The Richlin ballroom is decorated in shades of burgundy and beige, with terrazzo floors, oak trim and four large chandeliers. Other features include a bridal suite and large parking lot.
ROLAND PARK COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL, 5204 Roland Ave., 323-5500. Reserve two to three months in advance. Accommodates 150. Contact: Libby Murphy. Available Saturdays and after 1 p.m. Sundays. Cost: $500 to $1,000, depending on areas used.
Jerome Bonaparte, Napoleon's nephew, bought this land in 1869 and enlarged the stone Ward House to its present size. The entrance hall and center stairway are fashioned with chestnut wood, with a tile floor perfect for dancing. During the summer months, guests can stroll the porch and enjoy the landscaped grounds.
SHERATON INNER HARBOR HOTEL, 300 S. Charles St.962-8300. Contact: Ann Cohen. Accommodates 425 seated with dance floor; up to 600 for standing reception. Kosher kitchen; kosher catering is available. Cost: $55 and up.
The Chesapeake and Harbor ballrooms both feature crystal chandeliers and a mauve and black color scheme. The Chesapeake, the larger of the two, is a three-sectioned ballroom that opens into one. It offers a gallery for pre-reception cocktails and a terrace with a city view.
ST. TIMOTHY'S SCHOOL, 8400 Greenspring Ave., 486-7400Contact: Bill Sheldon. Reserve six to nine months in advance. Accommodates 125 seated or standing. Not available September through mid-June, when school is in session. Day weddings preferred. Cost: $1,000 plus $500 security deposit.
The entranceway to the Carter House, a 30-room stone mansion built on the grounds of St. Timothy's in the 1930s, features wrought-iron and glass doors and a spiral staircase perfect for photographs. Receptions are confined to the first floor but bride and groom have access to two rooms on the second floor. A spacious, furnished patio can double as a dance floor. Eighty acres of landscaped gardens complete the setting.
SHIRLEY-MADISON INN, 205 W. Madison St., 728-6550. Reservearly as possible. Accommodates up to 45 seated, up to 80 standing. Cost varies.
Marble pillars, Gothic stone carvings, original ashwood staircase, year-old elevator and original gas lamps (converted to electric) give this 111-year-old historic inn an intimate, old-world charm.
THE SPEAR CENTER, Rouse Co. Building, 10275 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, 992-6555. Contact: Tina Cole. Reserve at least a year in advance. Accommodates 400 seated, 600 standing. Available weeknights after 6 p.m., and all day Saturday and Sunday. Cost: $550 to $2,000.
The Spear Center, formerly the Kittamaqundi Room, was renamed in memory of Michael Spear, the late president of the Rouse Co. The room features a spacious hardwood dance floor, chandeliers, an understated red and white interior and a wraparound outdoor balcony overlooking Lake Kittamaqundi.
STOUFFER HARBORPLACE HOTEL, 202 E. Pratt St., 547-1200Contact: Walter Riemann, director of catering. Reserve as early as possible. Accommodates 20 to 900 with dancing, 20 to 1,000 without dancing. Package plans start at $66, but custom arrangements are also available. In-house catering only, unless kosher.
Gentle tones of rose, mauve, gray and beige highlight the mahogany woodwork in the elegant, contemporary-style ballrooms of the Stouffer Harborplace Hotel. During cocktails, guests can schmooze in the foyer, which overlooks the four-story atrium of the Gallery.
TURF VALLEY HOTEL AND COUNTRY CLUB, 2700 Turf Valley Road, Ellicott City, 465-1500. Accommodates up to 750 seated with a dance floor, up to 1,000 standing. Open seven days a week. In-house catering only. Ceremonies can be performed on premises. Cost varies. Special hotel rates for guests, and a complimentary overnight room for bride and groom, are available with bridal packages.
The country club, located on 800 acres of rolling green hills with pond, fountain and two 18-hole golf courses, offers four rooms for receptions. The Ellicott Room features wallpaper dotted with peach and blue flowers, coach lights and blue curtains; the just remodeled Wedgwood Room is decorated in shades of blue with printed wallpaper, garden chandeliers and a dance floor, and the Cameo Room, for larger weddings, offers a peach and teal color scheme with tapestry wall hangings, parquet floor and three chandeliers. The Grand Ballroom, which offers a similar decor, can be broken down into three separate rooms -- the Tiffany, the Regency and the Crystal.
UNION MILLS HOMESTEAD, Route 97, Union Mills, (301) 848-2288. Reserve three months in advance. Accommodates an unlimited number on the grounds outside. Available May to October. Cost: $150 donation.
Flower gardens, weeping willows and a stream grace the grounds of the homestead, a 23-room structure built in 1797 on the site of the former Shriver family estate.
