Top Wedding Venues in Kansas City
Covid has given us all an opportunity to slow down. It’s been nice for some and hard for others. For me, it’s been a mix. It’s been bad in that my income relies on shooting weddings, and with weddings coming to a halt so does my income. The good opportunities I’ve had during this strange time is that I finally have time. Time to enjoy my mornings, to write to do lists and get to them when I can, time to really invest in the upcoming work I have going on, time to invest in my business and growing my personal creativity, and best of all I have the time to plan my own wedding. In May I got engaged to the most wonderful human in the entire planet. He is my travel buddy and my adventure partner, and we both knew immediately that we wanted to have a small wedding somewhere abroad. Wedding planning was and has been a breeze for me. I knew the exact questions to ask, where to look, and how to put together a wedding thats 100% us. I found our venue in Matera, Italy while scouring the web, pinterest, and a ton of instagram feeds. I feel so lucky that I stumbled upon something so perfect and so us. Something that I didn’t realize till now that most people don’t know how to do, and honestly I feel like if I didn’t have the time I had now then I would be feeling so overwhelmed and lost most of the time looking at all the options there are out there.
Finding a venue should be step 1 for everyone. Wedding venue’s can be booked out almost 2 years in advance for prime dates, so locking something in as early as possible is really the best way to get started. Living in downtown Kansas City I have seen not only a ton of new venues, but a lot of construction for new venues. Kansas City is an amazing up and coming big city, take that from someone who is from Las Vegas and moved to KC from Los Angeles. Kansas City is truly where it’s at, and the wedding industry is not a force to be reckoned with. The venues and vendors are some of the most unique I have ever work with, and there are SO many options for so many different types of brides and grooms. So if you are engaged, or a future engaged human, I encourage you to sit back and grab a cup of coffee or glass of wine while I unfold my FAVORITE wedding venue options in the greater Kansas City area.
Cherry Hall Event Space in Downtown Kansas City
I shot at this venue for the first time back in October and I am already looking forward to going back! I have always loved wedding venues in Downtown Kansas City because there are so many places for us to shoot portraits around the city. PLUS if we get done early then we can easily take the wedding party to a bar or lounge to have a pre or post ceremony toast where we can take some candid party photos of you and your wedding party. Cherry hall has a gorgeous moody space that can be turned elegant with an industrial spice, or you can easily create a Gastby Neo-Deco vibe for your wedding. It’s very versatle! I love the outdoor space for ceremonies because it is so unique. I also know for a fact that the team over at Abbott Events is constantly working on making this space better, so I’m excited to see the progression over the next year or two. You can host a pretty large amount of people here for those looking at a 100-150 guest list. They are also working on creating an indoor cocktail area space for when couples need to opt in for an indoor wedding due to the weather. All in all, great experience and from a photographers point of view I love shooting here due to the amount of natural light coming in from the garage doors, and the pretty well lit ceremony space outside.
To see more from this wedding at Cherry Hall in Kansas City
Bourgmont Winery in Bucyrus, KS
Okay, seriously in looooooove with this venue. It’s 30 min away from downtown but 100% worth the drive since it’s basically the closest thing to Tuscany and Italian wine vibes. Bourgmont is a winery event space with gorgeous surrounding landscapes, as well as a house that has the perfect light for getting ready in, an incredible outdoor ceremony space, and a stunning vintage style event space for receptions. I’ve shot my fair share of weddings here now and every single one of them has turned out gold. There is a beautiful lake on the property that is an amazing backdrop for portraits, as well as the lanes of grape vines that truly make you feel like you are somewhere exotic. The staff is incredible and the wine is actually really good (coming from a certified wine-o). This is me currently manifesting more weddings at Bourgmont!
To see more photos from Bourgmont Winery
The Bardot in Downtown Kansas City
This venue has only been open about three years and I have had three weddings there so far and all the photos have turned out amazing! There is a lot of great natural light coming from the large east facing windows that lead into the Crossroads. The space has an elegant feel, but the walls are white and the space is neutral enough to where you can dress it up or down, or create some kind of theme in there. The space is truly so dynamic. There is an amazing rooftop with a great view of downtown Kansas City where you could have a ceremony when the weather works out. When I have shot weddings here in the past the ceremony is usually on the main level and then cocktail hour is either on the roof or on the bottom floor. Also, I just love the staff with Abbott Events and really feel like they are super on top of things whenever I am working with them. I would absolutely recommend this venue for couples wanting a gorgeous medium sized space that has three levels to choose from in terms of where to host the different parts of your wedding. Also, the venue is downtown and it makes it so easy for us to not only go around and take portraits, but also for couples to plan an after party at one of the bars in the crossroads after the day is over.
