24-Hour Marriage Marathon

Festival Location: New York, NY, USA

Festival State: New York Festivals

Festival Type: Bizarre Festivals

By: © Nelson Taylor 2009

This ain't no Elvis drive-thru chapel in Vegas. Think bigger, better, taller and cheaper -- think Top of the World, 110 stories above the city streets, 1,377 feet above the most romantic city in America, New York City. On the observation deck (the highest outdoor observation deck in the world) at the Top of the World Trade Center, every Valentine's Day, beginning at 12:01 am, the first of 55 couples in a 24-hour period are joined in wedded bliss.

They are all married in civil ceremony before a New York State Supreme Court Justice in a specially constructed wedding chapel. Besides nosebleeds and butterflies, all of the lucky newlyweds receive gifts donated by local businesses. No, you won't receive matching sweatshirts or a free eye exam at your nearest Sears Vision Center (though several years down the line you may wish you had that prior to the ceremony), but being a member of the Top of the World Marriage Club has its advantages. You'll be in line to receive a free honeymoon (years past have included Morocco and Jamaica), a $500 shopping spree at Bloomingdale's, Broadway tickets, dinner for two at Windows on the World, a weekend at Gurney's Inn Resort & Spa in Montauk, Long Island, plus many others.

How much does this all cost? Not a penny. All you have to do is submit an application after January 1st, which should include an essay stating why you want to get married atop the highest building in New York City. It's that easy. And still being fairly new, the event organizers barely fill the 55-slot maximum every year. If you're not looking to get hitched, the normal $6.25 - $12.50 ticket fee for the observation deck is doubly worth it!