Powell Gardens

sked for a better day or a more perfect ceremony site!

t back to us and easy to work with. Wayne was incredible! He knew right when to jump in and help from running to get my vail and holding it when we didn't need it during pictures to helping us find the perfect spots for pictures after the ceremony (adding on the golf cart ride is a must!) and everything in between. We could tell he loved his job and takes great pride and joy in the work he does! While our wedding was small, the ceremony still felt intimate and special in the chapel. It was truly a fairy tale! I still can't believe how perfect getting married at Powell Garden's was!

to have had our wedding . Destiny was incredibly prompt with all of her communications and we are truly so appreciative of all her help, attentiveness, and flexibility leading up to our wedding and the day of.

wonderful for helping to transport people and items in the golf carts to and from the parking lot. It was truly an incredible day!

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.

om pre-COVID weddings indicating that the venue does not cater toward weddings. I can understand where this view comes from however from the time we booked the venue around February 2022 to the wedding in October we saw many positive changes. Aydison Foster was initially working on her own as the coordinator. While she did a great job it makes sense that she was overwhelmed with the number of responsibilities of the job. There was a lot on her plate. Despite this she would make sure she called us back and answered all of our questions. Paula then joined the team. We did not work a lot with her but it is clear she is making changes to ensure Powell Gardens is more of a wedding friendly venue. The chapel speaks for itself- it’s incredible. The grounds have many amazing spots for picture taking. We had our reception in the Grand Hall which is typically the Visitor’s Center. We lucked out with a perfect evening and were able to have the bar located on the terrace. Many guests enjoyed spending the evening outside. The entire Powell Gardens staff was amazing on the day of our wedding. They accommodated our every need and made us feel we were their highest priority.

ommunicated well on the day of. Answered all my questions I had.

has good access to a playground that the kids enjoyed in between our events. We had to postpone our wedding from 2021 (due to COVID) and Powell’s events team worked with us to grandfather in many of the items we originally agreed to in our contract. However, there were some things that changed about a month before the wedding that we were not informed of like, they originally said the chapel could seat 140 (with chairs) and then two weeks before the wedding they told us the chapel now really only seats 110 due to COVID spacing. The events team also changed our point of contact at the last minute: we had a walk-through one week before the wedding with Adisynn but Paula showed up at the rehearsal, without any of the notes we had communicated to Adisynn, so we spent the first 20 minutes of rehearsal going over the set-up again, however they had no issue with us extending the rehearsal for an extra half hour to make up for the lost time. On wedding day, Paula and team fully delivered and Wayne and Destiny were friendly and professional, shuttling our family to and from the chapel for photos, etc. All other processes like payments and contracts had a good system and Powell was super responsive to all of our questions and needs in the two months or so leading up to the wedding.

did get passed around to a few different coordinators but Adisynn, our final contact, was very helpful and quick to respond. We were a little disappointed with the audio in the chapel. When we did our original tour in January of 2020, we were told the chapel built in speakers. But a couple months before our Wedding in May we found out that it was no longer available and we had a blue tooth speaker instead. It ended up working alright but we were disappointed to not have what we were expecting originally,. It did pour rain on our wedding day but Adisynn helped get everyone to and from the chapel with a golf cart that we rented to help keep everyone dry. She helped bring all of the bridal party to the chapel from the chapel study and helped the grandparents. My husband and I did not want to see each other until I walked down the aisle. Adisynn picked me and my dad up last and kept us back until the last of the bridal party entered and the doors closed behind them so that we could still keep the surprise. Overall, Powell Gardens was wonderful and I definitely recommend getting married in the chapel. The Missouri Barn is also a really nice area and, when it is not raining, allows guests to easily wonder to some of the grounds.

ehearsal dinner. We did have trouble communicating with the wedding coordinator about set up times and were only able to set up the reception space an hour before the ceremony time which was very stressful. Absolutely beautiful site to get married at and would recommend to anyone!

and definitely made our day special. The powell gardens chapel is absolutely breathtaking, and we are so thankful that we could get married in such a beautiful place.

ay 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!

