Seven Unique Places to Get Hitched

By: Cherrye Moore

There are 2.3 million weddings every year in the US–that is 6,200 weddings a day!–and with 80% of those couples getting hitched in a church or synagogue, creative couples are eager to find something new to make their nuptials unique. There is only so much stale rice and overused tulle to go around, so if Vera Wang isn’t your thing, check out these seven unique places to tie the knot.

1 – The British Airways London Eye in England

Say “Eye Do” over the Thames River in London

Reaching 440 feet into the sky, courageous couples can say, “I do” while overlooking the Thames River, Parliament, the Tower Bridge and other world-famous London attractions. Starting at £2,700.00, or $3,900.00, 17 of the couple’s closest friends can watch them tie the knot in a private, flower-filled capsule during the ascent and then celebrate with Laurent Perrier Champagne on the descent.

Additional packages and add-ons are available, including Champagne and private capsules for additional guests, a private room following the ceremony and hotel accommodations and spa treatments.

2 – Ferris Wheel in Vienna, Austria

The Giant Ferris Wheel at the entrance to Prater Park

Downtown London not really your thing? Then head 800 miles east to the capital of Austria, where for €960.00, or about $1,300.00, betrothed couples can get a bird’s eye view of Vienna and say their vows over one of Europe’s most romantic cities. Located in Prater Amusement Park in the Leopoldstadt district, the Giant Ferris Wheel, or the Riesenrad, reaches 200 feet into the sky.

Eight of the 15 cabins are designed in various historical styles, ranging from ancient Roman Empire to the Fin de Siècle to mid-20th Century. The Art Nouveau cabin is reminiscent of an old Viennese coffeehouse and is the ideal cabin for romantic wedding day nuptials.

3 – Marriage in the Sky, Anywhere

The sky is the limit? Says who?

If you think you have been on cloud nice since your engagement, then consider extending that breathless feeling into your wedding day. With Marriage in the Sky, the bride and groom and 20 friends are suspended 164 feet in the air above … well, wherever they choose. Want to tie the knot in Knoxville? Go ahead. Always wanted to be a blushing bride in Barbados or a gracious groom in Glasgow? No problem.

The Marriage in the Sky can be held anywhere as long as there is a ground surface of at least 5,400 square feet. A second crane can be added with one or more stages and raised to the same height as the marriage platform to provide music and dinner. Just think … now your marriage really will be made in Heaven.

4 – Skibo Castle in Dornoch, Scotland

Membership has its privileges

It might not have been the site for a British royal wedding, but Skibo Castle was where America’s Queen of Controversy exchanged vows with her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Guy Ritchie. The five star castle hotel is set on 7,500 private acres in Scotland’s highlands and was once the retirement home for the Pittsburgh steel tycoon, Andrew Carnegie.

Now operating under the name Carnegie Club, the members-only hotel and country club offers 21 exclusive suites inside the castle and 12 private lodges throughout the grounds. Non-members are limited to one visit per lifetime, with an all-inclusive double room starting at £650.00, or roughly $940.00, per night. Doubles for members start at £450.00 ($650.00), plus a £3,525 ($5,100.00) annual membership fee.

5 – Liebig Dome in New Zealand

Snuggle with your honey after saying your vows on Liebig Dome

Imagine you and your main squeeze soaring in a helicopter through New Zealand’s Southern Alps, landing on an isolated mountain and saying “I do” in the heart of Australasia’s highest mountains. The couple and their guests are transported from the Mount Cook Salmon Farm where they fly above the icy Lake Pukaki, pass a country sheep station and take in views of Mount Cook, Mount Tasman and Murchison Glaciers.

The packages start at £3,785.00 per couple, or almost $5,500.00, and include a deluxe room at the Hermitage Hotel, breakfast, dinner, spa treatments, an aromatherapy massage, manicure and helicopter flight for up to six people. Glacier landings are available via ski-plane, where guests are transported through New Zealand’s highest mountains and dropped on Tasman Glacier, New Zealand’s largest glacier whose ice is almost 20,000 feet deep.

6 – Ice Hotel in Quebec, Canada

Chill out after your wedding at the Ice Hotel

Is New Zealand a little too far from home? Then head to Canada, home of Hôtel de Glace, or the Ice Hotel, located just 30 minutes west of Quebec City. Giving a new twist to the term “white wedding,” the Ice Hotel is made of 15,000 tons of snow and 500 tons of ice and is constructed each December.

The hotel offers 36 guest rooms and themed suites and is open from January, until it melts in late April. Packages start at under $2,000 and include the exclusive use of the Ice Chapel, a civil celebrant to perform the ceremony, a bottle of champagne and handmade ice flutes that are created especially for each couple.

7 – Four Seasons Nudist Resort near Toronto, Canada

Strip down and say “I do” at a nudist resort

Not sure if you can afford that haute couture dress of your dreams? Don’t worry. Just head to the Four Seasons Nudist Resort located 40 minutes from both Niagara Falls and Toronto, and get hitched there … you won’t need a dress.

The resort stretches across 150 acres of private gardens and offers guests an indoor and outdoor pool, a lake, pond and private hiking trails. Complete with a restaurant, bar and games room this 31-suite hotel is the ideal place to go if you want to get married in the buff.

Read about author Cherrye Moore and check out her other BootsnAll articles

Additional photo credits:

Vienna by Dave Durden on Flickr ,
Ice Hotel by Rev. Santino on Flickr ,
London Eye by IneTours