A space wedding took place earlier this year when Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko married American cosmonaut Ekaterina Dmitriev via video link from the International Space Station. The ceremony was conducted by video link between the International Space Station and NASA headquarters in Houston, Texas. During the ceremony, the couple exchanged vows while the wedding march played.
Yuri Malenchenko wore his formal flight uniform, and Ed Lu was his best man. A friend in Houston was also involved, and the couple’s wedding was categorized as a private family conference. The couple’s children loved the idea of a space wedding, which is in keeping with mankind’s drive to explore space.
The space wedding service will be available on the Rocket Plane XP in 2011, which is developed by American company Rocketplane Inc. The couple will be taken up on the chartered spacecraft about 100 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. The premium plan will include a wedding gown made especially for the couple, as well as transportation, accommodations, and live broadcast from outer space. The wedding will last about 60 minutes.
The wedding was also made possible through a video conference, which was classified as a private family conference and not broadcast on NASA television. The bride’s wedding ring and bow tie were delivered to the ISS on the Progress cargo spacecraft. The ring was made of gold and had precious stones set in it.
Although the Russian Aerospace Agency tried to prevent the space wedding, Malenchenko’s marriage was officially recognized by Russian authorities on July 17. The Russian Aerospace Agency tried to sabotage the event, citing Soviet rules that required military officers to seek permission from the military before marrying foreign nationals. While the Russian government agreed to the union, officials in Moscow said that other cosmonauts would not be able to marry foreign nationals.
The concept of a space wedding has been popular for many years. But it’s only now that a space wedding is actually a reality. The Mars chapel is working with an Earth-bound architect to create a wedding venue on Mars. The design is secret until the day of the ceremony, but it’s guaranteed to be as spectacular as the destination. And because it’s in space, there’s no need to worry about getting building permits.
Another popular trend in wedding venues is the raw space. This type of venue can give the bride and groom a blank canvas to design the perfect wedding. Wedding planners such as Tonia Adleta, owner of Aribella Events, are experts in planning weddings in unusual spaces. For example, she has experience working with clients who want to hold their ceremony in a space with minimal constraints.