The only thing I found difficult was communication with wedding coordinators. I had to call SEVERAL times to get in touch with anyone initially and it took a significant amount of time to get a return call/to nail down a date. It was a bit frustrating at first, but once communication was established, things went pretty smoothly. We had lovely wedding at Powell Gardens!

ey accommodated our vision and allowed for us to put our own personal touch on things. Liz personally made herself available during our rehearsal and the day of to ensure everything ran smoothly and when things weren’t quite right, she was quick to fix it. Everything was incredibly beautiful from the chapel to the reception. My guests can’t stop talking about it and I will cherish the memories we made always.

y to get ready in the 2 hours prior to your chapel rental time, which was perfect. All pictures came out fantastic in both these spaces. There is very little you need to decorate, because of the natural beauty of the spaces. The staff here is so easy to work with and did fantastic. I would recommend the Chapel any day to someone who is on the fence about it.

er. On the day we visited, there was a wedding that had just ended at the chapel. I admired the bride in her dress, and my grandmother and I walked down the aisle together. She told me, 'Maybe someday, you could get married here.' So it was also a sentimental reason that led me to get married here, since she passed away when I was 13 years old. It was a great way to feel connected with her, since she could only be there for my wedding in spirit. The chapel itself has a 'wow' factor. You have to stop and take a picture, because it just grips you. The chapel itself is small, and only fits about 120-125 people. It is an intimate setting. Our chapel was completely full, and the room had such a feeling of energy and love. It was an incredible experience. The chapel feels inviting, and the architecture is impressive. The lines and windows are just outstanding. We had a harpist play at our wedding, and the acoustics were great. I absolutely loved it! Everyone was easy to work with. They set up the space for me exactly the way I wanted for my wedding day. The chapel is air conditioned, which is great. They will take you to the chapel in a golf cart if you don't want to walk the whole way (great when you're in a heavy dress with heels in the hot summer!). They also have a space for you to do some last minute touch ups before you walk up to the chapel. I completely recommend Powell Gardens Chapel!

friendly and easy to work with in planning. We are now members because we loved our experience with Powell Gardens so much.

when we could rent the chapel only and host our reception elsewhere. The chapel is so beautiful that no decor was necessary - no flowers, runners, etc. The fee to use the chapel is reasonable and goes to support the gardens, which is a non-profit.

d the general consensus was 'Stunning'! The entire day went smoothly and it was a day we will never forget. We had the sunset package on Friday evening. Throughout the process we worked with Sam, Deanna, Cassie and Trish. Cassie and Trish worked the evening of our wedding and were very helpful. Although they, Powell, seem to be very strict on their guidelines, if you express what you would like many times they were accommodating in our requests. For example, I wanted a specific type of wine, that they typically do not get, however with request, and some research on their part, we were able to have it at the wedding. There is nothing that one can say about the Chapel and the ceremony being held there. It was breathtaking! The Grand Hall looked amazing after it was all decorated as well. If your heart is set on this location.....book it...you and your wedding guests will remember it forever! Thank you again to Cassie and Trish for working our wedding and having it run so smoothly!

ed through, but if you're someone who needs help planning or has lots of questions, you may want to prepare yourself.

our wedding day. They made the entire process very easy, giving us recommendations for vendors and corresponding with us along the way. Once our day finally came, they were incredibly organized, very well planned, and everything we wanted. It was a night we will never forget.

ure. It's dream like! Sam and Dena are very friendly and helpful. They did everything to make my day perfect. It rained during our picture time and Dena offered us the conservatory as a back up to outdoor pictures which was so kind (and beautiful). People who drove for an hour to get there thought it well worth the time and commented that it felt like they were no where near Kansas City. I would do this again in a heartbeat! Absolutely worth it!

t everything was perfect for our big day. The Chapel was very cost effective, though we chose to have our reception closer to home, they have a beautiful recveption space available. I would highly recommend Powell Gardens to any bride in the Kansas City area!

