Nothing is as heartwarming as a beautiful wedding venue. There is a reason that choosing that special site is often the first thing a newly engaged couple tackles. A stunning location can set the tone for the day. Choosing an iconic site can offer a striking setting showing off the couple’s personal style and personal passions.

From monumental civic buildings to intimate chapels, some buildings have interiors that are as impressive as their architectural pedigree. As a bonus, they are sure to provide dramatic backdrops for photographs. If you are planning a wedding, these buildings should be on your inspiration board.

1. Ribbon Chapel, Hiroshima, Japan- Architect Hiroshi Nakamura designed this unique structure which has two entwined spiral staircases to symbolize the act of marriage. The bride and groom travel separately up the stairs and meet at the top for a special, private
2. Middleton Place, Charleston, South Carolina –  this site is home to the country’s oldest landscaped gardens which were designed using the principles of Andre Le Notre who is the talent behind the gardens at Versailles and Vaux-le-Vicomte. The venue includes a 1755-room guest house turned museum. It is a National Historic Landmark.
3. Beaux Arts, City Hall, San Francisco – this opulent building was designed by architect Arthur Brown. It features a grand rotunda beneath its 307-foot-tall dome. Areas of the building can be rented for as little as an hour or for the full evening.
4. Guggenheim Museum, Ronald Perelman Rotunda, New York–designed by the famous Frank Lloyd Wright offers a beautifully modern backdrop for “I dos.” The space can accommodate 230 for a seated diner or 1,000 people for a reception.
5. Wayfarer’s Chapel, Palos Verdes, California- designed by Lloyd Wright, Frank Lloyd Wright’s son. This building blends organic architecture and scenic views of the forest and the nearby Pacific Ocean.
6. Crystal Bridges ART Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas opened its Moshe Safdie designed for unique events. Guests can stroll through the galleries while the couple poses for photos with the Ozarks in the background or with Robert Indiana’s Love sculpture on the South Lawn.
7. 1878 George Peabody Library, Baltimore, Maryland-features the gorgeous Stack Room, surrounded by five stories of books behind cast-iron balconies. This space can accommodate two hundred seated guests or 170 with a dance floor.
8. Philadelphia Museum of Art’s 1928 main building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania- Have your wedding surrounded by priceless masterpieces. Brave grooms or brides can also run up the steps a la Rocky on their way to the altar.
9. Falling Water, Mill Run, Pennsylvania–for the couple who cannot decide between a rustic barn wedding or a more modern setting, there is the Barn at Falling Water. While the house itself is not open for nuptials, the on-site event space is located five hundred yards away and was updated by architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.
10. Chicago Cultural Center’s Preston Bradley Hall, Chicago Illinois-In addition to its many mosaics and carved ceilings, the Cultural Center also boasts the world’s largest Tiffany glass dome. The site can accommodate up to seven hundred people for a cocktail reception.

There are many unique and breathtaking wedding venues in the world, and these are just a few. Owner and architect Robert Scarano will be getting married to Justine Stojowski later this month. Ironically, they have chosen a ship for their wedding and reception. We wish them a lifetime of health and happiness in their future together! Congratulations!