Location crazy

This weekend my saintly cousin (who will be a bridesmaid, even if she doesn't know it yet) and I will be trekking across Virginia wine country to see the next three venues that could hold the M&Y Wedding and Reception.  Except, just like last weekend, I don't think any of them will.  Even though they're all beautiful venues (one is a vineyard, and one is a historic site!) and I'd love to have my dream wedding there, practical concerns are making it hard for me to commit to any of them.

For one thing - at least 30% of our guest list is from out of town.  Mostly my family, as well as all my college friends from Illinois, and the majority of my bridal party.  I want to show our out of town guests that we appreciate them, and to me, that means making things as convenient as possible.  If we chose a venue 20, 30 miles away from the airport, we're just making life more stressful for everyone.

See that blue airplane below?  Only about 3 or 4 of our venue options are a reasonable distance from the airport.  Which makes me a little worried about the other 90% of our list - the outliers.

Possible wedding locations - told you I was organized!

Another concern is lodging.  I told M from the get go that I didn't want a hotel reception.  I've been to plenty of lovely weddings held in hotel ballrooms, but I wanted something a little different for ours.  He agreed, and that's what got us on the road we are today.  Except the further down the rabbit hole we go, the more I realize that hotel receptions provide so much convenience.  Being able to dress in our bridal suite, having everyone in a central location, a place to stay so no one drives home drunk, and of course - after parties.

This could be easily remedied by picking a location within walking distance to an inn or hotel, or finding one that has a shuttle service.  Except all the vineyard locations, barns, and most of the country clubs cultivate that "rustic, remote" atmosphere so well that there's no hotel nearby.  

Taking this all in stride, I decided to look into a hotel reception.  And when I found a hotel close to the airport, with a free shuttle, and a picturesque location that isn't the least bit "hotel"-y?  My heart started to flutter.  Then I wondered, what's the point of looking at reception sites out in Front Royal this weekend?  Am I wasting my time?

I still haven't decided.  I may end up canceling our appointments this weekend and save gas and my cousin's mind (she'll need it later).  But most likely we'll go, enjoy whatever wine tastings they shower upon us and a free tour of some pretty locations.  And just like last weekend, it'll help M and I grow closer to determining just what exactly we want and what isn't as important as we thought.

What do you think - should I cull the search to only venues close to the airport?  Have you been to a wedding as an out of town guest and found the commute inconvenient?  Has anyone thrown a vineyard wedding and figured out the transportation issue??