We had an unforgettable wedding at the Island Garden at Powell Gardens (more specifically, the sunken garden right off of the lily pond). Destiny and her crew set everything up for us, and Destiny gave golf cart rides to our guests back and forth between the Good Earth Spot building (where the ready room & parking lot were) and the actual ceremony site- quite a walk, and we had a few guests with mobility issues, not to mention refreshments to cart back and forth! Powell Gardens is just GORGEOUS- most folks get married at the chapel and I understand why- it is stunning. But if you have a small wedding like us (28 of us total), consider the Island Garden. We enjoyed feeding the carnivorous plants before the ceremony started. :) And the lily pond was just lovely. It was a perfect day, and there are so many spots to do First Looks (in the woods/on the bridges) and photos (backdrop of native wild flowers). The staff is super on top of it!! We just had the best day. We did not do our reception here, FYI. I'm sure it would have been lovely though!

If you’re reading reviews on Powell Gardens, I question whether you have had a proper visit because the property truly speaks for itself. Powell Gardens is one of those spots where you fall in love with the place. When my husband & I toured the Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel, I felt chills just walking the path TO the chapel - let alone being inside the chapel itself. Once guests saw the property and chapel themselves, there wasn’t a single question as to why we decided to get married 40 minutes outside of downtown Kansas City. To me, the drive is always worth it. The staff is kind & as knowledgeable as they are passionate about the gardens.

We had only our wedding ceremony at Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel & our wedding reception in downtown KC - out of a concern for guests drinking as well as proximity to more hotels.

Due to limited October availability, we landed on a Friday evening. Powell allowed us access to the study (getting ready building) from 2-6pm and the chapel from 4-6pm. We decided to have our ceremony at 4:30pm, giving us 30 minutes for sound check and guest arrival. We did not do any additional decor because (1) we didn’t want to deal with the set-up and clean-up and (2) the chapel doesn’t need it!

The chapel fits 90 guests comfortably, and 110 with chairs set-up in the back. We were very nervous about the amount of guests who would show up and, therefore, did not invite all of our reception guests out to Powell for the ceremony. On the day-of, the chapel felt full but no one was left standing outside.

We had a handful of ushers (friends) place reserve signs on the front pews, hand payment to the musicians, assist people from the bus and their cars to the chapel, direct them to the restrooms and hand out programs. One challenge we had was when guests arrived, they saw the restroom sign for the study and infiltrated our (private) getting ready suite. We suggest having an usher (friend) stationed near the study at least 40 minutes prior to the ceremony start time to direct guests to the restroom at the rear of the chapel if needed. Unfortunately, due to the drive out to Powell, guests will likely need to use the restroom upon arrival.

As ethereal as the chapel is, we highly recommend hiring live music to really elevate your ceremony. We hired a string duo, Forte Quartet, who set-up and played in the rear corner of the chapel. The sound of both the musicians and officiant was incredible, crystal clear, no guests' complaints.

We hired a Showtime Transportation limo for the wedding party and an executive bus for guests who traveled (and didn’t have a car). The bus went from the hotel to Powell to our downtown reception venue. After the reception, guests were on their own and it worked out fine.

All in all, Powell Gardens is well worth it and truly made our wedding day the most magical day of our lives.

When we had to completely replan our entire wedding within a month, Powell Gardens was amazing! They took care of everything, answered all my questions quickly, and made sure our day was beautiful! We did our ceremony at the Garden Arbor and it was absolutely perfect for our small gathering. The setting was gorgeous and easy for our guests to find with the help of their staff. I would recommend this place to anyone!