so you picture sending out your wedding invitations. You’re set to have your wedding in New Jersey because that’s where you and your fiancé grew up. A good majority of your friends and family are from the tri-state area, but you have a lot of friends from out of town who haven’t been exposed to New Jersey. Take it from me, the first thing that comes to mind when you mention New Jersey to someone who has never been here before is ‘New Jersey – isn’t that the armpit of the US’ or ‘What exit’? But both you and I know New Jersey is an exciting state.

So if you’re set on being married in NJ, how do you decide on a specific wedding location? Some of the things you should consider before deciding where exactly in NJ you want the wedding to be is where you’ll be located at the time of your wedding and where most of your guests will be travelling from. Do you currently live in New Jersey? Would you prefer a wedding reception hall in your hometown? Within 30 minutes of your hometown? By the airport if you have a lot of guests coming in from out of town? If the wedding is bigger in relation to most weddings, consider keeping the wedding within proximity of a town or city atmosphere. If it’s smaller, you have the option to be more flexible… you can then consider a wedding in a small town (maybe a country or mountain setting).

That said, three areas come to mind when thinking about the best New Jersey wedding locations. First, Atlantic City is a great location with all the hotels and nightlife. Atlantic City is perfect for a younger crowd, especially if you plan on having the bachelor and bachelorette party within proximity of the wedding date. Plus, Atlantic City has an airport… while it may be a bit more expensive flying into Atlantic City, consider that you can get away without renting a car.

Next, consider the suburban areas of New Jersey – I’m talking about from Red Bank to Morristown to Totowa. There are many historic towns in New Jersey that many folks from out of town would get a thrill. Plus, having a wedding in this area of New Jersey is great for those not from the area – this gives them the opportunity to travel into NYC if they’d like to, and it gives them the opportunity to explore the restaurants and night life of what New Jersey has to offer.

Finally – Northwest New Jersey has a lot to offer. Yes – it’s a beautiful area of the country during all seasons of the year. Sussex County particularly is great if you’re looking for a quiet small town wedding reception. While travelling would come into play (I’m serious when I say some areas of New Jersey are very rural), renting a car from Newark Airport for those out of town means at most an hour drive to where your wedding might be.