Finally, all couples want their wedding to be “different,” whether it’s the location, the dress, or the reception-dinner favors that set it apart.

It’s not just about making money for the homeowners; some owners of luxury homes simply enjoy contributing to someone else’s happiness. The Baker Estate—a seven-bedroom waterfront home on just over four acres in Hampton Bays, New York, that rents for about $20,000 a month—typically hosts two weddings a year, in May and September.

Many estates allow weddings only on a case-by-case basis, since the homeowner decides who can use the property for what purpose. “A lot of them have very strict rules about what can be done, what can’t be done,” says Gabrielle Longhi, a wedding coordinator in Maui. For example, there may be a limit on the number of invitees, or guests may be prohibited from using certain areas of the house.

At the Arcus Estate, a one-week rental in the spring or fall costs $2,500, but a five-day wedding rental is $5,000. “It’s not worth it for us unless we charge more,” Kreye explains, noting the extra work involved in making the house wedding-ready, from painting to doing yard work to rerouting electricity so the patio is primed for music and lights.