If you have the budget, the time, and the inclination to say “I do” with an out-of-this-world view of our third rock from the sun, a company called Space Perspective is offering couples the chance to take nuptials into orbit using carbon-neutral balloons with giant windows. It’s no surprise, then, that the waiting list for their new service is light-years long.
The most notable example of a space wedding took place 16 years ago, when Ekaterina Dmitrieva married her husband, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, via video link from NASA headquarters in Texas while he was aboard the International Space Station. She walked down the aisle in her white dress while the astronaut wore his standard astronaut uniform and a bow tie. The event, which was later broadcast on TV, also featured a live video of her maid of honor and a friend who couldn’t make it due to pre-existing health conditions delivering his toast from the cloud.
Despite the fact that officials at the Russian Aerospace Agency tried to convince Malenchenko to postpone his wedding until he returned to Earth, they couldn’t stop the ceremony from happening. They did, however, argue that he shouldn’t be allowed to marry a citizen of another country while he was still in space, citing legal complexities and Soviet-era rules that require military officers to get permission from authorities before marrying someone who isn’t a Russian national.
Dmitrieva remained unfazed by the controversy, and said that the couple felt they had a celestial, soulful connection that transcended their differences in distance and culture. She also believed that the metaverse aspect of their wedding — being able to interact with each other in the virtual world as an avatar of themselves — provided a more meaningful experience than merely videoconferencing or streaming it from home.
While the Space Lounge can only accommodate nine people, including the pilot, Space Perspective says it’s able to adapt the capsule for special events like weddings. The company will also provide an extra camera so that guests can FaceTime or livestream the event from the ISS.
Those who are interested in an out-of-this-world wedding will need to be very comfortable with space travel and have plenty of money on hand, since the cost for the trip is $125,000 per seat. Couples can sign up to be on the waitlist for late 2024 on the Space Perspective website.
Space Perspective isn’t the only company offering to bring a little star power to your big day. A Russian firm called Teleskopii offers a similar experience with its satellite-based Space Station, which has already hosted several other weddings and other events in recent months.
The Space Station is powered by solar arrays that generate renewable energy and has a conference room with a view of the earth below, as well as a dining room and living area. It’s available for hire in a variety of sizes, and can be customized with your choice of decorations.