5 unique wedding venues

Hotel, ballroom, garden, farm, resort...these are the typical wedding venues that I've been too. Hotels being the most common. It seems that these have become sort of the "default" choices for couples since these places often offer the convenience for a wedding (areas specific for a wedding, ready catering options, and the likes). But I think you don't always have to stick to these "defaults". You might be surprised that there are actually unconventional places that are open to hosting wedding ceremonies or receptions. I know I was surprised that it was actually possible.

So I listed down 5 unique and rather interesting wedding venues.

Library

Take a cue from the Carrie Bradshaw. Ok, I know her original wedding plan didn't exactly go as planned. But you have to admit, had the wedding pushed through, it would've been beautiful!

I would imagine that not all Libraries would be open for hosting events such as weddings, but you'd be surprised how some actually do accommodate different kinds of gathers, weddings included. And if you do get lucky and book a library as your wedding venue, you'd likely be celebrating your special day in a space with breathtaking architecture designs lined with hundreds and hundreds of books. I can already imagine the different love stories of the couples who would go for this kind of venue: the novelist and the bookworm, the writers, or that couple who used to be study partners back in high school. Not only will your wedding be gorgeous, it will be a reflection of who you are as a couple.

Take a look at these gorgeous library weddings below:

clockwise l-r: John Hopkins University Peabody Library, romantic wedding shot by the library shelves, The State Library of South Australia Mortlock Chamber, Boston Public Library desks used as dinner tables 

Aquarium

If you're planning on an under the sea themed wedding, your local aquarium may just be the perfect venue for your special day. I personally have a penchant for anything and everything about the ocean and these aquariums are just the perfect place to have a sneak peak into amazing world under the sea. 

The great thing about this is that most aquarium venues are basically set in spaces underneath the giant aquariums so you really get that feeling of being under the sea. That in itself is an instant theme decor. As a bonus, the playful lighting coming through the water makes for great photographs. 

Check out these under the sea wedding feel: (I love those cocktail tables under the tunnel!)

Top l-r: Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, The Batis (The Brook) at Manila Ocean Park, Buhay na Karagatan (Live Ocean) cocktail table setup at Manila Ocean Park
Bottom l-r: Caribbean Reef Tank at the Chicago Shedd Aquarium, Melbourne Aquarium, romantic couple shot by the Florida Aquarium 

Theme Park

If you thought an aquarium wedding is fun, here's another venue that definitely screams fun! I didn't really know that it's possible to rent out theme parks for a wedding reception until I saw this photo.

Wedding photo at Enchanted Kingdom

At first, I thought it was an engagement shoot or something like that until I realized that the bride is actually in her wedding gown and the groom is in his traditional barong (a traditional Filipino formal wear). So I looked up the photo and found out that it was indeed a wedding shoot held right after the ceremony. Apparently, the couple (so brilliantly, in my opinion) decided to have their wedding reception in a popular Philippine theme park called Enchanted Kingdom. How cool is that?

And so I went around the internet looking for other examples of creative couples who had their weddings held in theme parks. Here are some of what I found:

Clockwise: wedding reception at Enchanted Kingdom, couple shot at Dreamworld Australia, cake cutting at Enchanted Kingdom, fun entourage shoot on a Super Slide

I hadn't dawned on me before that it is indeed possible to have events like weddings in theme parks since I have heard of many a birthday parties being celebrated in theme parks. Of course birthdays would be a more slightly scaled down event but nevertheless, still a party.

A great thing about having your wedding in a theme park is that you get to have great at creative structures as your backdrop as arches, castle-like architecture, magnificent steels, and colorful lights are typical scenes in many theme parks. Plus, it's just downright fun! Just take a look at the entourage shot on the super slide. They are definitely having fun!

Museum

Speaking of creative structures, how about considering a wedding inside a museum? You basically do not have to think about decor since the entire place is basically your decor. All you need is minimal styling for the tables. Since there are several types of museums around (historical, cultural, artistic, scientific) you can just find one that suits you best.

Just like libraries, museums are usually built in breathtaking architecture styles so that alone is a winner in terms of your wedding ambiance. Add in the breathtaking pieces of art, amazing artifacts, and marvelous works, then your guests would surely be left oo-ing and aah-ing left and right.

The only downside I could think of when it comes to renting museums is that they would probably offer a lot of limitations. Since their main purpose is to preserve works of art, artifacts, and the like, it might even be probable that many would not allow having their space rented out unless they do have an area that can serve as a gathering area. If big museums pose to be too limiting, try art galleries instead. Since many art galleries usually have a large enough space to cater to launches and special events, they would likely be open to events such as weddings. Just make sure to ease up on the cocktails because you wouldn't want any tipsy guests accidentally knocking over that hundred year old vase on the display. :)

Top clockwise: Museum of National History,  couple's shot  with a painting as background,  Art Gallery of Ontario
Bottom: Metropolitan Museum of Manila

Empty Warehouse/Building


The first 4 wedding venues are already decked out and ready to go on their own. All you have to do is have a a touch of styling for the seating that would tie in with the rest of the natural ambiance that each venue gives. But this last one is a tad bid different. This is probably a weird choice for traditional couples but for those who have a slightly unique and different perspective might find it as a perfect venue. And in my opinion, it is a perfect venue for the DIY-ers at heart.

I particularly like the idea of the rough, cold, and even dilapidated bare space contrasted against soft tulle, romantic roses, and all those frilly wedding stuff. It definitely puts an interesting twist on your typical wedding. Below are some examples of unconventional weddings held in empty (even abandoned) spaces:

Clockwise l-r: wedding ceremony at King Plow Arts Center, wedding ceremony at an old empty building space, getting ready for a wedding reception at Salt Lake Warehouse, tables set up at an empty warehouse, wedding reception at King Plow Arts Center, Houston Station wedding reception

I would assume that it would be relatively cheaper, rent-wise, to hold a wedding in places like these since these places usually require little, almost no, maintenance. Another upside is that the bare space allows you run wild with your imagination. In spaces with a specific ambiance to them, you would need to somehow match your decor and styling to suit the preexisting decor of the place. On the contrary, bare spaces like these offer limitless probabilities in terms of possible decors.

On the downside, the fact that it is bare, may require more effort to style the space, unless you are going for a minimalist look. Also, in the case of abandoned spaces, you would have to check for power sources, cleanliness, sturdiness of the structures, and overall safety.

So that is my list of 5 unique wedding venues.

I know there is a certain sense of intimidation when considering these kinds of venues. Do they accept reservations for a wedding? Do they have a space for our wedding? It might be too expensive. And so on. But as I found out when researching for this entry, all you have to do is ask and perhaps do a little Google-ing. You'd be surprised that some of the venues featured above actually offer wedding packages in their websites. I know I was! 

lanna dyan's wedding under the stars: an inspiration board

If I'm not writing here about wedding stuff, I'm probably obsessing about it in the Engagements and Weddings boards of GirlTalk.

One of my "sis", as the GirlTalk forum posters so fondly call each other, has been setting her sights on a wedding under the stars. Though she wouldn't have her wedding in an outdoor setting, literally under the stars, she and her finance found a fitting indoor venue that is just perfect! 

Light of Love Events Place Atrium Hall

I love the chandelier and the skylight roof so much that I immediately bookmarked the place for "future references" (ahem ahem, Mr. Right, where art thou? LOL) 

Right away, I could visualize the dimly lit hall filling up with  natural moonlight...ah romance! So once I got my act up together (yes, my computer's fixed and my best friend's wedding stresses are finally over!) I immediately put together an inspiration board fit for a wedding under the stars. And here's what I came up with:

clockwise: glittery stars aisle decor, star bouquet charms, recessional confetti,  hanging crystals and candles, welcome sparklers, tea light candle decor, candle-filled table setting, star confetti table accent, star origami in a bowl, wishing stars, star topped cupcakes, heart light writing
center: Light of Love Atrium Hall

Wedding Ceremony
Instead of the usual fabric swag decorate the aisle with glittery star cutouts scattered along the sides. If you have time to spare, you can DIY by cutting out differently sized stars on a stiff board and covering them in glitter or wrap them in metallic foil paper. Then just randomly line the sides of the aisle with them. Add some big white candles in tall glass vases among them to get a full effect.

star-lined aisle with candles

Aside from the church decor, there is usually very little room to inject your theme into the ceremony. This is especially true for traditional Catholic wedding ceremonies, which are most common here in the Philippines. But you can maximize the little details - details as small as your bouquet for instance. Instead of just wrapping the flowers in plain ribbon, add small charms onto the handle just to give that hint of the starry night wedding you want. You can either get a pack of star shaped charms from craft stores or bead shops or go for a unique charm such as the moon and star one below.

