Carrie Underwood & Mike Fisher: The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation

To reflect the bride’s Southern roots, the couple hosted the sparkling fete at this elegant lakeside resort in Georgia.

When country star and American Idol season four winner Carrie Underwood wed Ottawa Senators hockey player Mike Fisher in June of 2010, the splashy celebration was straight out of a love song. To reflect the bride’s Southern roots, the couple hosted the sparkling fete at the chic 251-room Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia. Set on the banks of Lake Oconee, this resort offers elegant accommodations and warm hospitality.

ritz carlton lodge reynolds plantation


       The shimmering Lake Oconee fronts the luxe Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation. 

Located 75 miles from Atlanta, the resort is an oasis of genteel tranquility that beckons to guests to stay awhile. In fact, the land on which the property sits was once known as “linger longer.” Guest rooms reflect this easy vibe with über-comfortable cherry and mahogany furnishings. All come with private balconies, stone verandas or wrap-around porches that afford stunning views of the lake and surrounding golf courses (there are 99 holes on property). 

If you’re less than a pro when it comes to golf, you can spend some time at an on-site academy, set among fragrant dogwood and magnolia trees. If golf’s not your thing, go fishing, hiking or just relax. At the spa, an enormous facility with a pool, the treatment menu changes seasonally to add the freshest local ingredients to the experience.

ritz carlton lodge reynolds plantation
      One of the resort’s cozy country villas.

Off-property, go hiking and cycling at the nearby Skull Shoals Oconee National Forest and explore local historic sites. There are antebellum homes and churches, the remains of a 1793 frontier settlement and the old “gaol,” a stone prison built in the early 1800s. Take a tour of the town of Greensboro and really step back in time—the city escaped destruction during the Civil War.

For a taste of down-home Southern cuisine (crab cakes and BBQ quail with bacon bread pudding), head to the resort’s Georgia’s Bistro. If a romantic atmosphere is what you crave, get a table at the lakeside Chiminea Dining, where you can cozy up to your own freestanding fireplace. Savor treats from the sea, like shrimp cocktail or sautéed scallops in lobster sauce. End your evening with a genuine Georgia peach cobbler (room rates start at $199 a night; ritzcarlton.com).

Photos Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation