Decidedly Different Wedding Venues

He popped the question! After you’ve told everyone from your best friend to a stranger on the bus that you’re engaged, the next wave of panic ensues – where to get married? Here are a few suggestions for couples who want something decidedly different:

Hôtel de Glace, Quebec
Locale: Less than a half hour from Quebec City in Duchesnay, the Hotel de Glace is a sparkly marvel – constructed every year from blocks of ice. The hotel is open from January until March, providing 32 rooms, including a few with artistic carvings inspired by the ocean, hockey, and Harry Potter; the hotel also features Ice Café – a spacious bar/discotheque. Bathrooms are in a separate, heated building and guests are encouraged to use the sauna and hot tub before retiring for the night tucked into arctic sleeping bags.

The spot: The Hôtel de Glace wedding chapel seats 40 and is an elegant arched ice creation. Ice benches are covered in deerskins for guest comfort, while the bride can choose to arrive in a barouche, have a red carpet entry, benefit from fireworks after the ceremony as well as borrow a white faux fur full length coat. Three wedding packages are offered for couples including the advice of the Hôtel de Glace wedding planner. Celebrate your moment with ice champagne flutes created especially for you.

Extras: For wedding guests not enamoured with the romantic winter wonderland or a couple who want to stay another night but in a traditional environment, Auberge Duchesnay on Lac St. Joseph is an elegant boutique hotel located a mere five minutes away.
www.icehotel-canada.com

Half Moon Resort, Jamaica
Locale: A Montego Bay resort originally built in the 1950s, this beach hot spot has been a favourite for the wealthy and well known such as Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, and John and Jackie Kennedy. Four hundred acres of beachfront property include 34 private villas with amenities and private staff, almost 200 suites and rooms in the main building and The Fern Tree, the spa at Half Moon.

The spot: For a distinct touch, couples that marry at the edge of the Dolphin Lagoon can have their rings brought to them by dolphins Miguel and Bruno. Couples can then engage in a private swim post ceremony. Several wedding packages are offered at the resort, with the wedding planner options such as a ceremony with a Jamaican children’s choir and local cuisine or a dance party powered by reggae.

Extras: Wedding guests can indulge in the 72 par Trent Jones golf course, 18 hole putting green, 13 tennis courts, shopping village and six gourmet restaurants throughout the resort. With all the myriad of options, the couple will easily be able to have a lot of alone time.
www.halfmoon.com

Ohio State Reformatory, Ohio
Locale: Located 80 miles southwest of Cleveland, Mansfield is a typical small Midwestern town. Founded in the early 1800s, this city of almost 50,000 is nicknamed “The Heart of Ohio” (for its proximity of being in the middle of the state) and is also known as the carousel capital of Ohio.

The spot: Ohio State Reformatory is a former prison (officially shut down in 1990) and was a formidable presence in Mansfield. Now after a $1.3 million restoration, this historical site brings together couples in holy wedlock to officially become one another’s “ball and chain.” But its film history is what leads couples here – this site has been the backdrop for several Hollywood productions, including Tango & Cash, AirForce One and The Shawshank Redemption.

Extras: Guests can linger at the gift shop or museum pre and post ceremony, or go on one of the ghost walks to learn about the former occupants of the prison and the details of the films that have used the reformatory as a location.
www.mrps.org