The First Space Wedding
The first space wedding was held in Houston on May 26, 1999, when Russian citizen Ekaterina Dmitrieva married a U.S. citizen Yuri Malenchenko via satellite. The two celebrated the nuptials by wearing formal flight uniforms, and the video transmission was classified as a “private family conference.” The ceremony, which was conducted from 100 kilometers above Earth, was classified as a private family conference. The bride wore a bow tie and Yuri Malenchenko wore a ring with precious stones set in a gold band.
A space wedding is possible only if the cosmonauts can complete their preflight contracts. The current ISS mission is slated to last until 2020. In order to meet the deadline, the two cosmonauts had to agree on an exact date. The wedding took place in April 2010 at the International Space Station (ISS) and was broadcast live in Russia and on NASA television. A couple can’t wed in space unless they have an official agreement with the U.S. government or NASA.
While cosmonauts have been dreaming of space weddings for many years, they are still a far cry from the reality. The Mars chapel is building a chapel to celebrate the nuptials on the planet. The wedding venue will be built by an Earth-bound architect and kept secret until the ceremony is ready for a reveal. Despite the extreme remoteness, the ceremony will be as magical as its destination and won’t require any building permits.
The space wedding was filmed for the world to see and share. It was broadcast live from the International Space Station using a camera and a microphone. The couple were joined by their parents and friends and exchanged vows. A photo album was even sent back to Earth after the ceremony. And the two were married in a live flight! However, it will cost 240 million yen (about $2.25 million), and the entire experience will last approximately six hours.
Although the space wedding on Mars wasn’t a legal ceremony, it was an unusual and spectacular wedding. The cosmonauts had to wait until the upcoming mission to hold the ceremony. The Russian Aerospace Agency initially told the couple that they would need time to get permission to marry in the future. After all, this kind of marriage would be the ultimate symbol of their love and devotion for one another. If the couple wanted to have a legal union, they would need a “space wedding” on Mars.
The Japanese company Rocketplane Kistler has partnered with the American firm First Advantage to provide a space wedding for foreigners. The flight will cost 240 million yen, and will be comparable to a football stadium. The ceremony will include a photo album, and a live feed from the plane. But, if you don’t feel comfortable doing this in space, you can always have the ceremony in a more traditional setting by booking it on Earth.