Alternative Locations for Wedding Ceremonies

A civil wedding service takes 12-23 minutes. That's without religious bits, but with a few nice readings. That's 3 subway stops in New York (and 4 in Toronto). Don't know about Madrid and Boston and Rome.

So you need to be able to LISTEN and STAY WARM and DRY and seriously FOCUSED for the length of half a television show minus commercials.

Hard to do while sky-diving. But ice skates are OK - and you may already have cheesy organ music. Maybe you could sit on the Zamboni? Bridges and helicopters and boats are tricky. You need to SIGN the license somewhere with a real postal address. But you can have the CEREMONY anywhere non-Google-mapped, and just do the paperwork before or after.

Pick somewhere memorable, where you are either SURROUNDED by lots of people (Times Square, the County Fair, or fairly ALONE - a wilderness park! though the wedding party must be good paddlers). Places with just a few passersby are more annoying, as tourists and bystanders stop and make comments. (They're usually trying to figure out of you're making a movie).  And they take all those pictures of you on their cell phones.  

Even in the biggest city, there are oases. There ARE secret places in Central Park. And quiet beaches can be nice at sunset and at dawn. But you might also consider -- YOUR LIVING ROOM! Just move the furniture! Your great-grandmother was probably married at home. It's an easy place to revisit for your anniversary. Get some flowers and new curtains and roll up the rugs and throw a sheet over all the CPUs. And you've already got your IPOD enhancement system.

Just remember to turn off the TV. I married someone in their Annie Hall like-apartment in NY, and we all stood and hummed the 'wedding march', while the bride came out of the bedroom and turned the corner to join her groom by the window - but we forgot to turn off Regis. So he shows up in all the pictures.

Or if you have friends who live in Condos, start asking about their party rooms - some are on the top floors and have smashing views. We had a lovely wedding in a borrowed penthouse party room, and catered the WHOLE THING with Fresh Direct, cake and all. More money for the wine, you see?

So consider something borrowed as -- the venue. Start checking out your friends and family's digs - gardens, penthouse, back deck, summer home - and save money for the honeymoon.

Copyright, Mary Beaty
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