Serene waters.
Salty breezes.
Rolling Dunes. Quaint villages. Genteel trimmings. Mix it all together and you have the perfect recipe for a seaside wedding.
You also get Cape Cod. Jamie Bohlin, a native Cape Codder and the founder of Cape Cod Celebrations — an all-in-one wedding planning
service operating out of Yarmouth Port — understands the appeal more than most. In 2019 alone, she and her team helped plan sixty-five
weddings and events in and around the Cape. “Most people who get married here have some sort of connection — they may have grown up
vacationing here,” Bohlin says. “Sometimes we have couples that grew up on the Cape and they’re coming back to get married or, every now and
then, we’ll get clients who wanted a destination wedding and they thought Cape Cod looked beautiful, so they ended up here.” Maybe you’re one
of those destination-wedding-seekers, or maybe you’re thinking of establishing your own coastal family traditions. Regardless of your reasoning
for wanting to tie the knot on the Cape, you’re in luck: you’ve been cordially invited to our inside look at planning a Cape Cod wedding.
NO PLACE LIKE THE CAPE
Now, this pretty peninsula has quite a bit of real estate to choose from; more than
300 square miles, in fact. Plus, “There are beautiful venues in just about every town,”
says Bohlin. So, where to begin? How about with a breakdown of the Cape’s four
main regions.
THE UPPER CAPE
Bourne, Mashpee, Sandwich and Falmouth.
Some might say that the Upper Cape is the best of both worlds, allowing easy access
to the coast as well as the mainland. Thanks to the Sagamore Bridge, a trip from
the Cape’s oldest town, Sandwich (circa 1639), to Massachusetts’ most famous
historical sites, Plymouth and Boston, takes just twenty-five minutes and an hour,
respectively. Meanwhile, Providence, Rhode Island, is just an hour’s drive from the
Cape’s other main connector, the Bourne Bridge. Or, you can take the ferry straight
into the ocean lover’s mecca that is Woods Hole in Falmouth. It’s home to both the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and the Marine Biological Laboratory, as
well as a number of waterfront restaurants and attractions.
Outer Cape
Upper Cape
Lower Cape
Mid Cape
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THE MID-CAPE
Dennis, Hyannis, Barnstable and Yarmouth.
This section is probably best known for its residential vibes. Hyannis, Cape Cod’s
one and only city, claims almost 70 percent of the Cape’s population along with
some of its most beloved attractions, including the Cape Cod Potato Chip factory
and the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum. And though the famous Route 6A
(a.k.a. Old King’s Highway) runs through almost the entirety of Cape Cod, the
Mid-Cape boasts some of its best viewings. In fact, Yarmouth Port alone features
a two-mile stretch of century-old (or older) homes.
THE LOWER CAPE
Harwich, Chatham, Orleans and Brewster.
Locals and tourists alike will most likely agree that the elbow of Cape Cod is
often the most sought-after vacation spot due to its pristine beaches (popular
for both sunbathing and surfing), prime shopping on Main Street in Chatham
and plethora of family-friendly activities. As such, it makes sense that many
to-be-weds also flock to the Lower Cape. “It’s wedding central,” says Bohlin.
“Most of the bigger, more iconic venues on the Cape are located in Harwich,
Chatham and Brewster.”
THE OUTER CAPE
Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown.
Some may avoid this section of Cape Cod because of its tucked away nature,
but many are grateful for the seclusion. It’s a setting taken straight from the
pages of a romance novel with its rolling dunes, wild sea grasses and pictur-
esque lighthouses (like Nauset Light in Eastham). On the flipside, you can’t
profile the Outer Cape without highlighting Provincetown, affectionately nick-
named P-town. Celebrated for its thriving counterculture, LGBTQ+ friendly
atmosphere and art scene, P-town is the most dynamic spot on the Cape. Plus, it
isn’t as far out of reach as you may think. “Another thing we love about P-town
is that guests can get off the plane in Logan and take a one-hour ferry across
the bay,” says Bohlin. “It’s such a walkable town that no one needs cars to get
around — you can just get off the ferry, walk to your accommodations and then
even walk to most of the venues.”