Beautiful places....

I'm not an alumna here, but AF does tell a very amusing story about his first ever trip to Duke, having never visited the college, seeing the chapel rising over the hill as he drove down and thinking "Oh no what have I gotten myself into!"

Pros: Close by for the friends of his who will have the hardest time traveling (i.e. the one with the small child and baby on the way) meaningful for AF, I have some relative alumni who would be thrilled to go back, beautiful, beautiful building.
Cons: Not uniquely meaningful for me, South Carolina weather makes me limp and fainty (could address that by a late fall wedding...) my DM (darling Mother) does not want to travel (this will be a recurring theme)
The most grandiose of our shared alma maters buildings. We have never gone here for religious reasons but did attend a lecture on the human rights violations in Gaza by some very controversial Norwegians.
Pros: Meaningful for both of us, absolutely stunning building, some his-side relatives are nearby, some of our mutual friends are nearby, there are ample places to stay/do for travelers, and there is an orthodox community there which will mitigate the religious inconvenience to one of his sisters by our wedding (potentially a LOT more on that later)
Cons: Its huge. HUGE. We could theoretically use the chancel and have it stuffed but it is a VERY large building and would probably be quite a feat to decorate. Also, DM does not want to travel..
Bond Chapel-- I have gone here for religious services but never with AF. I love that its hidden away in the quadrangles and is covered in ivy and full of stained glass. My parents have been here too...
Pros: it is EXACTLY the right size for the wedding size we want. We'd totally fill it and it would be quite beautiful. Some his-side relatives are nearby, some of our mutual friends are nearby, there are ample places to stay/do for travelers, and there is an orthodox community there which will mitigate the religious inconvenience to one of his sisters by our wedding (yes that is also a recurring theme in favor of Chicago)
Cons: DM doesn't want to travel.




So these are some places that AF and I are eligible due to our separate and combined nerdiness to get married. Someone suggested looking at university venues as a way to keep the budget within reason and as it happens Duke and the University of Chicago both come with very attractive spots....