We’ve seen countless destination weddings, but one company wants to take things to the next level by letting couples say “I do” in space. The company, Space Perspective, will send newlyweds into orbit in a carbon-neutral balloon with enormous windows for the ultimate view of Earth. The six-hour Spaceship Neptune flight will be available for couples looking to make an out of this world experience part of their big day.
The company says the wedding will be exhilarating and celebratory, but also has plenty of time for quiet contemplation. It’s not cheap, either, with tickets starting at $125,000 (approximately Rs 1 crore). The co-founder of the company, Jane Poynter, has been overwhelmed by the demand for celestial nuptials and hopes to get people on board soon.
Of course, not everyone is ready to commit to an out-of-this-world marriage. Even though a lot of the travel industry has recovered since the pandemic, there are still many couples who want to tie the knot at a traditional venue with all their loved ones around them.
That may be because people are feeling more insecure about their future and need reassurances. The trend towards destination weddings isn’t going away anytime soon and will probably continue to grow over the coming years.
While it may seem out of reach for most of us, a few brave souls are already planning to get married in space. The first space wedding took place in August when Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko got married in Texas via a video link from the International Space Station. The bride, Ekaterina Dmitriev, walked down the aisle to David Bowie’s “Absolute Beginners” as he looked on from a distance in his space suit. His best man, fellow astronaut Ed Lu, played the wedding march on a keyboard in Houston.
Malenchenko is number two in the list of cosmonauts who have spent the most time in orbit and was a crew member of the ISS for three missions. He was allowed to break the rule that prohibits cosmonauts from getting married in space because of the nature of his job and the uncertainty of his return.
The couple decided to marry after his mission was extended, and he asked for his best friend to stand in for him at the ceremony. According to the official transcript of the event, Dmitriev said that her husband was “the most incredible human being I have ever known,” and she promised to love him forever.
If you’re ready to plan your own out-of-this-world wedding, the company has a waitlist on its website where you can register your interest. It will be a while before you can actually book your spot, however, as seats aren’t expected to become available until late next year.
The company has built a special version of its Neptune spaceship with enormous windows to ensure that the experience will be unforgettable. They’re described as the largest windows that have ever flown into space and are made of hyper-resistant material with a special anti-UV coating.