The Fields at 1890 Event Space in Platte City, Missouri
There are SO many reasons why I love this venue. The first reason is because it’s on a large beautiful piece of land in the countryside of Platte City, about a 25-minute drive outside of downtown Kansas City. There are so many stunning areas to take photos if you are a bride or groom really wanting those epic wedding day shots. The second reason why I love this venue is that the outdoor ceremony area is stunning and the set up is super unique to other ceremony areas in Kansas City. The ceremony area is tiered too, so all of your guests will have an amazing view of your wedding vows. There is also an indoor space that is a perfect plan B option if god forbids it rains on your day. The third reason I love this venue is that it’s so versatile and can be molded towards any theme or vibe you are wanting. This wedding above was a more modern boho vibe with pops of red, orange, and yellow tones. The wedding was far from being traditional in styling but this venue complimented the brides vision so well. This wedding was actually featured in Junebug weddings a couple of weeks ago if you want to hear what the bride had to say about her wedding day here, just click the link HERE.
Crossroads Hotel in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri
I have definitely had my fair share of good times at this hotel. To say this is my favorite joint in KC would be an understatement (*fun fact, I met my fiance there*). I can speak on this hotel personally since I had my engagement party here. This hotel has the most beautiful bar in the lobby called XR (open till 2am I think!), right next to its delicious restaurant Lazia. Pre COVID I was at XR at least twice a week indulging in their old fashions, excellent wine selection, and their wood fire pizza. On their roof is the only rooftop bar in Kansas City called Percheron. The view from up here is THE BEST, take that in with a delicious frozen cocktail and some good tunes and you have yourself the perfect night out. My engagement party was at Percheron and I still cannot get over how wonderful that day was. The drinks are unique and super consistent, there is a DJ playing almost every weekend, and the staff is friendly and attentive. I had guests coming in from out of town and they all felt like they had VIP service walking into this emasculate hotel that is decorated in a very modern industrial style. Each room is so unique and so posh, it’s honestly hard to want to leave your bed. My fiance and I rented the Pendergast Suite for our engagement after-party and hands down that was the nicest suite I have ever been in. The room had a pool table, a poker table, a dining room, two living rooms, and an amazing bedroom with a shower so pretty I could have slept in there. Truly the best place to stay after a long wedding day, or at least a long night of drinking one too many old fashions down at the XR bar.
The Farms At Wooden Springs in Bonner Springs, Kansas
The venue is hands down one of the easiest venues to shoot wedding photography at! There is so much natural light in the barn, the walls are white so the interior really glows, and the outdoor ceremony area is to die for. This is for sure a venue that if worst came to worst and you had to have your ceremony inside you could totally do that and make it look just as beautiful as it would be outside because there is so much natural light flowing inside this modern styled interior. So if you are a bride or groom that really cares about getting naturally lit photos, then this is the place to be. The space is so beautifully designed that it can be easily modified to fit whatever look and feel you are going for. Not to mention the barn is HUGE and is, in my opinion, one of the best options for very large weddings.
The Abbott in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri
This is a newer venue that has totally blown me away. For one the space is huge and so gorgeous. The first time I walked inside I couldn’t get over how Great Gatsby chic it was! There is a big beautiful chandelier in the middle of the main room that gives off an immediate high-end look and two bar areas with a stunning display of all the liquors organized in an eloquent and intentional way. The last wedding I shot here was so elegant and stunning that it gave the royal wedding a run for its money. The staff is very attentive and helpful not only to guests but also to vendors. It’s the perfect venue for anyone that wants a more modern and elegant wedding no matter the size. The Abbott staff has a wonderful way of sectioning off areas in a beautiful way if you need to so you can keep guests separate from the reception area while the ceremony is taking place. There is a cocktail area downstairs as well as one on the roof so that guests can enjoy a drink while there is an effortless room switch from ceremony to reception. With the size of the space and the wonderful staff that works there I 100% believe it would be hard to have a wedding there not be completely seamless!
To see more photos from The Abbott
The Guild KC in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri
I have shot at this venue so many times that I became friends with the management here! This place is lovely and has a staff that 100% will do anything to make sure your day is wonderful. The inside is very industrial meets modern elegance with its beautiful chandelier and huge bar area that is a statement piece for the whole space. I’ve seen all kinds of events thrown here; some high end events and once I even saw a skate ramp placed inside for a skateboard event. The bride and groom suites are completely redone and a nice touch for couples waiting to see each other at the altar but need to keep their distance before hand. There are two options for ceremony spots with one option being outside in their patio area and the other being inside under their antique chandelier. This venue is perfect for all seasons!
Adding more favorite venues as time goes on!
