From Susan Breslow Sardone,
Your Guide to Honeymoons / Romantic Travel.
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In Williamsburg , the most elegant place to stay is the 60-year-old Williamsburg Inn, a white-brick mansion adjacent to the Historic Area and built under the supervision of the late John D. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller.

Guest rooms at the Williamsburg Inn, a Mobil Four-Star, AAA Four-Diamond resort, are formal yet inviting. Federal and Regency antiques and reproductions enhance custom-made furnishings and avian prints in both private and public spaces; fresh flowers from the gardens add color and fragrance. Tea is served daily in the spacious East Lounge of the Williamsburg Inn, which overlooks the 18-hole Golden Horseshoe Golf Course.

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] Splurge on dinner at least once in the Williamsburg Inn's Regency Dining Room, a room so gracious that he won't resent having to wear a tie and jacket and she won't mind donning a dress for the occasion.

Start with an ocean medley of shrimp, raw oysters and clams on the half shell, and fresh crab to pique your appetite (even the horseradish, or hain, is fresh and homemade). Entreés range from pasta (with truffles!) to rack of lamb.

Dessert-lovers will be dazzled by this work of art: An artist's palette -- and paintbrush -- are made entirely of chocolate, and a selection of melt-in-your-mouth fresh-fruit sorbets provide the color.

If you like things less formal (and less expensive) than the ambiance of the Williamsburg Inn, consider the nearby Williamsburg Lodge. Handcrafted country furniture and American folk-art paintings give the Williamsburg Lodge a special warmth. The Tazewell spa and fitness center, with a indoor swimming pool open from 6am to 11pm, keeps life refreshing.

For something completely different, consider lodging in one of the 18th-century Colonial Houses in the Historic Area. Colonial Houses range in size from a cozy one-bedroom to an expansive 16, the latter perfect for those considering a destination wedding. While each of the Colonial Houses is furnished with canopy beds and period reproductions, they all offer the modern necessities: air conditioning, cable TV with in-room movies, and room service.

Shopping for Your New Home in Williamsburg

In the Williamsburg Historic Area and beyond, couples can find just about everything they need to feather a nest. Merchant's Square, Colonial Williamsburg's shopping area, has The Craft House, where you can buy finely made (and very expensive reproductions) inspired by antiques in the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's collection. The delightful Nancy Thomas Gallery is filled with charming and artful decorations for the home.

Outside the Williamsburg Historic Area, bargains await:

• Vast Williamsburg Pottery on Route 60 features tons of plants, baskets, and other tchochkes.
• The West Point Pepperell outlet on the same stretch sells linens, towels, and table top items at discount (save even more by picking up a free shopper newspaper; they often contain discount coupons).
• The Bose Factory Store in Berkeley Commons Outlet Center carries the top-flight speakers and has a Bose Music Theater.
• Kitchen Collection in Prime Outlets at Williamsburg stocks the following brands: Hamilton Beach, Proctor-Silex, Wearever cookware, and Kitchen Aid.
• And you can find your own piece of history to take home at the Williamsburg Antique Mall, which is home to more than 400 dealers.

A Williamsburg Wedding

Do you dream of a unique destination wedding? The Williamsburg Lodge can accommodate parties up to 500, while the Inn is more suitable for smaller gatherings under 100. The staff at Colonial Williamsburg can help you organize your wedding around an historical -- or simply elegant -- theme. Memorable settings include Colonial House gardens, the East and Regency lounges at the Williamsburg Inn, and tented areas dotting the Historic Area grounds.

An authentic Williamsburg preacher dressed in 18th-century garb can be hired to perform your ceremony. And depending how historically accurate you want to be, you can request to have service staff wearing period costumes, musicians and balladeers performing songs of the time, and even feast on wedding cake made from an 18th-century recipe.

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