If you’re looking for a hot spot to hold your wedding, head to Miami, Florida. (And I mean “hot” figuratively and literally. Don’t plan a summer wedding down here.) With those words of wisdom, I give you, Vizcaya (that modest, little abode you see on the left), a palatial piece of property with a tropical ambience, exquisite gardens, lovely ocean and water views and a spectacular setting that’s guaranteed to set any wedding apart from the usual.

Now a museum, Vizcaya was once the winter residence of American industrialist James Deering from Christmas 1916 until his death in 1925. It has 34 decorated rooms with 15th through 19th century antique furnishings and art objects. The expansive gardens combine elements of Renaissance Italian and French designs.

Though it’s a bit on the pricey side to rent, your wedding memories will be well worth it. Because Vizcaya is also a museum, there’s a list of parameters you’ll have to work around. (Okay. I promise my next few destinations will be affordable to people in my own tax bracket, which I’m certain is significantly lower than the tax bracket of those who can afford to wed here.) But you have to admit, Vizcaya is an amazing backdrop for a wedding, and there are actually two price levels.

For those of you with deep pockets, Vizcaya is available for rent during the evening hours and guests have the exclusive use of the inner courtyard, outside terraces, and gardens. Private events can’t be held during the day because, well, it’s a museum. However, for a fraction of the cost you can have a daytime ceremony in the gardens. With the money you save, you can rent a yacht and take all your guests on an ocean adventure for the rest of the weekend. Have a safe and happy Independence Day!

Susan

Only the truly adventurous will find this exotic wedding destination something to consider. I must say, I’d trade my wedding tiara for a pith helmet in a heartbeat! The setting you see here is Rock Lodge in Ulusaba Private Game Ranch Reserve in South Africa, where you can have an intimate ceremony or share it with family and friends. Up to 40 guests can be accommodated at Rock Lodge and nearby Safari Lodge. By the way, Ulusaba is owned by world-famous entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson.

How does this sound? The wedding ceremony can take place in one of many stunning locations at Rock Lodge or out in the bush in a safari setting. Some travel agencies offer a spectacular helicopter flight through the Blyd River Canyon to Gods Window, followed by a wedding ceremony on “The Pinnacle, a place of breathtaking beauty high above the world.” I am so there!

That’s because I’m an animal lover, and if you and your fiance are, too, this is wedding party paradise. Professional rangers and trackers escort guests in safari vehicles or on guided walks. You’ll encounter lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, hippos and fabulous birds.

Rock Lodge or the travel agency will arrange the preparation and processing of all legal documentation and several other special wedding touches. The lodge offers several wedding packages. You can also arrange for bachelor and bachelorette parties at separate locations, cocktail parties, bush barbecues, candlelit dinners, beauty treatments at the lodge spa and a photographer, though your guests will probably have several cameras on hand in case a zebra or elephant decides she wants to be one of your bridesmaids.

You’ll spend your wedding night in a magnificent jungle retreat. Step outside on the deck and see stars like you’ve never seen them before. Here’s how one visitor described an African night: “Animals growling, monkeys singing, and large insects whistling, were all I can hear in this African wild orchestra…It was more like a calm and soothing jungle lullaby that was melodious.” Such sweet dreams at the end of the biggest day of your life.

Susan

Oh, yes! There is a place affectionately known as Marriage Island or Wedding Island, and this tiny island is part of spectacular Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX. One of the most visited places in all of Texas, Riverwalk has everything you need for an unforgettable destination wedding, with luxurious hotels, delicious dining and restaurants, great nightclubs, nightlife and entertainment everywhere you turn.

Some time back, a couple thought this little spot—an oak-shaded island known officially as the Padre Massanct’s Island and separated from the mainland by a small step—would be a unique and lovely place to hold their ceremony. Legend has it that anyone married on the island will have a long and happy marriage. Now many as 80 weddings a year take place on this beautifully landscaped bit of land, surrounded by the San Antonio River and sheltered by a high stone wall. The island only holds the wedding party, while as many guests as you’d like (and some folks you don’t even know) watch from the bridge and the Riverwalk above. Rumor has it Riverwalk is exceptionally scenic and sparkling during December, where thousands more colorful, twinkling lights decorate the riverbanks, bridges and the walk itself. The average winter temps are in the 50s and 60s.

There’s a small fee for reserving the island for 30 minutes or an hour. Then it’s off to your reception in one of the outstanding restaurants or hotels in the ‘hood. If you really want to make the most of your time along the San Antonio River, you can have your wedding breakfast or wedding dinner aboard one of the barges that cruise up and down the river at a leisurely pace. All you have to do is pick the River Walk restaurant of your choice and indicate that you want the meal served aboard the Rio San Antonio cruise barge, and the restaurant will handle all the details from there.

Or, while the wedding party and your guests head to your reception location, the two of you can take a romantic float to your reception and have your first “alone” time as husband and wife. Sounds the perfect getaway car, doesn’t it? 

Susan