<div id="c3be0912bb716eee4ca644c1dfc4ecde4"></div>If you get married, your wedding will be the most important date in your life. It’s essential that you choose the right location to say your “I do’s.” Some couples want a more traditional place, and some want a less traditional location. If you want a less traditional wedding, there are plenty of unique places in the Tampa Bay area to have your dream wedding!
Oxford Exchange
The Oxford Exchange is a beautiful, restaurant and hangout space right over the bridge from downtown Tampa. It’s high windows, atrium, brickwork, and style allow for an old-fashioned European feel. After 6:30 p.m. daily, couples can rent out parts of the Oxford Exchange for their wedding with 50 to 200 guests. The in-house culinary team will provide delicious food and drink. This setting is perfect for any type and style of wedding!
Kapok
From 1958 to 1991, the Kopak Inn was a lavish inn and restaurant that attracted visitors from all over the world. In 1988, the Chicago Sun-Times reported it as the number 15 restaurant in the country. Today, soon-to-be-newlyweds can have their special day in one of the old lounges, that still have their original splendor, or in the handsomely trimmed, decorated gardens and lagoon. Couples will feel like they are in a castle in Europe, instead of an old inn in Clearwater!
Underwater
Getting married underwater has become more popular over the past few years. It’s no surprise couples can do this in Florida! Hurley’s, a dive center in Tarpon Springs, offers couples a chance to get married under the sea. Hurley’s has different packages to choose from that include things like, underwater picture and video, scuba certifications, and full-face masked weddings with communication. There are also various locations around Florida where Hurley’s will help couples get married! If feeling like a mermaid on this special day is the dream, get hitched underwater!
The Florida Aquarium
Want to say “I do” among the fishes, but don’t want to have the wedding underwater? Have it at the Florida Aquarium! Couples can even take wedding photos with the penguins! The Aquarium offers space for indoor and outdoor ceremonies and receptions, as well as a wide selection of food to choose for the reception. Soon-to-be-newlyweds can be married in front of the Coral Reef exhibit where sharks, turtles and other cool sea creatures will be swimming by the ceremony. Weddings here will have an under-the-sea feel without actually taking place under the sea and there’s a chance some cool animals will crash the ceremony photos!
Straz Center
Love Broadway, music, dancing or shows? The Straz Center is the perfect place for anyone who wants to get married where some of the best performers of the past 30 years have performed. There are several places indoors and outdoors that engaged couples can pick from for their ceremony or reception. A stage will be available for pictures, so the newlyweds can have their very own Broadway moment. Straz’s location is excellent for booking vendors or getting hotel rooms for guests. The bride and groom should be the stars of the day and this location is certainly going to make the couple feel like they are!
The Dali Museum
Salvador Dali was a unique person, so it makes sense to have a unique wedding at the museum dedicated to him. The Dali Museum is the only place in the Western Hemisphere to have a Novum glass structure making is a fantastic spot for couples who want to get married in something not many people can. The views from the structure are of the East Garden, Albert Whitted Park and Tampa Bay. There is room for 20-650 so no matter what size wedding you want, you can have it here. Parties will also get two hours to walk amongst the galleries and take in Dali’s works. Whether a couple is an art fan or not, this location is a gorgeous place for a wedding.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park
If you want to get married surrounded by animals, but don’t want to get married at an aquarium- get married at the zoo! ZooTampa offers several spots in the zoo for weddings. The Savannah Marketplace has 17,000 sq. feet that can hold up to 750 guests, along with the African wildlife that will be attending. Reilly’s Reserve has views of elephants, zebras and giraffes and room for 175 people. The Ituri Forest Plato is a lush setting with room for 200 guests in addition to the okapis, pygmy hippos and other animals. Special animal guests are sure to make the day extra special and beautiful!
Looking to get married? Planning your upcoming wedding? Check out Best Places to Buy Flowers and Top 50 Bachelorette Party Ideas.
Feature Image Credit: Kopak Special Events Center