Narrowing it Down

Last week we made the decision to have the wedding in Louisiana versus California. (And by made I mean I let you know the decision we made. In know way am I saying this decision was made in a week.) But once we knew what state we were looking at it was time to come up with a more specific where. These are some of our top location choices.
Oak Alley Plantation
This was one of my top choices before I even really started looking. I mean just look at the view! In general the host the actual receptions in the historic house itself. The buffet is plated on the dining room table, tables are off to the side of the house, and the dance floor is the side balcony.

What I really looked about the venue is how it was priced out. Each fee was itemized so you know how much went to tours of the homes, and how much went to each appetizer selections. Out of all the proposals we saw this one was by far the most detailed.

Now for the negatives, since I'm based on Baton Rouge not only was this the first venue, but it also on the other side of the river. Also since the reception is in the house itself (they don't have a separate reception hall), they won't serve red wine nor do they allow children to attend (besides those who are in the wedding itself).
Mount Hope Plantation
This is actually where the boy's first wedding happened. And by first I mean he was 7-years-old and a ring bearer. This house is centrally located in Baton Rouge on Highland Road, which I've been told is the the oldest highway in America that is still used as such. Here we would have the ceremony out in front of the house, and the reception behind the house.
This is the view of the back, but behind the camera are gardens most of which is grass but there is a building or two and a fountain. You can see that they set up a dance floor on the patio behind the house. The food is normally served indoors and bistro tables (some of which you can see) are set up outside for more of a cocktail reception type feel.
Houmas House Plantation
This is another plantation that's a bit of a drive, but it's a lot closer to Baton Rouge than Oak Alley. The is actually where the boy's sister was married, although I didn't meet him till a few months after their wedding so I wasn't at the event. Ceremonies are normally held in front of the house, but if you compare it to Oak Alley there's isn't an actual path. This basically means any train on your dress is going to basically drag on the grass on your walk down the aisle. After the ceremony the have guests walk through the historic home to the reception sides in the back.
This is where the reception would be held with food catered by their on site restaurant Latil's Landing which was voted one of the best new restaurants in the country by Esquire Magazine in 2005. Out the windows on the right are gardens where the cocktail hour would be held, and off to the left there's an antique submarine. (Seriously! Doesn't submarine equal wedding to you?) The biggest negatives towards Houmas House are that it's one of the most pricier options and again it would be a bit of a drive from an actual city.
White Oak Plantation
Out of all possibilities this one is the absolute closest for us. While this venue looks very pretty it's the only one that isn't a historic home, and was basically built as a reception venue. (It was actually designed to look similar to Houmas House.) But because it's not a historic venue there are less restrictions here, and it's designed specifically to host events instead of the other which were homes 100 or so years ago.
Behind the house are gardens, a covered patio, and of course the ballroom. (This is taken in about the middle of the room to give you an idea of the size.) The venue is owned and catered by the famous chef John Folse, who is one of the more famous chefs specializing in traditional Louisiana cooking.

Overall we had a lot of great choices to choose from, but one stood out more than the others... Any ideas which one we choose? And which one would you choose for yourself?