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Location, location, location: Wedding venues with a twist

From skating rinks to jetliners, couples choosing more meaningful sites for their ceremony.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Cindy McKenzie and her husband Justin were married on the ice at Riverscape Metropark.

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By Meredith Moss, Staff Writer 6:03 PM Sunday, January 22, 2012

DAYTON-- For most newlyweds, it’s officially known as “the first dance.” For Cindy and Justin McKenzie, it was “the first skate.”

The couple, gliding to their wedding vows on ice skates, was married on Jan. 20, 2011, at RiverScape Metro Park ice rink.

Like many of today’s brides and grooms, the West Carrollton couple chose a wedding site that had special meaning for their relationship. They’d had their first date at the downtown Dayton rink and were delighted to discover it could be rented for their nuptials.

But what’s ideal for one couple may not be right for another, say experts. So it’s no wonder more couples are choosing to do their own thing. They marry at laundromats, bowling alleys, atop rock-climbing walls. They marry on horseback and underwater.

Sara and Robin Kasten of Tipp City invited guests to enjoy their wedding at 33,000 feet in the air. Both worked for the airlines and decided it would be fun to be married on United Airlines Flight 337 from Anchorage to Fairbanks.

“We were married in Row 9 when they turned the seat belt sign off,” Sara relates. “We had a party at a pub when we got to Fairbanks during a four-hour layover, then everyone flew back to Anchorage.” Their boss performed the ceremony and the airline provided champagne and a wedding cake.

“When you choose an unusual venue for your wedding site, you add a dimension of the unexpected that guests enjoy,” says wedding maven Sharon Naylor.

“Your wedding isn’t an identical match to the ballroom weddings your local friends hosted, with just the colors and florals different.”

Naylor, author of “Your Wedding, Your Way” says that a wedding held at a winery, for instance, creates a unique vibe with its architecture, wooden beams, gorgeous vineyards and gardens, and the wine and food pairings that are so popular now.

She says museums have also become a trendy wedding venues because they deliver visual interest at every turn.

“I’m a big fan of unique museums, such as Madame Tussauds in New York City,” says Naylor, who lives in New Jersey. “You can arrange for guests to take fun photos with the wax sculptures of celebrities.”

A Dayton venue that’s similar is the Packard Museum, where wedding guests can pose with vintage cars.

Mary and Ran Raider found a lot more than books at Wright State’s Paul Laurence Dunbar Library.

They also found romance.

The two full-time library employees married under the replica of the Wright Flyer with the whole staff involved with the preparations. Rowdy Raider, related only by employment, was an invited guest but couldn’t make it.

“It was a really beautiful wedding and an especially meaningful one for the WSU Libraries, since both the bride and groom have worked here many years,” says Karin Nevius, coordinator for development and public relations for the library.

“Mary and Ran are the fifth couple to meet and marry while working at the library.”

Mary says both she and her spouse loved being surrounded by everyone they’d worked with for decades.

Marsha Bernard of Clayton admits she’s a traditionalist who struggled with the idea that her children would not be married in a church. Both chose alternative wedding locations. But looking back, Bernard now says she wouldn’t change a thing.

“Both took total control of their weddings, knew what they wanted and made their dreams come true.” Her son and his fiance married at the historic Simon Kenton Inn in Springfield. All of the guests stayed at the bed-and-breakfast.

“They were married outside on a beautiful fall day with approximately 100 guests. After the ceremony, everyone walked to the pavilion, where the festivities began and lasted late into the night, with everyone gathering around a fire ring,” Bernard reports.

Her daughter and her fiancé married on 11/11/11 at 11:11 a.m. on Foley Beach, S.C., in front of 30 guests.

“They rented a beach house where everyone stayed for the weekend, the weather was ‘picture perfect,’ with dolphins swimming in the background. We played corn hole, walked the beach — it was unbelievable!” says Bernard.

Katie Dattalo of Beavercreek is so crazy about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that her husband-to-be rented the entire Magic Kingdom on their wedding day.

“I’d never even been there before, and John wanted it to be extra-special!” says Katie. “He made all of the arrangements and we were the only two people in the park.” The family returns to Disney World for every birthday and anniversary.

“One of the reasons unusual venues are so popular is that they feature intrinsic décor of their own, which can save you a lot of money compared to fully decorating a blank space, such as a basic ballroom,” suggests Naylor.

“What you do need to keep in mind, though, is that an unusual venue may very well require you to bring in your own caterer, bartender, staff, and a long list of rentals if there are items you need that the site doesn’t have. So this is not always a money-saving choice.”

On the other hand, she says, by virtue of the unique location, your wedding can often seem like you spent more on it than you actually did.

Cindy McKenzie, the snow queen bride wrapped in white ostrich feathers after the Riverscape ceremony, describes her wedding day as the “fairy-tale” she envisioned.

She says she and her husband were surrounded by the most important people in their lives.

“It was basically perfect!” she concludes.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2440 or  MMoss@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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