something blue star and moon bouquet charm

Of course, after the ceremony, there will always be a recessional where the guests finally greet a newly pronounced Mr. and Mrs. This, most often than not, is done with a festive shower of confetti, petals, or even sometimes, rice grains. To keep in theme, mix your regular confetti or whatever it is you choose to have your guests greet you with, with some metallic star confetti. It's a trivial detail but if you're gonna have confetti stuck in your hair all night, might as well, keep it in theme. :)

Wedding Reception
Now, on to the party!
Wow your guests right away with a candle lit pathway towards the venue entrance. Light up small tea light candles and line them along the pathway. At night, the hundreds of lit candles will immediately give that feeling of being under the stars. And the effect is just breathtaking.

candle-lit pathway

Once the guests have filled in that gorgeous venue, remind them who really is the star of the party by an entrance welcomed with sparklers. Not only is it dramatic but it makes for great photos too!

sparklers welcome

Although I would imagine that the natural moonlight filling in the venue hall is already breathtaking enough, looking at the photo, there may be some areas that might need a little help. Since the side walls seem to be hidden from the light, it might help to add a little sparkle to those areas as well. Try hanging some crystal beads strung like a bead curtain to the walls. Add some random tea light candles placed in small hanging glass jars or containers. You don't really need a lot since the crystals would bounce off the light thus magnifying the sparkle effect. This would just be a little oomph to an already beautiful reception hall. 

crystal and candle curtains

In tune with the entrance, decorate your tables with different sized candles in mismatched glass containers. If possible, choose dark colored table cloth or table runners such as navy blue to get a good contrast with the hundreds of sparkling lights. from afar, your wedding decor could even look like the night sky, dotted with billions of stars. Just make sure that you keep your lighting dim to get the full effect of the candle lights. 

long table filled with candles in different size mason jars

multiple candles and glass centerpieces

 You don't even have to have floral arrangements made for these tables. I think you can just stick with the candles and still get a beautiful effect. Best of all, it's very easy to have this DIY-ed. Just collect different white candles and different clear glass containers and group them randomly together. No professional styling needed. 

If in case you feel it lacking a little oomph, try sprinkling some star shaped confetti around the candles in a starburst pattern. 

Or, remember those star origami that kids used to collect before (I remember going through a phase when I had tons of small little jars with those stars in it. I'd even trade some with my friends.)? You can have a few metallic or glittery ones and sprinkle them around the candles. 

silver star origami

Since we're on the topic of origami stars, I thought of a few nifty ways to make use of these stars. I already suggested this before to lanna dyan but for the sake of the readers here, let me share it again. 

One way is for the reception programme. To make the programme a little livelier (this would be a good way to break the ice especially if you have a diverse group of guests who are not in the same circle), use the stars as a game item. Put small bowls of those stars in each table. Beforehand, you can write down something in the stars, be it a prize, a code, a surprise, a name, or whatever that will match with the game you choose to play. Then have your guests pick out a star and unravel it to reveal if they have won something, been chosen to participate in the game, or are given a game task. 

star origami in fish bowls

Another is to use the stars as a substitute for the traditional guest book. Instead of having your guests write down their well wishes onto a guestbook, have them write down their messages onto the strips of paper and let them (or an usher) shape the paper into an origami star. Have a big jar out for them to drop in their "wishing stars" into. 

wishing stars

Another take on the wishing stars is to ask the guests how they see your marriage in 5, 10, 20 years or so. Let them drop their answers into different jars labeled 5years, 10 years, etc. After the wedding, seal those jars and keep them like a time capsule. During your 5th, 10th, 20th, etc. wedding anniversary, open the corresponding jar and read what your guests had imagined your marriage would be. 

Before you wind up your night, thank your guests with some star goodies. (I personally love edible favors!) Be it star fondant topped cupcakes, star shaped sugar cookies, or even star shaped candies. 

Lastly, make good use of those sparklers by ending your night with a nice light writing photo as a couple. It's a fun and romantic way to remember the night you got married under the stars! 

sparkle LOVE

Sis lanna dyan, I hope this post helps you out in putting together your under the stars wedding. Happy preps and don't forget to send in pictures! :)