Out of the Ballroom and Into the Tree House

To get to their Jan. 11 wedding ceremony, Nicolette Celiceo and William Kilgore had to slip through an ancient cavernous opening, and once inside, squeeze through a thin tunnel that led to a larger space.

“Our officiant was off to one side, our guests were on the other,” said Ms. Celiceo, 37, an account executive for a fitness benefits provider who lives in Springfield, Mo.

The couple’s wedding venue was Bridal Cave, a mile-long limestone cavity under Thunder Mountain in the Lake of the Ozarks region. Since 1949, more than 4,500 couples have gotten married there, according to Lindsey Webster-Dillon, the property’s events and weddings manager.

Ms. Celiceo found the location while researching unusual wedding places. “Every nook and crevice had carvings and marking,” she said. “It smelled wet and earthy, and was peaceful and cocooning. You felt like you were in a different world, even though the rest of the world is happening above you.”

For their nuptials, many brides and grooms have been opting for unusual settings that speak to their love of nature and adventure, from cavernous sites to tree houses and nautical backdrops.

“Covid taught couples to ask for anything they wanted,” said Lindsey Shaktman, the director of planning and operations for Mavinhouse Events, a wedding planning firm based in Ipswich, Mass.