With destination weddings becoming a norm, tying the knot in a picturesque locale is not only a great way to get some Instagram-worthy shots but also a fun time for your family. But one company is taking it a step further and offering couples the chance to tie the knot in space. This is truly out of this world.
The first space wedding took place 16 years ago, when American astronaut Ekaterina Dmitriev married Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko over video link from the International Space Station. It was a private event and was not broadcast on NASA TV. She was wearing her white dress and he was in his uniform, with a bow tie added for the occasion. A wedding ring was delivered to the station in a package on a cargo craft, and Malenchenko wore it during the ceremony. He then wore it again on the day of his return to Earth, as did Dmitriev, who later said that she had a “celestial soulful connection” with her new husband.
Now a company called Space Perspective is offering a chance for betrothed couples to say “I do” in space. The company is launching a spaceship, called Neptune, with carbon-neutral balloons that are equipped with giant windows so that couples can look down on the third rock from the sun and see Earth in all its glory. According to the company’s co-founder, Jane Poynter, the waiting list is already “light-years long.”
Of course, it would cost you quite a lot to make your dreams of a celestial wedding come true. Currently, the company’s website says it costs USD $125,000 per seat, and that doesn’t even include travel to and from the spaceship. If you want to add on some extras, you can have guests wear aprons with the ISS logo or springy Martian antennae headbands for that extra space-themed touch.
You could go even further and have your officiant read a quote about the exhilaration of space exploration at your wedding, or use a song with lyrics like “We’re gonna blast off into love” to create an out-of-this-world atmosphere. You might also want to give your guests springy Mars-shaped magnets, toy ray guns, or alien-shaped sunglasses for post-ceremony photos.
The secret to pulling off a space wedding is to find the right venue. Raw Spaces are nontraditional venues that aren’t a hotel or banquet hall and usually come very bare bones. This means that you’ll need to bring in everything from tables and chairs to flatware, glassware, china, and decor. The budget for a Raw Space can quickly grow out of control if you’re not careful, so be sure to work with a wedding planner who knows how to manage a high-low wedding. However, if you’re a DIYer by nature a Raw Space could be the perfect fit for you. Just be warned that it may be more difficult to transport items to and from the venue.