10 Unusual & Unique Places to Get Married in the U.S.

 

Why walk down the aisle when you could walk the plank? Do you really want to say “I do” surrounded by beige walls and gray carpet, when you could take your vows next to a wall of human skulls, on a moving train, or under a glittering canopy of stalactites? 

 

That’s what we thought! 

 

One of the best things about getting married now, and not a hundred years ago (besides certain patriarchal wedding traditions falling out of fashion), is that there are more weird and wonderful wedding venues to choose from than ever before.

 

So, if you want a ceremony that’s completely authentic and out of the ordinary, consider one of these nontraditional venues instead. 

 

 

Next, ask a friend to get ordained online to officiate your ceremony. 

 

Then, check out AMM’s free wedding ceremony scripts! 

 

 

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10 Unusual & Unique Wedding Venues in the U.S.

 

1. Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

Get married in a museum!  

 

The Mütter Museum and its host, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, provide a deluxe Beaux-Arts style wedding venue (think: highly-decorative academic style architecture) alongside a treasure trove of medical curiosities.

 

 

Skulls at the Mutter Museum

Photo: The Mutter Museum

 

The ceremony space is filled with gleaming wood and the warm, luxurious glow of antique light fixtures. And once you’re married? You can pose for photos next to a collection of human skulls, a petrified corpse, a large papier-mâché eyeball, or other oddities.

 

Check out “A Moody and Elegant Horror Movie-Inspired Wedding at the Mütter” published in Philadelphia (via PhillyMag.com) to see real wedding photos, or contact the College of Physicians for more details on how to book your wedding date.

 

• How to Get Married in Pennsylvania - Planning a Wedding in The Keystone State

 

• Ask a Friend to Officiate: Get Ordained Online to Perform a Wedding in Pennsylvania

 

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2. The Queen Mary, Long Beach, California

 

Get married on a haunted boat! 

 

Looking for a vintage-themed venue with paranormal flair? This renovated 1930s ocean liner anchored just a short drive from downtown Long Beach was voted one of Time magazine’s Top 10 Most Haunted Places.  

 

A reception hall aboard the Queen Mary

Photo: Queen Mary

 

 

The Queen Mary’s wedding packages offer beautiful views and several historic salons to choose from, with decor ranging from Art Deco opulence, to traditional old-money charm and sleekly modern sophistication. And with 347 first-class staterooms, there will be plenty of room for all your guests – and a party-crashing spector or two!

 

• How to Get Married in California - Planning a Wedding in The Golden State

 

• Ask a Friend to Officiate: Get Ordained Online to Perform a Wedding in California 

 

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3. The Neon Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada

 

Get married in vintage Vegas! 

 

Las Vegas has earned its reputation as the Wedding Capital of the World, offering an eclectic assortment of venues and the most available marriage licenses in the country – the Clark County Marriage License Bureau is open from 8am until midnight, every day of the year! 

 

 

 

Vintage love at the Neon Boneyard

Photo: The Neon Museum

 

 

One of the most unique and unusual venues among the city’s eclectic mix is The Neon Museum, located just a few minutes from the strip. This iconic museum offers ‘Sweetheart Weddings’ in the North Gallery’s ‘Neon Boneyard,’ where couples can take their vows (and stunning wedding photos) surrounded by an impressive collection of vintage neon signs.

  

• Ask a Friend to Officiate: Get Ordained Online to Perform a Wedding in Nevada

 

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4. Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia

 

Get married in a cemetery! 

 

Get married in the shade, surrounded by loved ones and lush green leaves, colorful flowers, decorative stonework and stained glass, and centuries of history… in Atlanta’s oldest public park, The Oakland Cemetery!

 

 

Love at Oakland Cememtery

Photo: Lupins & Lava, via Oakland Cemetery

 

The famed cemetery offers multiple venues to choose from, including several mausoleums and a large tree-filled garden space. After you take your vows, pose for photos against a backdrop of stunning Gothic and Romanesque architecture and historic headstones. 

 

• How to Get Married in Georgia - Planning a wedding in the Peach State

 

• Ask a Friend to Officiate: Get Ordained Online to Perform a Wedding in Georgia 

 

Related: Wedding Ceremony in a Graveyard? We asked our ministers and couples what they thought...

 

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5. Bridal Cave, Camden County, Missouri

 

Get married in a cave! 

