Wacky or Wonderful? Unusual Weddings
by Candace Leslie

Under a sky heavy with the threat of rain, the photographer arrived first. Setting up his camera beside the ruined wall of the roofless chapel, he awaited the arrival of the rest of the tiny wedding party. They came one by one, each on foot, crossing the damp stepping stones and climbing the slippery steps up the steep cliff to the castle fortress above the sea. A piper in formal clan tartan. The local minister in clerical collar and kilt. The blonde-haired groom, a slightly embarrassed "Braveheart" look-alike, meticulously decked out in traditional kilt and hose. Finally the bride arrived in her folk-art white dress with flowers in her hair. Her only attendant was the efficient wedding coordinator, a busy woman who had obviously made many such arrangements for couples seeking "something different."

We, too, had crossed the low stone walkway and climbed the countless steps to explore Dunottar Castle, one of Scotland's spectacular ruins. We came as tourists, not as wedding guests. The wedding was a surprise. Yet we and the other sightseers, including a bus load of Louisiana church folk,who had taken their chances that the weather would hold, became happen chance witnesses to the event. There were no other guests, no parents, no friends. Yet the couple had come all the way from California just to be married in a ruined Scottish castle. For them, it was a dream come true. For the rest of us, it was an unexpected treat. For everyone, the rain miraculously held off.

The service was traditional. Only the setting was a bit unexpected. But, as the photographer explained, Scottish weddings are quite popular these days, especially with the Japanese, who love to wear the kilt. All the couple has to do is get there. A wedding planner can do all the rest, from finding an official clergyman to arranging for a reception.

When it comes to unusual weddings, this one might be considered pretty run-of-the-mill. Just imagine a highly unlikely place and some couple will eventually want to be married there. Even more amazing, they will probably find someone who will make the arrangements and perform the ceremony.

"If you can dream it, I can perform it," one west coast minister promises. Her list of past services includes ceremonies with coffee at Starbucks, underwater in scuba gear, up in the sky in a hot air balloon, and while riding on a fire truck, or a hay wagon, or rolling around a rink on skates. The only job she claims to have turned down was at a nudist colony.

So, if you are thinking of tying the knot somewhere other than in your own home town or walking down an aisle far from your local church, here are a few past events, real occasions, and possible options to get your imagination going.

COASTING TO MARITAL BLISS

In 1997, Tina and Jim of Seattle spoke their vows to each other on the wooden roller coaster at the annual Puyallup Fair. The minister sat in the seat behind them. The host of the radio show that had sponsored a contest with the roller coaster wedding as first prize held the microphone. Just as the ceremony ended, the coaster set off with the happy pair kissing through the climb to the summit, then screaming with glee as they careened into their new life together. Dress for the occasion was black jeans and white shirts. The fifty guests gathered near the merry-go-round for a reception. "We wanted this to be unique," the groom said. The couple felt a roller coaster was immensely appropriate because, "We love them so much."

GAMBLING ON A LIFE TOGETHER AT LAS VEGAS

Whether planning ahead or making a spur-of-the-moment decision, close to 110,000 couples record their marriages at the Clark County Clerk's Office in the gambling capital of the United States. About 12-percent of them come from foreign countries. There are 50 wedding chapels to choose from, though couples have been known to say "I do" in all sorts of strange venues. Consider the five couples who pledged their troths together on the 1,149-foot Stratosphere Tower just before being catapulted upward 160-feet at 45 miles per hour. Or how about Rebecca and Rome, bundled into formally enhanced wet suits, who plunged into a 6-foot deep tank outside a restaurant called Dive? Vows were spoken through snorkels. Visitors to the famous Las Vegas Strip were reported to be amazed.

Valentine's Day is especially busy. (Some grooms say this helps them remember their anniversaries.) Couples may have to wait in line for a turn at tying the knot.

But licenses are cheap in Las Vegas, and marriage laws are the most liberal in the country with no waiting period. One writer describes the phenomenon this way, "Visitors come from all over to the fun and excitement of the famous Las Vegas Strip and some couples include a side visit to one of the many local wedding chapels." Side visit? Just what are the priorities here, anyway?

