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FeedDestination: Eureka Springs
Fear not, couples. Destination weddings aren’t solely for the jet-set crowd. In fact, 417-land brides- and grooms-to-be have one of the best venues for the ultimate getaway wedding right in their own backyard: Eureka Springs. Just about two hours from Springfield, Eureka Springs is the perfect place to hold a memorable wedding, without the burden of travel and expenses of round-trip plane tickets. And it’s the ideal place to host everything, from the ceremony to the reception, rehearsal dinner and even the honeymoon. The town’s slew of romantic B & Bs, classy hotels and upscale dining means you and your guests will be taken care of the entire weekend of the wedding.
Tie the Knot
Host an intimate event your guests will remember at the Rock House Plaza (29 ½ S. Main St., Eureka Springs, 866-909-5813, rockhouseplaza.com). Brides can choose between the Vintage Garden Room overlooking the outdoor plaza or the Victorian Memories Parlor furnished with charming antiques. Thorncrown Chapel (12968 Hwy. 62 West, Eureka Springs, 479-253-7401, thorncrown.com) is located in a wooded area and perfect for couples opting for a church ceremony, or brides looking for an elegant wedding can book their reception at Angel at Rose Hall (46 Hillside Ave., Eureka Springs, 479-253-5405, the-angel.com). The Parlor room can host large wedding parties, and a dramatic grand staircase is perfect for the bride’s big entrance.
Guest Lodging
The 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa (75 Prospect Ave., Eureka Springs, 877-342-9766) has enough options to comfortably accommodate your guests, with rooms ranging from private cottages to Jacuzzi suites and double rooms. Friends and family can spend their pre-wedding time relaxing at the hotel’s New Moon Spa, which offers a wide assortment of facials, manicures, massages and even teeth whitening. Send the more adventurous crowd to downtown’s 1905 Basin Park Hotel (12 Spring St., Eureka Springs, 479-253-7837, basinpark.com). Guests are within walking distance to several downtown shops and dining hotspots. A 24-hour bellman, valet parking and shuttle service will make your guests think they’re taking their own honeymoon. Guests can enjoy cozier accommodations at Mount Victoria Bed & Breakfast Inn (28 Fairmount St., Eureka Springs, 888-408-7979). Look for claw-foot bathtubs, 10-foot-high ceilings, decorated nooks and personal antiques belonging to the owners, Lisa and Chris McCants.
Things to Do
A visit to Blue Spring Heritage Center (1537 CR 210, Eureka Springs, 479-253-9244) is sure to give guests a taste of the outdoors. More than 30 million gallons of water runthrough the steam each day. After an exhausting day outdoors, send guests to dine at Devito’s (5 Center St., Eureka Springs, 479-253-6807). The quaint Italian restaurant features many tasty recipes, including some with homemade spaghetti sauce, meatballs, bread and Italian sausage. A trip to Keels Creek Winery and Art Gallery (3185 E. Van Buren St., Eureka Springs, 479-253-9463, keelscreek.com) means one thing: tastings. Your guests can tour the largest selection of Arkansas wines, and the vineyards contain more than 10 varieties of grapes.
After it All
With so much to do in Eureka Springs, don’t forget about the best part of the wedding: the honeymoon. Edgy couples looking for an urban hotel to spend their honeymoon will love The Belladonna (12 Echols St. Eureka Springs, 479-253-1836, estc.net/belladonna). The bold décor and funky furniture lend a big-city feel, and the hotel is within walking distance from downtown. Couples wanting a more intimate honeymoon can spend the night in a cozy room at the Rock Cottage Gardens (10 Eugenia St., Eureka Springs, 800-624-6646, rockcottagegardens.com), and wake up to a sumptuous breakfast prepared and served by the innkeepers. Menu options change daily, but favorites include cream cheese-stuffed French toast, fresh fruit salad with Devonshire cream, pecan bacon and a tasty apple sausage loaf.
