11 Hauntingly Beautiful Wedding Venues
If you’ve got a penchant for the paranormal, consider hosting your wedding at one of these spirited properties—that are believed to be haunted! From a glamorous Spanish-style resort to a former 19th-century train station, you’re bound to find an otherworldly event space that will thrill and delight your guests. And one thing’s for sure: the spine-tingling histories of these spooky locations might even bring more “guests” to your wedding than you had anticipated...
Jekyll Island Club Resort
Jekyll Island, Georgia
Historic barrier islands resort featuring moss-draped oaks and remote beaches, as well as a lavish ballroom, oceanfront lawn, and rooftop lounge with a glorious ocean view. But spectacular scenery isn’t the only thing your eyes will be drawn to! Be on the lookout for the paranormal spirits who wander along the Riverfront Veranda, sneak sips from your morning coffee, and the mysterious bellman in 1920’s attire known to deliver suits!
Catering: In-housePrice: $ • $$ • $$$
Hotel del Coronado
Coronado, CA
Striking Victorian landmark on 28 oceanfront acres where you can exchange vows on the landscaped Windsor Lawn, the Garden Patio’s gazebo, or right on the sand! For an eerie evening, retreat to the 3rd-floor suite that was once occupied by “The Beautiful Stranger” known as Kate Morgan, who checked in on Thanksgiving Day...but never checked out. Her ghost is now said to roam the hotel, particularly her old guest room 3327.
Catering: In-housePrice: $$ • $$$
Vulture City Ghost Town
Wickenburg, AZ
Historic gold mining town abandoned in the 1940s, nestled in the dramatic landscape of the Sonoran desert. Founded in 1863, Vulture Mine was once Arizona's most profitable gold mine. Hard mining was hazardous work and the desert was unforgiving: the residents were vulnerable to attacks by the local Apache tribes, bands of thieves... and their own greed. A spooky example is the Hanging Tree, where 18 miners were said to have been executed for "high grading," or stealing gold ore. Keep your valuables close!
Catering: BYOPrice: $ • $$ • $$$
Marigny Opera House
New Orleans, LA
This exquisite former church may have initially seemed cursed: three years after it was constructed in 1851, the building was destroyed by fire, and a massive outbreak of yellow fever devastated the congregation in the late 1860s. Now, reimagined as a nonprofit "Church of the Arts," the Romanesque structure has been carefully restored to its original light-flooded elegance—it's hard to believe the building had such a dark past!
Catering: Preferred listPrice: $ • $$ • $$$
Grand Galvez
Galveston, TX
You won't be the only bride- or groom-to be at this haunted hotel: its most famous ghostly resident is Audra, a 25-year-old who stayed in the hotel in the 1950s while her fiancee, a mariner, was on his offshore excursions. When she was told her lover's ship had capsized, a desperate Audra hung herself in the hotel's west turret (worst of all, the intel was wrong, and her mariner fiancee arrived safe and sound.. but too late to save her). Today, Audra is occasionally spotted as a beacon of light roaming the halls. We're certain she'll be thrilled to see that you made it to the altar, though!
Catering: In-housePrice: $$ • $$$
Rip Van Winkle Gardens
New Iberia, LA
Romantic Victorian mansion perched atop the mound of Jefferson Island, constructed in 1870 by famous actor Joseph Jefferson—best known for playing Rip Van Winkle in over 4,500 stage performances. Long before that, the island offered pirate Jean Lafitte a prime location to hide his treasure... some of which was discovered among the property's 350-year-old oaks in 1923! Today, visitors have sensed a presence lurking amid the aptly named Lafitte Oaks, though you're more likely to spot one of the garden's many peacocks!
Catering: Preferred list, BYOPrice: $ • $$ • $$$
The Historic Stanley Hotel
Estes Park, Colorado
Majestic hotel in an awe-inspiring setting where you can exchange vows backed by a glass wall overlooking a pond, or celebrate in the elegant ballroom boasting mountain vistas and an abundance of rich, warm woodwork. This Colonial Revival-style hotel is the inspiration behind “The Shining”, and the not-so-final resting place of the owners and a former housekeeper who was injured during a fire in room 217.
Catering: In-house, Preferred listPrice: $ • $$
The Omni Mount Washington Resort
Bretton Woods, NH
Luxurious resort set in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. A favorite retreat of presidents, poets, and celebrities, this hotel features stunning Spanish Renaissance architecture and a variety of event spaces from an elegant ballroom with its towering columns to the rooftop terrace with its panoramic views. You’ll find it hard to leave this mountain retreat, just like the original owner's wife, Carolyn, who is known to still frequent her room 314 and has even been spotted in guest photos from time to time!
Catering: In-housePrice: $ • $$ • $$$
The Don CeSar
St. Pete Beach, FL
Glamorous Spanish-style treasure known as the Pink Palace offers everything from casual beachside ceremonies to opulent ocean view ballrooms and terraces. It’s said that Thomas Rowe built the hotel for his true love, Lucinda, whom he met in London at the opera. They fell madly in love, but upon her parents hearing of their relationship, they took her back to Spain and they were never reunited. Thomas later learned of her death with a note that said, “Time is infinite. I wait for you by our fountain…”. Thomas built the exact replica of that fountain and the lovers can occasionally be spotted walking hand in hand.
Catering: In-housePrice: $ • $$ • $$$
Hawthorne Hotel
Salem, MA
1925-era hotel with an exquisite Grand Ballroom designed with Palladian windows, gold-framed mirrors, and a 19-foot ceiling. Hard to believe that this charming place has ties to the Salem Witch Trials, but it stands on land that was once an apple orchard that belonged to Bridget Bishop, one of the first people accused of witchcraft. She’s been spotted walking the halls of the 6th floor and is usually accompanied by the sweet smell of baking apples.
Catering: In-housePrice: $ • $$
Flanders Hotel
Ocean City, NJ
Iconic Spanish Mission Revival style hotel right on the boardwalk offers beach wedding ceremonies followed by cocktails in the elaborate Hall of Mirrors, and finally, sophisticated receptions in the ballroom modeled after the grandeur of the early 1900s. Another staple of this hotel happens to be their resident ghost, Emily, who is believed to be the girlfriend of a WWI soldier who never returned from Europe. She can often be found singing and giggling through the halls, barefoot in a long white dress. Not only has she been accepted by guests and hotel employees, but they’ve also named the hotel's restaurant after her!
Catering: In-housePrice: $ • $$ • $$$
Filed under Fun, Unique, Weddings by Season, Wedding Venues / Locations, Northern California, Southern California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont, Online / Nationwide
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