Ever Wondered, Can I Get Married Here?
The answer is: yes! With so many venues in and around Kansas City, there are no shortage of unique and never-before-seen ceremony sites just waiting to be discovered. One of those unique locations that flies below the radar is the Union Station Planetarium. Home to the wonders of our solar system, there's nothing more show-stopping than saying "I do" under the night sky.
An Out-of-this-World Experience
For this micro-wedding day adventure back in 2021, B + A were looking for a photographer who could handle the lighting constraints of the venue, while also providing a fun, engaging photography experience. We enjoyed connecting over Zoom while this couple planned their perfect wedding day long distance. One was in Ohio and one in Germany! I fondly remember our first meeting ending at nearly 10pm CST after we talked for hours about the beautiful love story of these two. Their energy was palpable and my excitement ever-growing for our first walkthrough appointment!
One of the neat things about the planetarium is the processional walk down the aisles. There's ramps that go up the sides so both the bride and groom can have separate entrances. In situations like this, I like to do a walkthrough the day before so we could test some lighting and solidify logistics. Having a rehearsal makes sure the photography team and wedding party are aware of how the ceremony is going to go down, and every photo opportunity is fully covered. If a rehearsal walkthrough is not an option for a wedding, having a second photographer with my team ensures the maximum amount of angles are covered, and nothing is left to chance. This is why I always like to give a thorough consultation to make sure you have all the information on whether a second photog is right for your day. Things like unique venues, more desired coverage, tight timelines, are all solved by having that second person available to capture everything!
Unique Venues Telling Unique Love Stories
After a beautiful ceremony in the moonlit ambience of the planetarium (which is fully customizable to have other astronomic wonders by the way), I joined B + A for a winter's day walk around Union Station and the WWI Museum area to enjoy some of the local sights. You would never have known it was a cold winter's day with how lush the WWI Museum lawn was!
B + A also enjoy board games and a good dance party. It's one of the many things we clicked on! So after their afternoon reception, they parted ways with their guests for a quick break before heading back to the hotel for a game night. This was one of the SWEETEST ways to spend their wedding day in my opinion! They had a stress-free timeline with plenty of opportunities to mingle with loved ones. It was such a thoughtful way to tailor the day and experience with their individual personalities in mind.
Generations of Memories
I feel like a broken record, but I love LOVE! I get personally invested in all of the wedding days of my couples. You've entrusted me to capture photographic heirlooms of your family to pass down for generations! That statement makes what we do sound pretty intense, but it's true! These are the photos your family will have of you for generations to come.
For example, just the other day, my grandma brought out her wedding album for me during one of my visits. The pages were sticking together from some long ago moisture exposure, yellowed with age, and the plastic coverings for the picture slots threatening to disintegrate upon the slightest touch. She has only 12 prints from her wedding day, but each one was a treasure. She began pointing out cousins and older family members as if flipping through these pages could take us back in time to when these now-adults were still children at her wedding. Seeing the waves of memory wash over her was so fascinating!
That is our goal as wedding photographers – being able to capture memories that can be shared with future generations. It's such an important mission and one I hope to continue to fulfill for many years to come.
