On Location: The Upper Cape

A pair savor their first kiss at Bourne Farm; Photograph by Margaret Singer

SOME MIGHT SAY THE BEST REASON to host a wedding on the Upper Cape is convenience: Breeze over the Bourne or Sagamore bridge (after rush hour, that is, and never on Saturday at noon), and you’re there. The region, which includes the villages of Bourne, Falmouth, Sandwich, and Mashpee, offers quiet beaches and a small-town feel. So while everyone else is rushing to get farther down the Cape — or more likely, crawling along Route 6 — folks in Woods Hole are biking to Pie in the Sky Bakery for coffee before heading out for a day in the sun.

A quiet moment on the grounds of the Overbrook House; Photograph by Erin Koh

Likewise, the wedding venues here are casual with an emphasis on intimacy — not grandeur. The beach provides the backdrop at Mashpee’s Popponesset Inn (508-539-8322, newseabury.com), where receptions are held on a covered deck on the dunes overlooking Nantucket Sound. For large parties, the Colonial-era Coonamessett Inn (508-548-2300, capecoderestaurants.org) in Falmouth offers indoor spots with views of Jones Pond, while The Belfry Inne (508-888-8550, belfryinn.com) — a former Catholic church in Sandwich — welcomes smaller groups. For settings more at one with nature, consider Bourne Farm (508-548-8484, saltpond.info), East Falmouth’s Coonamessett Farm (508-563-2560, coonamessettfarm.com), or the Overbrook House (617-212-8315, overbrookhouse.com) in Buzzards Bay, all of which boast beautiful grounds for both casual and fancy tented affairs.

A beachy view from the deck at Casino Wharf FX; Photograph by Peter Winson

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Cape wedding without tantalizing water vistas and a seafood fix. Kick off your prenuptial festivities at The Beachmoor Inn (508-759-7522, beachmoor.com) in Buzzards Bay or Casino Wharf fx (508-540-6160, casinowharffx.com) in Falmouth, and wake up on your wedding day with sand between your toes.