THE BRIDGING OF TWO LIVES

According to an article in the Tacoma, Washington New Tribune, Bobby and April met as young teen-agers in an algebra class, but their fame was set in motion when an all-purpose wedding clergy person began sharing some alternative wedding ideas with them. This creative couple decided to make their vows to each other in the middle of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge high above Puget Sound, traversing what may have been the longest wedding aisle on record. While previously mulling over possible places for the ceremony (including Mt. Rainier), they got turned on to the idea of the 18-story-high bridge. The groom, explaining the decision, said, "Well, it sounded cool." And cool it was. The wind was blowing, the cars were whizzing by, but nothing could drown out the brave couple's declarations of love. And just where was that "love-at-first-sight" algebra class? Jane Long Middle School in Bryan, Texas!

A PERFECT NUMBERS NUPTIAL

In Port Huron, Michigan, Cassandra worked at the 7-11 store. She loved her job. She loved her customers. So, to her it only made sense to marry Kerry, the man she loved, just outside the place she loved. Dressed in a full-length white gown, the bride carried her bouquet in a Super Big Gulp container. Four children (ages 7-11) made up the wedding party. Guests, including regular 7-11 customers, feasted on bargain-priced hot dogs and 11-cent Slurpees. The couple won't have any trouble remembering their anniversary - the happy event took place on July 11, of course - 7th month, 11th day.

PLANTING SEEDS OF MARITAL BLISS

To eliminate the cost of flowers and candles, how about exchanging vows alongside the bedding plants in Temple's Feed & Seed store in Sevierville, Tennessee? Jimmy Temple is ex- mayor of the town in the county that unofficially claims being second to only Las Vegas in numbers of weddings performed each year. Dressed in khaki pants and work boots, Jimmy Temple has married more than 15,000 couples alongside the sacks of feed in his family-owned store. Apply for a quick license in the courthouse across the street and, chances are, the county clerk will send you over to Jimmy for a brief counseling session and a ceremony. If you prefer an outdoor wedding, or if alfalfa makes you sneeze, you can always tie the knot in front of Dolly Parton's statue on the courthouse lawn. You won't have to go far for a fine honeymoon, either. The nearby Great Smoky Mountains are just a hop, skip, and a jump away. (Incidentally, Jimmy, who continually receives letters from his happily married clients, has invited approximately 2,000 couples to come back and renew their vows in February 5, 2000.)

MYSTIFY YOUR GUESTS

Wedding World, an all-purpose outfit at Henley on Thames, in England, offers a mystery package for couples who delight in pulling fast ones on their friends. First, they will help the couple design and send out cryptic invitations letting guests know the date and time and a specified meeting place, but NOT the location of the actual ceremony. The staff will meet the guests, pile them on a double-decker bus, river boat, or plane and whisk them off to the surprise venue. "By the time your guests arrive at their secret destination, they are already in a relaxed and celebratory mood," these wacky consultants promise. Of course, they will also help design as many surprising twists as the scheming couple can think up, including a second mystery trip to an unusual reception. If that's not enough, they'll even light up the sky with fireworks at the end the festivities. And, of course, they will fly, sail or taxi all the guests (who are now either immensely celebratory and relaxed, or terribly confused and tense) back to the original parking lot.

FOR THE MINIMALLY DARING - INNOVATIVE INVITATIONS

Here is an idea for anyone who wants to stray only slightly from the traditional. If you would like something different than the same old double-enveloped, elegantly- calligraphied linen-stationery invitation for your upcoming nuptial event, consider sending a message in a bottle. You don't even have to go to the sea shore to set this one afloat on the outgoing tide. Just hook up to the web and contact http://www.dreamweaverstudios.com and give them your message and credit card number. Someone there will print your invitations, pop each one in a bottle, and send them out (via the post office, not the rolling sea) to everyone on your list.

Then, again, I suppose, one could elope.