The average couple might dream of tying the knot in an exotic locale with beautiful scenery. But some couples are bucking convention and going for something even more extraordinary — a space wedding.
Getting married in space is usually only a possibility for astronauts who are already on a mission together, but a company called Space Perspective is offering the chance for regular people to get married on the edge of space. The cost is a pretty penny at $125,000 per ticket, but the six-hour spaceship flight that can accommodate eight passengers and one pilot has huge windows for a breathtaking view of Earth from 100,000 feet in the air.
A Russian cosmonaut named Yuri Malenchenko and his American wife, Nicole, celebrated their wedding on the ISS in 2018. They were permitted to marry through a video link-up (officially classified as a private family conference and not broadcast on NASA television), and he donned a tuxedo while the bride marched in to Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March.”
This kind of space wedding is called a Metaverse ceremony, wherein participants connect via technology from different locations and celebrate as avatars in a virtual world. It’s becoming increasingly popular, and it allows those who can’t attend in person to still participate. For example, a maid of honor with a pre-existing health condition was able to walk down the aisle virtually and deliver her toast. And a couple whose wedding was canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic staged their ceremony within Animal Crossing, a popular video game.
Another type of space wedding involves the augmented reality (AR) app, which can create a lifelike experience for guests who are in the same place, but viewing it from an entirely different angle. A wedding planner in Arizona used AR to help her clients get married in a virtual location despite the fact that they couldn’t physically be there. She used the software to create a realistic image of a wedding venue that allowed her clients to see how the space would look with various decorations.
For many brides, the idea of tying the knot in outer space is probably still only a dream, but a company named Space Perspective is planning to open the first space hotel. The spaceship-shaped facility will be designed much like a cruise ship, with luxury suites, entertainment options, restaurants, and other attractions. It’s expected to open in 2027. But for now, you can take a tour of the facility’s virtual model here. It’s worth a glance, especially because the design is so stunning.