A wedding is a big event and can be stressful, but it can also be fun. For couples who want to make it an extra-special day, a space wedding can be the perfect way. In the past, cosmonauts and astronauts have had space weddings by video conference, but now there’s a company that is offering couples the chance to marry in orbit. The company, called Space Perspective, has already sold tickets for a wedding in 2024 aboard its SpaceBalloon. The experience will not be as nerve-wracking as a real space flight, but it will still take you high enough to get some amazing views of Earth below.
The first space wedding was held in 2003 when a U.S. astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut married via satellite video link. Ekaterina Dmitrieva was at NASA headquarters, wearing her white dress, and Yuri Malenchenko was on the International Space Station, wearing his standard astronaut uniform with a bow tie. They said “I do” to a song by David Bowie while the ISS was 402 miles above New Zealand. The couple had been dating for years and used to communicate by phone as Dmitrieva lived in the United States while Malenchenko trained for his space flights in Russia. Their marriage had some repercussions though, as the Russian space agency refused to promote him to his next position because it considered the ceremony to be inappropriate.
Since then, there have been a number of other space weddings, but they’ve all been done by video conference. In 1992, Mark Lee and Jan Davis married while aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. They were the first married couple to fly together in space, but they weren’t married by video conference, as NASA forbids it because they didn’t want any children orphaned if something went wrong. The same policy prevents astronauts from getting married during a mission, but that could change soon.
There are also companies that are selling space trips for couples who want to get married at the edge of space. One of those companies, Florida-based Space Perspective, has already sold tickets for upcoming space weddings. The trip will be less expensive than a real space flight because they don’t use a rocket, but it will still take you high enough that you can say you got married at the edge of space.
A raw space can be a beautiful venue for a wedding, but it’s important to add some personal touches. For example, you might want to consider offering your guests springy Martian antennae headbands, alien-shaped sunglasses, or toy ray guns as wedding favors. These may seem offbeat or even outlandish, but they’ll look great in the photos you’ll be taking after your ceremony.
When planning a wedding, it’s important to consider your budget and how much you can afford to spend on decorations. You’ll also want to hire a professional photographer and videographer to capture your special day. You should be able to find these services at the venue you choose for your event space wedding, or ask the coordinator at your rental space to recommend someone.