What do Taco Bell, New York’s Coney Island roller coaster, and the shark tank at the Long
Island Aquarium in Riverhead, Long Island have in common? If your answer is they’re all
food and entertainment venues, you would be right. Kind of. Those places, along with a few
more, make up some of the weirdest but increasingly more common places for couples to get
married.
Decades ago, couples only married at churches or city hall. The ‘60s came along and people
threw off the constraints of tradition and began using beaches and backyards as wedding
venues. Then ‘destination weddings’ became popular. And there’s nothing wrong with
anyone of those sites. But some couples want their venue to be a stronger reflection of who
they are as a couple or give an indication of how they met or what they have in common.
In January 2009, for instance, Paul Brooks of Normal, IL – I hope the irony of that hometown
name isn’t lost on you – jokingly suggested that he and his fiancée, Caragh Brooks, get
married at Taco Bell. The joke was on Paul. Turns out, Caragh said ‘yes’ to both questions.
In preparation for the ‘ups and downs’ of married life, Larry Fisher and Lynne von Schlichting
became one of the first couples to get married on Coney Island’s Cyclone roller coaster on
August 25, 1994. ‘The only thing scarier than going on the Cyclone is getting married,’ said
Fisher.
‘Rochelle’, interviewed by The Huffington Post, said, "Don't be judgmental but we got married
at a funeral home run by a relative. It felt wonderful to celebrate life versus loss at a place
usually associated with darkness. The funeral home has a reception center and a liquor
license. There was a gorgeous cake - yes, with a black overlay. We had 60 guests toasting
our happiness - a memorable, happy day." https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-8-weirdest-
places-to_b_8333646 And according to Today, more and more couples are saying ‘I do’ to
this wedding trend.
Does your wedding planning checklist includes sharks? The Long Island Aquarium in
Riverhead, Long Island is a beautiful setting for nuptials. Some couples, like April Pignataro
and Michael Curry from New York City, marry right in the shark tank. Certified divers,
Pignataro and Curry donned gear and were lowered into a steel cage while the minister
stayed on land and delivered the ceremony by radio.
Wedding planning can include venues that are ‘unique’ but not necessarily bizarre. Consider:
- Treehouse Point in Issaquah, Washington
https://www.treehousepoint.com/weddings.phtml - Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, AR
https://thorncrown.com/ - Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel, Spanish, Bella Vista, AR
https://www.cooperchapel.com/ - Anthony Chapel in Hot Springs, AR
https://www.garvangardens.org/weddings/anthony_chapel/default.aspx - caves
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/move-over-bats-brides-dis_b_3504749 - a museum or art gallery
- abandoned buildings
- a forest
- Because you have your love to keep you warm, imagine taking your weddings vows in
the ‘Hotel de Glace’ (Ice Hotel) in Valcartier, Quebec, Canada.
https://weddings.hoteldeglace-canada.com/en-packages.html
What is the most unusual wedding venue you know? Post a comment. We’d love to hear
from you!
