I have had the privilege to attend and help plan some amazing weddings in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. These locations are either budget friendly, DIY, or just plain different. I love creative weddings and locations that are somewhat unexpected. I hope it inspires you to look for a unique venue in your town. You may not find those locations on the common wedding websites like The Knot or Wedding Wire. Sometimes you have to search out of the box to find your unique venue. Check local parks for budget friendly locations. This is a small sample of venues in my area but these are my favorites.
In the Hamilton area, we have several unique locations. One is Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park. This is a large art sculpture park that has several lodges to host a wedding ceremony in a park location that has very interesting large artistic sculptures that make great photo ops. They also have two areas to host a reception as well. One is covered but open air with lots of beautiful brick and stone accents. The other is more of a lodgey look. If art is your thing, then this place is for you! Another cute lodge in Hamilton is the Micheal Cooligan lodge. It is a smaller venue that overlooks the Miami river. It is so beautiful with stone and brick and floor to ceiling glass doors that can be open during your celebration for that outdoor feel. It also has a giant gas fireplace that can be on during your party that really creates ambience. There is a large terrace to hold the ceremony as well. This lodge is very affordable and completely DIY leaving your creativity to prevail. Lake Lyndsay is a unique venue with three separate lodges overlooking a large lake. I love the Beach house which is partially covered but open air for that beachy feel. It can also accomodate a tent for a larger guest count. They have a large lodge that has beautiful wood ceiling and stone accents. This place can be DIY but is a little pricey to rent the lodge but it is worth the view. My favorite location is the Fitton Center in downtown Hamilton. Its my favorite because my son got married there and a good friend as well. It is so unique because this is an art center that has three levels. They have art classes, a gallery, a theatre and a grand ballroom. The top floor overlooks the Miami River and the city. The Ballroom is very rich looking with dark gorgeous panels and large windows with a grand chandlier in the middle. There is a smaller room down the cooridor to host a cocktail hour. Ceremonies can be held in the ballroom, the gallery or outside on a large veranda overlooking the river. Afew more Lodgey places around me are Lakeside Lodge in Sharon Woods park. This is a small venue on a lake in a park that is very affordable and is hard to rent because its so popular you have to rent at least a year ahead. Its a different type of lodge though. It has a medieval feel to it. A good friend of my husband had a medieval type ceremony at a castle nearby so it was the perfect location for the ceremony. We had candleabras a pig roast and gold coin candy for the favors. It was pretty cool. One more unique lodge is Pattison Park lodge in Amelia. This is more of a country lodge with a large stone fireplace and a gorgeous garden courtyard with a giant gazebo perfect for an outdoor ceremony. This place is like a barn and a lodge together. Its totally DIY and so affordable that you can really get creative with the decorating and the food.
We also have Neidermann Farm which is a sweet little barn located on a real farm. Its very DIY and very versatile. There is a cute outdoor area for a ceremony and a large wood patio off the barn for more outdoor space. We also have a winery that is so beautiful. It almost feels like you are in Europe somewhere. It is the Vinoklet Winery. They have a beautiful lakeside ceremony area with an indoor reception space. The scenery is the star here as well as the wine! Speaking of unique, The Weideman Mansion in Newport Kentucky is an old Mansion owned by the Weideman family which is a brewery in the Cincinnati area. This mansion overlooks downtown Cincinnati and the Ohio River. This looks like an old southern mansion with a large veranda and beautiful grounds. I am sharing a few photos of these places. Hope you enjoy your search for the perfect wedding venue.
