Planning a wedding? Then you know how hard it is to find a venue for your reception. After awhile all those hotel banquet halls begin to look alike. Why not put your creative thinking cap on and expand your thinking? Why not try something unique? Why not try a museum?

Many museums rent

out their spaces for weddings and other events. And, if you think having your wedding at a museum would be boring, think again. Consider the attractions your guests would be surrounded by at some of the following museums:

For a unique wedding venue in Chicago, consider the Museum of Science and Industry, located at 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive. The Museum of Science and Industry has so much to offer that it??â„¢s hard to know where to begin. You have your choice of numerous unique spaces within the Museum, such as the U-505 Exhibit, where your guests will have the opportunity to dine alongside a 252 ft. submarine. But not any submarine. This submarine was the only German submarine captured during WWII. Seating capacity is 120 guests.

Another space within the Museum is the Rotunda, which is a spectacular hall of marble, featuring a 120-ft. domed ceiling. The seated capacity in the Rotunda is 800 guests.

The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago also has several themed venues within their space which would make any wedding or reception stand out. These include ???The Bronzeville Blues Club??? with a theme of Chicago??â„¢s musical roots. Entering through the Rotunda, guests will enter the ???Bronzeville Blues Club??? awash in candles and blue lighting; dine on Creole inspired hors d??â„¢oeuvres, while enjoying the sounds of an authentic Blues Trio.

Or, perhaps you??™d like to try the ???Hollywood Canteen??? ??“ a recreation of The Hollywood Canteen, which opened its doors in 1942, and quickly became a hot spot for servicemen and Hollywood??™s biggest names. Your guests will be welcomed into this recreation by a long red carpet, lined with red velvet ropes.

Located in Central Phoenix, the Heard Museum has been a Phoenix institution for more than 75 years. Encompassing more than 130,000 square feet of gallery and education space, the Heard Museum has one of the finest collections of Native American art and cultural exhibits. And, the exhibits aren??â„¢t the only things worth seeing at the Heard; there??â„¢s also the interesting architecture and grounds, which include arched walkways, brick patios and lovely courtyards, which serve as picturesque backdrops for your wedding photos.

The Higgins Armory Museum is the only museum in the Western Hemisphere devoted to arms and armor, housed in an Art Deco building with a vaulted Medieval Great Hall. Talk about a unique wedding venue! How many people have their wedding amid suits of armor from the Renaissance?

This tropical wedding venue is historic as well as beautiful. You can get married on a bridge overlooking a koi pond, then provide your guests with a private tour of Ernest Hemingway??â„¢s home. For guests who cannot attend, they can watch the wedding on the Museum??â„¢s live web cam.

For those history buffs who love stagecoaches and the American pioneer period, the Stagecoach Inn Museum is for you. Located off the 101 Freeway halfway between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, the Stagecoach Inn has a rather long history and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is actually a replica of the original Stagecoach Inn built in 1876, as well as spacious grounds which feature replicas of a pioneer home, a Spanish-Mexican adobe and a Chumash dwelling. Live oak trees, flower gardens, wooded areas and rose arbor grace the lawns.

The Poe Museum is dedicated to, who else, Edgar Allan Poe, the American author of short stories, detective fiction, poetry and science fiction. Imagine the theme wedding one could have by getting married at the Poe Museum! Treat your guests to a wedding and reception in Poe??â„¢s Enchanted Garden, which can accommodate up to 100 guests. The garden was inspired by one of his poems, ???To One in Paradise.???

If the two of you are into football, why not consider the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Instead of a bouquet, the bride can toss a football. Well, it??â„¢s just an idea.

No matter where you live there is bound to be a museum near you that hosts weddings. Museums offer a truly unique venue which your guests will remember years after the wedding. The museums can be historical, fun, or downright odd and you??™re sure to find one which suits your tastes. Now, if only the Spam Museum would offer weddings??¦. Oh, well, one can??™t have everything.

Shari Hearn is a writer and website creator. Go to her websites and learn more about planning a wedding and destination weddings.

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