Venues
Bella Collina
Envision a wedding destination with breathtaking panoramic views of rolling green hills and lakes, Italian cypress towering overhead and Old World architecture. You can be married amid such beautiful scenery only 40 minutes from Orlando at Bella Collina in Montverde. Bella Collina’s Tuscan-inspired clubhouse (above) can accommodate up to 200 guests in an intimate setting that includes a grand event lawn overlooking a picturesque countryside. The clubhouse is a modernized version of a quaint Italian village, with a spa and salon available to help a bride and her attendants prepare for the big day. 407-469-4945; bellacollina.com
The Peabody Orlando
Stately palm trees, cascading waterfalls (above), exotic orchids, and priceless art and artifacts present beautiful backdrops for a wedding and reception at the newly expanded and completely renovated Peabody Orlando. The luxury I-Drive hotel features lavish and spacious guestrooms with rich wood tones and smooth granite, a spa and salon, several restaurants and bars, marble halls, outdoor gardens, sparkling pools, and ballrooms that can accommodate any size of event. Wedding packages, which are customized for each bride and groom, include chiavari chairs, floor-length specialty ivory linens, and a wedding cake and consultation with a pastry chef. 407-352-4000, ext. 4408; PeabodyOrlando.com
Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate
This palatial resort about 30 minutes southwest of Orlando has everything on site to accommodate a destination wedding, whether it’s a one-day event or a multiday retreat for the wedding party. On the grounds are a deluxe spa, restaurants, bars, pools, luxury villas, the David Leadbetter Golf Academy and two Greg Norman-designed ChampionsGate golf courses. The bride and her bridal brood will love the space and comfort that the two- and three-bedroom Villas at ChampionsGate afford for primping and preparing on the big day. If the wedding party wants to relax before the big event, the bride and her BFFs can head to the spa while the groom and his entourage hit the links. The Omni has a beautifully landscaped outdoor area (below right) that offers a perfect setting for saying “I do.” Afterwards, the newlyweds and guests walk only a few feet to an Omni ballroom (above right) for the reception. Wedding packages encompass champagne toasts, the elegantly tiered wedding cake, passed hors d’oeuvres and a gourmet three-course dinner (with one dedicated server per 15 guests). 407-390-6664; omnihotels.com
