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While some couples prefer quiet ceremonies at a courthouse or in their own backyard, others choose to make a bold statement with a more extravagant affair. For those couples with big dreams, their wedding is a chance to go big, go bold, go extreme, and perhaps even go a little strange.
The world of destination weddings is filled with bizarre and unexpected locations, some of which have even pushed the limits of what we thought was possible. When it comes to unusual wedding venues, the sky’s the limit – though our top pick shows even that can be surpassed.
This list highlights ten of the most extraordinary, unusual, and daring destination weddings ever to take place. Depending on your perspective, these weddings might either shock or inspire you. If you decide to plan your own, choose your location wisely.
10. Tied the Knot from a Crane
Dinner in the Sky has created a global network of venues offering a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Once seated, guests are hoisted high into the air with their tables, food, and waitstaff, all lifted by a giant crane. The concept has become so successful that it's inspired spin-offs like Concert in the Sky, Movie in the Sky, Santa in the Sky, and, naturally, Marriage in the Sky.
As Marriage in the Sky describes, 'Marriage in the Sky offers couples the chance to marry in a similar way to a church ceremony—with a priest, witnesses, family, and friends, accompanied by an organ—except this time, you’ll be in the clouds, 50 meters [165 feet] above the ground.' Afraid of heights? Or are you more afraid of solid ground? Then the sky could be the perfect place for your wedding.
9. Antarctica
Nothing says romance like endless ice fields, violent glacial shifts, and freezing, pitch-black waters. It’s exactly why Antarctica—the one continent devoid of permanent human habitation and the world’s largest desert—has become a growing hotspot for destination weddings.
Adventure wedding companies like Your Adventure Wedding offer various packages for couples seeking to experience the stark serenity (read: isolation) and grand beauty (i.e., panoramic desolation) of Antarctica. You could even paddle a raft out into the icy expanse, just the two of you in your wedding attire, to exchange vows in perfect silence. Just be warned: the silence will be shattered if either of you falls in, as hypothermia could claim your life in under half an hour—unless, of course, a curious orca drags you under first.
8. On a Rollercoaster
Let’s be honest: Any couple willing to risk nausea before, during, and after their vows is likely to be more tolerant of each other than most. If a wife can clean up her husband’s mess and still say 'I do,' they’re probably in it for the long haul. This is the promise of rollercoaster weddings, which, believe it or not, have happened more often than you'd think.
Take Ashley and Thom Marchetti, for example, who decided to tie the knot on Six Flags New England’s Superman rollercoaster. Dressed in full wedding attire, they took the front seats, with their officiant right behind them. As planned, the ceremony reached its peak—quite literally—when the couple screamed their 'I do’s' just as the coaster hit its 200-plus-foot summit. As Thom told TODAY, 'We screamed 'I do!' right as our stomachs dropped.'
7. The Führerbunker
There’s a fine line between 'good strange' and 'bad strange,' and when Adolf Hitler is involved—especially in the context of his wedding—it’s safe to say we’re diving straight into 'bad strange.' Even in the realm of weddings, the dictator’s choice of location for his nuptials is as disturbing as it gets.
On the morning of April 29, 1945, Hitler married his long-time companion, Eva Braun, about 30 feet underground in the Führerbunker, an air raid shelter. As Allied forces advanced on Berlin above, Hitler, in the final days of his life, came to terms with his inevitable defeat. Amid the dim, flickering lights of the reinforced concrete walls, the couple held a rushed ceremony. With claustrophobia, constant dampness, and the ongoing sounds of battle overhead (not to mention the looming threat of death for everyone inside), the Führerbunker might be considered the worst possible wedding venue.
6. The TJ Maxx Shoe Aisle
Lisa Satayut, a self-proclaimed 'Maxxinista' with a deep love for department store TJ Maxx, decided to marry her fiancé Drew Ellis in one of its aisles. Specifically, they chose the shoe aisle for their nuptials.
Surprisingly, the ceremony was elegant and charming. The aisle was expanded to make room for a heart-shaped arch decorated with roses, a red carpet, and scattered rose petals. The couple, dressed to impress, walked down the aisle to the sounds of traditional string music. Though certainly an unconventional wedding, it was one of the most tasteful and refined.
5. Under the Sea
It’s true: you can hold an entire wedding ceremony beneath the sea, with your suit and gown accompanied by full scuba gear.
There are numerous companies offering underwater weddings in stunning marine locations such as the Bahamas, Thailand, Bali, Hawaii, and the Great Barrier Reef. These ceremonies can take place while swimming or standing, though most couples prefer to kneel on the seafloor. The main challenge of such a breathtaking experience is the inability to speak or hear underwater, so couples typically communicate with pre-written cue cards. And as for the first kiss? That’s usually saved for when the couple is back on dry land.
4. Dracula’s Castle
If you dream of a fairytale wedding, and that fairytale happens to involve vampires, then this is the wedding destination for you.
Bran Castle, better known as Dracula’s Castle, offers the perfect backdrop for couples seeking a dramatic, historic venue for their wedding. While Dracula was a fictional character, and even the real-life inspiration Vlad the Impaler may not have ever lived in this castle, the site has become synonymous with vampire lore over the centuries. Whether or not it’s historically accurate, the castle’s eerie, gothic vibe is undeniable.
3. Space
It may sound unbelievable, but there have already been multiple engagements and even weddings held in outer space. Even more bizarre, there are dozens of upcoming space weddings on the horizon. The only prerequisites? You must be an astronaut, or be ready to spend a few hundred thousand dollars to make it happen.
A few space weddings have already taken place, including the marriage of Ekaterina Dmitriev to Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko. Dmitriev exchanged vows with a cardboard cutout of her husband while he participated via video call from the International Space Station.
For a more conventional approach (if that’s even possible), several space weddings are already scheduled with private space companies like First Advantage and Space Perspective in the coming years. These out-of-this-world ceremonies will cost between $125,000 and $2.3 million, but at least couples can count on being statistically likely to vomit during the experience.
2. Mount Everest
Weddings at Mount Everest can be categorized into two distinct types: ceremonies at base camp and those at the summit. Many couples have exchanged vows at one of Everest’s base camps, which, while challenging to reach, is still an incredible feat. However, one couple took it a step further—actually, thousands of steps further—and wed at the very peak of the mountain.
Moni Mulepati and Pem Dorjee, a Nepalese couple, chose to marry at Everest’s summit, over 29,000 feet above the Earth. Due to the extreme cold and oxygen scarcity, their entire wedding lasted under ten minutes. They quickly removed their oxygen masks, donned plastic garlands, completed their vows, and began their descent back down the mountain.
1. Dolphin Reef, to a Dolphin
Sharon Tendler’s wedding is undoubtedly one of the most unusual. She tied the knot on a dock at Israel’s Dolphin Reef, a beautiful spot in itself. What made it strange, however, was that while Tendler stood on the dock, the groom spent the entire ceremony in the water beside her. Why? Because the groom was, in fact, a dolphin.
Sharon explained her unique choice in a spouse, stating, 'It’s not a perverted thing. I do love this dolphin. He’s the love of my life… It’s not a bad thing. It’s just something that we did because I love him, but not in the way that you love a man. It’s just a pure love that I have for this animal.'
