Get swept away by the Bay

By Chris Knauss
Mariner Editor

Finding a waterfront setting for a wedding in Havre de Grace is as easy as saying I Do to the one you love. Four boat marinas and five city waterfront parks dot the shoreline of Havre de Grace where the Susquehanna River meets the Chesapeake Bay.
Bridal party cruises are available on the Lantern Queen River Boat, the skipjack Martha Lewis, and other private charters. Nautical nuptials can also be celebrated at the picturesque Concord Point Lighthouse and the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum. Wedding guests can unwind in places like Tydings Park at the foot of Union Avenue, where the view of the Bay is spectacular. Cool breezes along the water make even a hot summer day a comfortable casual time to celebrate your special day.
For Fred and Tara Zellman, the Concord Point Lighthouse offered the perfect place to share their nuptials with friends and loved ones.
"I grew up in Havre de Grace and we're both very water-oriented," said Fred, who tied the knot with Tara Phillips last July. "She grew up right near the water at Sherwood, Maryland, which is right near Tilghman Island. ...Her grandfather built boats down on Tilghman in that area and her father was actually a waterman until just a few years ago.
"It was a little hot. We were pretty lucky. We were closer to the river so we actually caught a little bit of a breeze and ... with shade trees on each side, the people that were hot just stood in the shade."
For Tara, Havre de Grace provided a graceful maritime setting honoring her roots as a waterman's daughter.
"It was absolutely beautiful," said Tara. "We actually lucked out because of all the rain we had during the season. I think it rained every single weekend in July except for ours. It was just a beautiful day. Everything was set up perfectly prior to us getting there. We really wanted an outside casual wedding and it was just perfect.
"We didn't even have a backup plan. It was between that and the pavilion down at the park and it was kind of like the pavilion was there in case it rained. But we learned that you couldn't reserve it and we just knew that we wanted the lighthouse. If worse comes to worse, we always said that everybody can stand underneath the shade trees. It worked out perfect because there is shade there. It was just a nice casual atmosphere yet it could be done very elegant if you wanted it to."
Tara said Havre de Grace's friendly small-town ambience made her family feel right at home.
"It kind of reminded us of home and that's one of the reasons why I love Havre de Grace so much. Where I grew up everybody knows everybody. Half of my high school teachers dated my dad. You know, it's like one of those places.
"Havre de Grace, I have found, is like that. Everybody was just so nice.
My whole family just said it reminds them so much of home because everybody was like 'Hi, how are you doing?' Even strangers going by that day said congratulations and, in fact, there was a gentleman who was selling pictures right outside the lighthouse and he gave us a picture to remember the day by, which I just thought was so sweet."

A wedding destination
Though not promoted as such until now, the City of Havre de Grace has been a wedding destination for years with hundreds of weddings a year taking place at sites such as the Lighthouse, Swan Harbor Farm, Vandiver Inn and Spencer-Silver Mansion.
Other favorite wedding locations include the skipjack Martha Lewis, the Lantern Queen, and the Maritime Museum.
The Martha Lewis is a V-bottom, two sail bateau, commonly known as a skipjack. She is one of the few remaining working dredge boats that make up the Chesapeake Bay oyster fleet -- the last to fish commercially, under sail, in the United States. With a length on deck of 49 feet, 5 inches and a beam of 16 feet, 7 inches, she can entertain up to 28 guests with a private cruise on the Susquehanna Flats. Day and evening times are available at a cost of $350 for two hours and $150 for each additional hour. She is berthed behind the Concord Point Lighthouse or at the Foot of Congress Avenue, at Hutchins Park. (www.skipjackmarthalewis.org)
Also at Hutchins Park is The Lantern Queen, a 140-passenger replica of the famous Mississippi River Boats of old. A U.S. Coast Guard inspected vessel, the Lantern Queen is operated by Captain Jack Morey who is ably assisted by an experienced crew and staff.
The air conditioned and heated salon includes a full service bar and can comfortably seat 70 people. The open-air upper deck is perfect for sight seeing and can be used as a dance floor. Both areas have a state of the art sound system, which means you can bring the music of your choice. For charter events there is room for a D.J. on either deck.
Wedding Charters aboard the Lantern Queen are available for two-, three- or four-hour cruises. For more information and reservations call 888-937-3740 toll free. (www.lanternqueen.com)
If you don't want to concern yourself with possible bad weather, Havre de Grace's Maritime Museum, right next door to the Lighthouse, offers a covered nautical setting within a few steps of the city's gorgeous waterfront. A clean, modern facility, the museum can comfortably accommodate small and medium-sized weddings. For more information on a museum wedding call 410-939-4800.
For more information on a Havre de Grace wedding, you can receive a free guide by calling 1-800-851-7756 or visit the web site www.hdgweddings.com