Tip: Get married where you like to be.
One offbeat bride I spoke to summed it up best when she said that in picking a wedding venue, you want “the kind of place you would actually go to if it wasn’t a wedding.” Is a church or synagogue the place you go to feel good and celebrate? If so, then maybe a religious locale is perfect for you. For many secular, untraditional types, however, there are numerous places where we feel infinitely more happy and at peace with ourselves—be that a forest or a cow pasture, a library or a museum, a restaurant or a theater. These places are just as holy to some couples as a temple is to others. And in many cases, they’re a better spot for dancing and squealing.
The vision, in other words, was limited to what we could already see.
There are varying degrees of extreme wedding venues. Many nontraditional brides I spoke with went the family-property route as well. I heard beautiful stories of grandmothers’ farms and family backyards. Plus, offbeat weddings held on family property can be a great way of honoring your family without following its traditions.
But not everyone will have access to (or want to choose) such family-friendly venues. Julie McAlee decided to marry her husband in their favorite place to be: underwater. As scuba divers, it was a natural choice.
According to Julie, however, her mother’s first response was, “That’s not fair!” She had a bit of a point: Since Julie’s mom didn’t scuba dive, she felt that she was being pushed out of the ceremony. Julie and her fiancé made special efforts to include non-diving family members, renting a boat with a glass bottom and having parts of the ceremony performed above water so family members could take turns at readings. These efforts stand as an excellent lesson for all weddings held in untraditional locations. You can find ways to make your friends and family feel included, even if they’re a little (or a lot) out of their element.