set on this venue and stated how dissapointed I was in the fact they were not very flexible or accommodating. I asked to be called, which someone did right away. With no proper greeting the lady began speaking down to me and said things no bride wants to hear. "We're too busy, we have other things to do. You can't just come when it's convenient for you." I was in shock at her tone, comments, and felt very attacked. If they are too busy to show me around, what will my wedding be like? I want a great experience from start to finish, and to have my top venue put me in tears totally ruins my experience with them. I understand it's a facility as well as venue, but in this case, they lack understanding of wedding planning. Very dissapointed.

guests took the trolley. Staff could have been friendlier.

of our guests got to see the gardens everything went smoothly and I am so happy we went with them.

; lets in so much natural lighting with the numerous & huge windows. It's almost like being outside, but with the climate controlled :) It is lighted as well, and is especially breath taking in the evening (our ceremony was at sunset). We are so happy that we decided to rent their Trolly to shuttle guests between the chapel & reception hall (otherwise it's close to a mile walk thru the gardens). The guest appreciated it, and it added another unique element to our wedding. We rented their Grand Hall for our reception, which was also wonderful. Plenty of space for our dinner/tables, designated dancefloor, DJ booth, cake table, & photo booth. They also have an attached Atrium, which is a nice touch. It's pretty & adds extra space (in which they set up the bar "booth"). All the guests complemented how beautiful our special event was, and they were glad to have the reason to drive to Powell Gardens. The only downside is that the dressing room availability is restricted...you can only access it for 2 hours immediately prior to your ceremony. So, just keep that in mind when planning your photography timeline. In Summary: If you are a nature-lover, this is a fantastic setting for your special day. It's impossible not to enjoy the beautiful surroundings & capture them in your photos.

strict regulations and rules surrounding the rental are not flexible or bride friendly. I was aware of the time restrictions and regulations, but what was most disappointing was the behavior of the garden staff. In comparison, all the other vendors I worked with planning my wedding were more than willing to do what it takes for the bride to have the best day possible. The staff at Powell Gardens was rude to both my family and the groom's family. In fact one member of the groom's family does not speak English but she commented on how rude the rental coordinator acted towards her and the rest of the family. Additionally, the rental coordinator said inappropriate comments about the bride at the reception. This facility does not have staff that is professional, courteous, or flexible. Please do yourself a favor and keep looking for a reception site that will treat the bride and groom and their families in a respectful and professional manner.

formation. They were very accomodating for new things I wanted to do but I was actually late to the ceremony because one of the new office girls told me I had to clean up my bridal suite before we left! I was confused, irritated, upset that I hadn't been told and when I was done I was late for my wedding. Once I arrived to the chapel, Sam tells me that I didn't need to clean that suite out, I was so frusterated that I had wasted time and was sweating by the time I (and my hairdresser) hauled all my stuff out of there, I was kind of beside myself. So, it was beautiful but information was poorly communicated, causing me to be late for the ceremony.

us the pictures onsite are amazing. We couldn't have asked for a better venue.

re very pushy with staying in your time frame, even if there is no event after yours. Also they forced us to use their caterer, which was very pricey! But overall I loved the place and would recommend this place to anyone! (as long as you have lots money to spend!)

m for quite a while. They didn't have too many restrictions on what you could have at the location. The only difficult restriction was time because they are still open to the public you can't get in to decorate early or get ready there, but everything turned out great!

e ever seen. The people working were incredibly nice, even my guests commented on it. The photo opportunities are endless. I loved the fact we got married in a garden but indoors so we didn't have to worry about rain. The only condsideration is the distance. It's in the middle of nowhere. I wouldn't want to have an evening reception there with people drinking and driving.

up to the start of my wedding and even with that I didn't freak out, b/c Sam & the staff was so helpful and they kept checking on me to make sure I was ok, which I really appreciated. The catering staff was also wonderful to work with and the food was amazing. I would highly recommend Powell Gardens to anyone who is looking to have a magical one of kind wedding.

to get ready.

ng on in the same building at the same time