One of the biggest trends in weddings right now is getting married somewhere unique. Whether it’s beside a stream in the forest, on top of a mountain or even in a barn, couples are turning ordinary spaces into exciting, one-of-a-kind venues.
While getting married in a non-traditional space has its perks (like keeping costs down and ditching the cookie cutter wedding), it also comes with challenges, including potential strangers invading your space, not being able to decorate to your vision and wading through rules and regulations. If you’re interested in using a non-traditional space for your wedding, here are 10 things to consider before saying “I do.”
A space-themed wedding is a surefire way to create a truly out-of-this-world experience for your guests. This could be as simple as hanging some star-shaped lanterns from the ceiling or as complex as creating a full-scale space station with themed decorations. Either way, a space-themed wedding will surely get people talking!
This might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so it’s important to think about all the logistics of a space wedding. Are there restrooms on site? Will you need to bring in portable restrooms or trailers? How will you keep your guests comfortable in the extreme temperatures? Make sure to weigh these factors carefully before booking your flight.
The world’s first space wedding took place on August 10, 2003, when Ekaterina Dmitrieva and Yuri Malenchenko tied the knot via a satellite linkup. She wore a white dress, while Malenchenko, a Russian cosmonaut, donned his standard flight uniform with a bow tie. They performed the ceremony in Houston, Texas, while best man Ed Lu played Mendelsohn’s traditional wedding march on the keyboard aboard the International Space Station.
Although many experts predicted that the couple’s orbital marriage would spell the end of their careers, both went on to complete two more missions with the ISS. But the impact of their wedding was felt years later when Roscosmos refused to promote them to a position that required access to classified information. It was because of this that a clause was added to all future cosmonaut contracts that banned wedding ceremonies in orbit.
As you might imagine, a space wedding will be incredibly expensive. The company behind this dreamy experience, Space Perspective, currently has a waitlist for late 2024 seats starting at $125,000 per person. But if you can afford it, you’ll be able to spend six hours floating above 99% of the Earth’s atmosphere and witnessing the stunning curve of our planet’s curvature. It’s a journey that astronauts call “exhilarating, celebratory and profound.”
If you’re still not quite convinced about tying the knot in space, don’t worry! There are plenty of other unique, one-of-a-kind ways to get married outside of the box. From a farm to a brewery to an airport hangar, there are so many unique places to host your special day. You can even have your wedding at a national monument – just make sure to check for any rules and regulations before tying the knot!