When you’re planning a wedding, there are a lot of options to make it unique and one-of-a-kind. While some couples may choose a rustic horse stable or an industrial brewery, others are taking it even further by getting married in space. A company known as Space Perspective has launched an experience that allows guests to ascend to the edge of space and gaze down at Earth from above. It’s not cheap either, the experience will set you back $125,000 per person. If you’re interested in this out-of-this-world wedding, you can join the waitlist on their website for late 2024.
Yuri Malenchenko, an American-born Russian astronaut and cosmonaut, got married in space on July 17 of this year. He and his bride Ekaterina tied the knot via a video conference with the International Space Station (ISS). The session was officially categorized as a “private family conference” and not broadcast publicly on NASA TV. The groom wore a uniform, not a tuxedo, and his best man, spaceshipmate Ed Lu, played Mendelssohn’s traditional Wedding March on a keyboard aboard the ISS. The ceremony was legally recognized under Texas law because the ISS is docked in the state.
Malenchenko has made multiple trips to the ISS, including two spacewalks, and has received awards such as the Hero of the Russian Federation award. His wedding was not without controversy as Russia attempted to convince him to postpone the event until he returned to Earth. But he insisted that the wedding was his private business and it could not be postponed because his profession is dangerous.
Once the couple was back on Earth, they celebrated their marriage with a church service in Yaroslavl, a city north of Moscow with much traditional Russian church architecture. They are now both based in the US, though they have not renounced their Russian citizenship.
The couple isn’t the first to marry in space; in 2005, another cosmonaut and his American wife got married from orbit on a NASA space shuttle mission. That couple, Michael and Janice Williams, also had their ceremony categorized as a private family conference, and the bride was also not in a tuxedo.
While it’s not an option for most of us, the idea of a space wedding is still pretty cool. Here are some ways that you can use interior design tricks to make a big space feel more intimate for your own special day:
A professional planner can offer a wealth of insights and creative solutions to maximizing a room’s potential and making it look more cozy. For instance, if your venue has a high ceiling, using dark colors on the walls and ceiling can help to trick your eyes into believing it’s smaller than it actually is. Charleston wedding planner Samantha Wiley of Chancey Charm recommends draping the ceiling to create this effect, but notes that you must consider lighting as well. “By draping the ceiling, you’re moving your line of sight down which makes it seem smaller and more intimate,” she says.