8 Unusual Places to Tie the Knot
 

1. Animal Farm
Many zoos have wedding venues available for reservation and some even include a few furry guests as part of the package. Some zoos will give private guided tours and many allow guests to feed the animals (the Toronto zoo, for example, will let guests pet and pose with reindeers, camels, alpacas and even a boa constrictor).

2. Under the Sea
At the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead, Long Island, not only can couples wed while swimming with the fishes, but they can add an element of danger to the experience by doing so in a shark tank. After suiting up in scuba gear, the couple are secured into a cage and lowered into the shark-infested aquarium. Their scuba gear is rigged with a wireless communication system, so the couple and the minister can communicate with one another throughout the ceremony. Guests can watch and listen from the other side of the glass. Many aquariums provide space for ceremonies and receptions in front of a fish tank instead of inside one. The aquarium in Seattle, for instance, offers a wedding package that includes a sunset wine tasting overlooking the bay, a guided educational tour of the aquarium and even an animal feeding show.

3. Up in the Air
“Marriage in the Sky” offers wedding packages where you can tie the knot 150 feet in the air in any of 40 countries (which includes Las Vegas and Tampa, Florida in the United States).
How it works: Guests are strapped into their seats on a small platform that’s attached to a crane. The crane then lifts the entire platform into the air and the couple exchange vows and share their first dance. In some locations, couples have the option of then taking a celebratory bungee jump!

4. Plane n’ Simple
An airport wedding is fitting for travel lovers and aviation-enthusiasts alike. At the Manchester Airport in England, couples can wed inside a parked Concorde plane and afterwards, have a buffet-style reception for up to 300 people at the airport’s banquet hall.
The Schipol Airport in Amsterdam also hosts weddings. The “Say Yes and Go” package is designed for couples in a rush to elope. Immediately following the ceremony, the newlyweds board a plane to their honeymoon destination and postcards are then sent out informing the newlyweds’ friends and family of the event. The “Ticket to Paradise” package involves a champagne brunch or formal reception and then the entire wedding party boards a plane to continue the festivities elsewhere.

5. Into the Woods
With its tall moss-covered trees and thick foliage, the forests of the North Cascades region in Washington make for a whimsical and photographic setting for an outdoor wedding. Overlooking a creek is a five-bedroom ‘Cedar Tree House’. The property has an outdoor bonfire pit and a yurt, dimmable lighting and a sound system; an idyllic location for some post-banquet dancing. Wedding guests can stay in the cabin (which sleeps up to 24 people) or at the nearby Inn.

6. Bare Necessities
A clothing-optional wedding is a good choice for those looking to save on expenses or to simply take the focus away from the lavish table settings or sequined wedding veil. The French Riviera is notorious for folks baring all and the most famous of nudist beaches is Cap d’Agde, which is in fact, less a nudist beach and more a nudist town. In the ‘Naked City’ as it has been dubbed, people can (and do) sunbathe, shop, bank, dine and even wed, in the nude.

7. Night at the Museum
The American Natural History museum in New York is the most famous of museum wedding venues, but it’s also one of the most expensive. But there are less pricey options. An hour outside of Salt Lake City, in Springville, Utah, for instance, is an art museum that for just 950 dollars will allow couples to rent out their entire museum for their wedding ceremony and reception. Couples can chose to wed inside one of the art galleries or among the sculptures and fountains in the garden outside. And in St. Paul, Minnesota, for under 4,000 dollars, you can rent the James J. Hill reference library. With tall marble columns and two floors of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, the 90-year-old library’s stunning architecture earned it the 2011 Bride’s Choice Award for the second year in a row.

8. On the Right Track
Start your marriage off on the right track with a wedding on a locomotive. A ceremony or reception aboard an early 20th century train is not only unique, but romantic and nostalgic as well. The Napa Valley Wine Train in Northern California hosts receptions on its restored vintage train, which can accommodate up to 300 guests. Couples can opt to include a few scheduled stops in their tour so that guests can explore the vineyards or take an after-hours tour of a winery. Afterwards, the newlyweds can honeymoon at a Napa Valley Bed and Breakfast or continue the festivities with the entire wedding party with a weekend in a Vineyard Villa.