 

Deep underground, below the rugged surface of Thunder Mountain (near Camdenton, Missouri), waits an ornate and ancient wedding venue, decorated with hundreds of delicate stalactites to form a glittering stone canopy… 

 

 

Inside the Bridal Cave

Photo: Bridal Cave

 

 

The Bridal Cave has served as a unique wedding chapel for more than 3,000 couples over the years. It offers a stunning backdrop for intimate ceremonies and elopements of up to 50 guests, and maintains a temperature of about 60 degrees year-round, making it a comfortable refuge during the heat of summer or those cold winter months.

 

• How to Get Married in Missouri - Planning a Wedding in the Show-Me State

 

• Ask a Friend to Officiate: Get Ordained Online to Perform a Wedding in Missouri

 

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6. The Black Raven, St. Augustine, Florida

 

Get married on a pirate ship! 

 

Why walk the aisle, when you can walk the plank? Couples looking for an adventurous themed celebration can wed aboard The Black Raven, a pirate ship sailing the open waters off the shore of St. Augustine Municipal Marina. 

 

 

The Black Raven

Photo: Black Raven Adventures

 

 

The Black Raven offers an assortment of authentic pirate wedding packages to choose from, including the Port Royal Wedding, which offers a private reception dinner, plenty of rum (yo ho, ho!), and a live sea battle with Blackbeard’s ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge. 

 

• How to Get Married in Florida - Planning a Wedding in The Sunshine State

 

• Ask a Friend to Officiate: Get Ordained Online to Perform a Wedding in Florida

 

• Pirate Themed Wedding Ceremony Script with Reading and Rum Toast

 

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7. 1940 Air Terminal Museum at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), Houston, Texas

 

Get married at the airport! 

 

Let your love take flight with an unforgettable wedding at your favorite airport! Couples who love the thrill of air travel can take their vows in the historic 1940 Air Terminal Museum in Houston, Texas, surrounded by images and artifacts from the golden age of flight… including actual vintage planes!

 

 

Love is in the air

Photo: Philip Thomas Photography via 1940 Air Terminal Museum

 

 

This iconic Art Deco structure, designed by architect Joseph Finger, was once home to a working terminal and the airport control tower, and now provides luxurious accommodations for weddings and other events.

 

• How to Get Married in Texas - Planning a Wedding Ceremony in the Lone Star State

 

• Ask a Friend to Officiate: Get Ordained Online to Perform a Wedding in Texas

 

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8. Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, Virginia Beach

 

Get married at the aquarium! 

 

Sweethearts who share a love of marine life and the beauty of the sea can marry with a few of their favorite underwater guests watching… at the aquarium!

 

 

Love at the aquarium

Photo: Daissey Torres Photography via Virginia Aquarium

 

 

The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach offers multiple rooms for wedding ceremonies and receptions, each with their own stunning views and style. Couples who choose to marry in Sharks & Sea Turtles Gallery can take their vows in front of a 3-story shark aquarium, before mingling with sea turtles, jellyfish, and other marine life. (And up to 150 friends and family members, of course!)

 

• Ask a Friend to Officiate: Get Ordained Online to Perform a Wedding in Virginia

 

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9. The California Zephyr Train, Anywhere between Chicago and San Francisco

 

Get married on a train! 

 

All aboard, for the adventure of a lifetime! Couples who love riding the rails can wed aboard any of Amtrak’s popular routes, including The California Zephyr. 

 

 

Wedding vows aboard a train

Photo: Amtrak

 

This popular train offers wifi, sleeper and dining cars, and plenty of room to roam. Guests will also enjoy unbeatable views of the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevadas, stunning canyons, tidal straits, and much more, as the train winds its way from Chicago, Illinois, to Omaha, Nebraska; through Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah; on to Reno, Nevada and Sacramento, California; before arriving at its final destination in Emeryville, just outside San Francisco. 

 

• How to Get Married in California - Planning a Wedding in The Golden State

 

• Ask a Friend to Officiate: Get Ordained Online to Perform a Wedding in California

 

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10. Haulover Park Beach, Miami Beach, Florida

 

Get married at a nudist beach!

 

Say “I do” in the nude with a naked wedding! You can’t bare it all at just any venue, of course (no matter how many glasses of champagne you drink), but that’s where clothing-optional resorts, camp grounds, and beaches come in.

 

 

Haulover Beach skinny dippers

Photo: Elmschrat, via WikiCommons

 

 

Haulover Beach in Miami-Dade County includes a clothing optional section for adventurous couples and provides a beautiful outdoor setting to exchange wedding vows, sans clothes. Guests can choose to bare it all with the couple, or cover up with a swimsuit if it makes them more comfortable.

 

• Ask a Friend to Officiate: Get Ordained Online to Perform a Wedding in Florida

 

• Read more: So You Want to Have a Nudist Wedding…

 

 

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