Eight Totally Unexpected Destination Wedding Ideas

Could there be anything more American than getting married in the Mall of America? This mega-shopping-center (the biggest mall in the U.S. and the second largest in the world) attracts more than 42 million visitors each year, meaning you'll have plenty of witnesses. The mall's wedding chapel (yes, that's a thing) may have performed thousands of weddings since it opened in 1992, but that's just too routine for some thrill-seeking couples, who have gotten married on the neon Pepsi Orange Streak roller coaster and from the seven-story Ferris wheel, El Círculo del Cielo.

If even white sand beaches bore you, take your nuptials to new depths. At Seven Mile Beach, adventurous pairs can participate in an Aqua Vows Ceremony, with the Grand Cayman's coral reefs serving as the vibrant venue. Guests include sea turtles, colorful fish, and non-threatening stingrays. The island's premier dive shop, Divetech, can help arrange for a certified scuba-diving minister, while the Cathy Church Photo Center can help with a photographer to capture the special moment. 

If you want your marriage to soar, why not get married at the highest wedding venue in the United States? With 360-degree views of Chicago and its four surrounding states, the 99th floor of Willis Tower (one of the tallest buildings in the world) is an awe-inspiring space for a wedding reception. To make it even more outrageous, you and your significant other can say your vows on The Ledge, Willis Tower's famed glass-floor balcony hovering 1,353 feet above Wacker Drive.

Consider celebrating your wedding with an epic journey to Kyoto, one of T+L'sbest cities in the world, where you can don a kimono-style gown for a ceremony at an ancient temple or shrine. Weddings in Kyoto are also known for traditional performances by Geishas and Maiko, and a Kagamiwari ritual with sake barrel-top breaking.

Bring a bit of Maasai tradition to your wedding by getting hitched in Kenya's Maasai Mara Nature Reserve. The event will feature a blessing—led by a local community elder—the bride will be decked out in hand-beaded jewelry, and locals in regalia will sing during the ceremony. Wild elephants and giraffes may even join the wedding party. Start planning your Kenyan wedding by reserving Angama Mara, the newest luxury safari lodge in the area. It's perched high above a game reserve on the very site where some of the most romantic scenes from Out of Africa were filmed.

Not all Caribbean weddings have to be beachy, quiet affairs. In Nassau, partiers can opt for a wild Bahamian Junkanoo wedding—inspired by the island's very own version of Carnival. Your special affair will include a raucous Junkanoo rush-out, (a parade of musicians decorated with tassels, masks, and cowbells) and a colorful feast with local specialties and tropical cocktails. At the One&Only Ocean Club guests can plan this type of wedding in the lush, romantic Versailles Gardens.

Nothing says "I love you forever no matter what mess we get into" quite like a wedding inside Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary. Many believe the prison—where Al Capone served part of his sentence—is one of America's most haunted places, but it's actually a beautiful backdrop for wedding photos. The antebellum prison boasts high, arched ceilings and glass skylights. Services can be held in the central rotunda or outside on the expansive grounds. 

Nestled between the Rincon Mountain Range and the Saguaro National Park is Tuscon's Tanque Verde Ranch, a dude ranch where couples can tie the knot. After you exchange rings, all that's left to do is to ride off into the sunset—on horseback, obviously—or ditch the dress for mountain biking through 60,000 acres of prickly pear cacti, pastures, and the Sonoran Desert.