park Lodge, a resort on Lake Erie just east of Toledo. She hears from many brides who say, “We want something on the water, but we can’t get to the ocean.”

And on a beautiful summer day with the sun setting over the lake, Maumee Bay makes a pretty convincing substitute for a more tropical beach locale.

There are many locations throughout Ohio and surrounding states that make picture-perfect wedding destinations. Most also double as terrific honeymoon alternatives for couples who don’t have the time or money to go farther.

Among the options:

* Ohio’s state park lodges, which offer natural beauty alongside a range of resort amenities. Maumee Bay has a golf course, nature trails, bikes for rent and water sports during the summer. The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake sits in the heart of Northeast Ohio’s premier wine region. And Punderson Manor, in Geauga County, combines the elegance of a historic Tudor lodge with a laid-back park setting.

* For a more upscale atmosphere, try Nemacolin Woodlands, the pricey destination resort about an hour south of Pittsburgh. Spread over 2,000 acres, the resort has 10 venues for wedding ceremonies, from the Grand Ballroom, with Baccarat crystal chandeliers, to the outdoor Pavilion, an increasingly popular choice among brides who favor a more casual atmosphere.

Nemacolin also works as a terrific honeymoon spot – with a top spa, multiple dining options, two golf courses, target shooting, fly fishing, off-road driving and more.

* Other popular honeymoon spots nearby include the Inn at Honey Run, near Berlin in Holmes County; and the Red Maple Inn in Burton. At Honey Run, the super-private honeycomb suites, built into the hillside, are equipped with a patio and gas fireplace; at the Red Maple Inn, couples can choose from among 18 rooms, many of which offer fireplaces, balconies and Jacuzzi tubs. Both locations have the serenity of the Amish countryside, and both work for small destination weddings.

Probably the biggest wedding destination in Ohio, however, isn’t a resort or a cozy inn – it’s the Hocking Hills region in Southeast Ohio, with its spectacular scenery and wide variety of overnight options.

“I call it the wedding capital of Ohio,” says Ed Hoffman, a wedding photographer in the region for the past 30 years.

Hocking Hills State Park issues between 80 and 120 permits per year for outdoor weddings inside the park, according to Robin Donnelly, park program manager. That compares with two or three permits issued per year a decade ago.

The most popular spot inside the park to get married? Hands down, it’s Ash Cave, the stunning sandstone formation with a trickle of water cascading 90 feet from the top. The cave is reached via a quarter-mile handicap-accessible trail, making it appealing to gatherings with older and less-mobile guests.

Another favorite spot for inside-the-park weddings: the Upper Falls at Old Man’s Cave. But Karen Raymore, executive director of the Hocking Hills Tourism Association, said non-park settings are gaining in popularity, as well, from inns and chapels to Uncle Buck’s Riding Stables and Dance Barn – “if cowboy is your theme.”

Indeed, Hoffman initially planned to supplement his photography business by building overnight cabins on his property. Instead, he decided to market his workshop center, the Old Bear’s Den, as a wedding site. “I had 26 weddings here last year,” he said. “It’s been amazing.”

Hocking Hills works as a honeymoon destination, as well, for outdoors lovers at every price point. The area’s more upscale inns — such as A Georgian Manner, Glenlaurel and the Inn at Cedar Falls — offer romance packages that include spa treatments, fine dining and other amenities.

If privacy is paramount, couples can choose among hundreds of remotely located cabins tucked deep in the woods (not so remote, though, that the hot-tub installer couldn’t make it out).

“And then we’ve got honeymooners that come and camp because that’s what they want to do,” said Raymore. “Whatever the taste is, we’ve pretty much got it.”

If your tastes run high end, there is no better choice than Aurora’s Walden — at least not according to AAA, which this month gave Walden its 10th Five Diamond rating, the organization’s highest honor. Walden is the only hotel in Ohio to receive it.

The property features just 22 suites, oversized all, along with three restaurants, a golf course, spa, riding stables, private movie theater, tennis courts and more.

The inn, which hosts an average of 30 weddings a year, can accommodate a reception of up to 300 guests on the resort grounds, according to inn general manager Kate Dobrzeniecki. Some couples rent out the entire inn – at about $8,000 – so they and their family and friends have the run of the place.

The spa is popular with bridal parties before the ceremony. And after the wedding? “A massage the next morning can be a kickoff to the honeymoon,” said Dobrzeniecki.

Some couples, of course, don’t leave Walden to honeymoon.

Stacy and Todd Teter didn’t. They stayed behind for a few days after the guests all left, enjoying the spa, golf course and other amenities.

And they’ve been back several times since, to celebrate their anniversary, birthdays – or nothing at all.

“It’s definitely a place that becomes a special part of your life,” said Dobrzeniecki.

DETAILS ON THESE LOCATIONS, A FEW MORE THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU:

Walden, in Aurora, features a 22-suite inn, spa, golf course, restaurants and more. Room rates start at $285 during the week, $355 on weekends. The RR package offers a fourth night free after three paid nights.

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, in Farmington, Penn., features a variety of accommodations, plus a spa, several restaurants, golf, outdoor activities and more. Off-season room rates start at $200 during the week. 

The Inn at Honey Run in Millersburg features 12 honeycomb suites, 25 lodge rooms and several cottages. Overnight rates start at about $150. 

The Red Maple Inn in Burton has 18 rooms, starting at about $120 a night. 

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources operates nine state park lodges, including resorts at Maumee Bay near Toledo, Punderson Manor in Geauga County, and the Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake in Ashtabula County. For information: ohiostateparklodges.com (for Maumee Bay, Mohican, Salt Fork, Punderson Manor and Deer Creek); greatohiolodges.com (for Shawnee, Burr Oak and Hueston Woods) and thelodgeatgeneva.com (for the Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake).

The Hocking Hills region in Southeast Ohio features hundreds of places to stay and play, including inns, cabins and campgrounds. The Hocking Hills Tourism Association website (explorehockinghills.com) has a link to wedding resources. To reach Hocking Hills State Park: parks.ohiodnr.gov or 740-385-6842.

The swanky Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., is hosting a “Say I Do” wedding event on Sunday, Feb. 16, which features dining, drink and décor workshops; a three-course etiquette luncheon; a fashion show featuring gowns by Vatana Watters; and a special appearance by Monte Durham, wedding consultant and star of TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta!” The event runs 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; overnight packages are available for $489, double occupancy.