Unique Wedding Venues in Florida

By Julie Landry Laviolette

When a simple “I do” just won’t do, Florida’s got you covered.

If your vision for tying the knot includes a one-of-a-kind location or experience with a unique vibe, the Sunshine State has lots to offer.

Whether you’re looking for a quirky, memorable, meaningful or just plain fun locale, you’ve come to the right place. Here are a few ideas:

Swimming with dolphins

Instead of a best man or maid of honor, imagine having a dolphin as an attendant at your wedding as you swim in the warm waters of the Florida Keys. The Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key offers an Exclusive Private Dolphin Encounter where the couple and an officiant enter the water for a brief ceremony, followed by a celebratory private swim with your dolphin friends. A reception can follow on the center’s landscaped grounds.

At Disney

What could be more magical than a Disney wedding? Step into your own fairy tale with an after-hours private wedding in front of Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom, complete with a ride in Cinderella’ Coach down a beautifully lit Main Street. If you want something more exotic, Epcot lets you travel the world without needing a passport. Choose from a medieval Bavarian village in Germany, the Great Hall of China in China or a private island terrace with romantic Venetian architecture, gondolas and lagoon views in Italy.

Like a mermaid

If you always wanted to be a mermaid, here’s your chance to say “I do” with an underwater wedding. You can slip on a dress with a mermaid tail and do an underwater bridal photo shoot, exchange vows underwater as you scuba dive and then stay in the Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, the only underwater hotel in the U.S. The lodge is on the ocean floor, 30 feet deep, and is surrounded by marine life.

While scuba diving

How deep is your love? Join hands with your forever dive buddy and take the plunge while scuba diving a coral reef or historic wreck with DXDivers in Deerfield Beach. You can charter a boat or keep it simple and hop in with other divers for the day. There’s even a PADI instructor on staff who also happens to be an ordained minister who can bless your union. Underwater videographers and photographers are available, and you can add decorations for the boat and a cake to your package. Here’s some other underwater wedding sites in Fort Lauderdale.

With presidential flair

Walk down the aisle in the footsteps of U.S. presidents at the stately but graceful Harry S. Truman Little White House, the president’s Key West winter retreat in the 1940s and ‘50s. Set among manicured gardens just two blocks from partying Duval Street, the house was built in 1890 as the naval station’s command headquarters. It has three event lawns for ceremonies under the stars or shaded by soaring palm trees.

On the African Queen

Movie buffs or fans of the 1951 movie African Queen starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn can have an intimate ceremony on the African Queen vessel used in the movie. Built in 1912 and docked in Key Largo, the boat holds up to six people. An intimate ceremony can be held on the historic vessel, then a reception can take place on the Key Largo Princess, a 70-foot glass-bottom boat that can hold up to 140.

While skydiving

If you’re ready to jump in with both feet, Skydive Spaceland Florida in Clewiston can lift you and your intended to new heights with a wedding while skydiving. If you’re an experienced skydiver, you and your partner, an officiant (or someone dressed like one), and a videographer/photographer will jump together for a 60-second freefall and photo opp before parachutes are opened.

Novice jumpers can say their vows as they climb to 14,000 feet, exchange a quick kiss then jump separately on a tandem skydive, each with their own instructor. The newly betrothed couple will land in the designated landing area, where their bridal party can wait. Or friends and family can join in the jump. The plane holds up to 18.

On the Titanic

Well, at least surrounded by 300 of its artifacts and historical memorabilia. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition in Orlando has full-scale recreations of opulent rooms from the iconic vessel, plus other event spaces. Step back in time and have a wedding portrait taken on a replica of the grand staircase on the “Ship of Dreams.”

In an ancient monastery

The Ancient Spanish Monastery dates back to the 12^th century, where it was built in northern Spain. In 1925, the monastery was dismantled stone by stone and shipped in 11,000 crates to the U.S., where it ultimately landed in North Miami Beach. Today, the astounding architectural gem, with its picturesque cloisters, three chapels and formal gardens, is now the backdrop of weddings and events.

On a yacht

Embark on a romantic voyage in a sea of luxury while exchanging vows on a sleek yacht, offered at harbors throughout Florida. Both public and private yacht charters are available, for intimate groups or larger parties. Have the captain officiate and tailor your special day with everything from hors d’ oeuvres to a sit-down dinner to bubbly. Enjoy a famous Florida sunset as you drink a toast to your special someone.

In a cave

Looking for an other-worldly experience? About 60 feet below the earth’s surface at Florida Caverns State Park in Marianna is the Florida Cavern, a limestone cave more than half a mile in length. The dimly lit cavern, with hundreds of formations clinging to its surface, can make a dramatic landscape for any wedding. An officiant can be provided and the cave can hold up to 20 people.

With wild animals

Go exotic and ride a camel into your wedding ceremony before reclining on pillows under a Moroccan tent as a giraffe munches on fresh bamboo. The NGALA Wildlife Preserve in Naples has living art animal encounters with a giraffe, Florida panther, zebra, rhinoceros and camel that will transport you and your partners to faraway lands without hopping on a plane. Event venues include expansive tents, serene gardens and lawns.

On a cruise

The Love Boat, indeed. Cast away to a romantic island destination and tie the knot on the way. Florida offers major cruise ports in Tampa, Port Canaveral, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale and Miami with some of the largest cruise ships in the world. Sail away and let your something blue be the ocean with a wedding package on Virgin Voyages, Royal Caribbean, Carnival or Celebrity, among others.

On a polo field

With sweeping stretches of greenspace and manicured lawns, the National Polo Center in Wellington offers stunning outdoor locations with a luxe twist, with on-site catering, a florist and a creative department. Mix in an equestrian theme by bringing polo players and ponies to the field for a mix and mingle.

On a farm

Think wide open fields, open barn-like pavilions with twinkling lights, rustic-chic furnishings, even animal encounters. Farms like Swank Farm in Loxahatchee, with 20 acres of vegetable crops, wild flowers and cows, pigs and chickens, have become specialists in wedding planning. Other options include The Barn at Water Oaks Farm in Laurel Hill and Enchanted Oaks Farm and Lakehouse in Ocala.