Starlite Events at the Saint Louis Science Center

5050 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, MO

300+ guest capacity

This venue can host 300+ guests

About this vendor

GROW is a one-of-a-kind permanent indoor/outdoor exhibit coming Fall 2016. Exchange vows under the glimmering stars in the James S. McDonnell PLANETARUM. BOEING HALL, a loft area is equipped with specialized lighting and acoustical systems; providing the ultimate setting for your signature event. Whether you are looking for star-crossed romance or something other worldly, we'll help you create the wedding of your dreams!

Amenities + details

Handicap Accessible

Indoor Event Space

Liability Insurance

Outdoor Event Space

Reception Area

Wireless Internet

Covered Outdoors Space

Dressing Room

On-Site Accommodations

Guest Capacity

300+

Settings

Ballroom
Loft
Museum

Venue Service Offerings

Bar & Drinks
Cakes & Desserts
Food & Catering
Planning
Rentals & Equipment
Service Staff

4.8

out of 5.0

17 reviews

Search reviews

5/30/2022 • Gail N

Our guests are still talking about our daughter's wedding as the most unique, classiest, coolest wedding they've ever attended! We were very pleased as well, and we highly recommend Starlite Events and the planetarium! We started the planning process with a former employee who no longer works there , with Sarah picking up the slack after a staff upgrade. She was a breath of fresh air, very responsive, working hard on layouts, checking into anything I asked, making changes when we changed our minds about things - she was absolutely wonderful! Our contract was clear and kept up to date with changes. There were no surprise charges, and I liked that they included gratuity. The food tasting was a lot of fun, and done very nicely. We were able to narrow down the options to some delicious, well-prepared items. The chef, who is well known, stopped in to say hello to us as well! Pricing was actually not as high as expected for a venue of this caliber. We opted to have our event on a Sunday, which costs less than having it on Saturday. I know people who have spent as much on other venues in the area. The ceremony was beautiful! Sarah got permission from Forest Park for us to host the ceremony outside the doors, which was a special request of the bride. The weather was perfect, and the area was beautiful and pretty quiet. The wedding party came out from the lobby, and faced the statue in front of the building. They set up the chairs very neatly, and we loved it! After the ceremony, we had a bar and hors d'oevres inside the lobby - it flowed very nicely, as everyone came inside after the ceremony. The staff brought out our signature drinks, as well as some of each appetizer, for the bride and groom. This was so thoughtful, and very nice for the bride and groom, since they were outside for a while taking photos with family. The reception was in the starbay. It was beautiful! They set up everything as we had discussed, even weird special requests! The bay had stars up, and they lit up the edge of the room in the color of our choice. Guests are still talking about the amazing food! They loved the hors d'oevres - especially the chicken and waffles, and steamed buns! The food came out HOT and perfectly cooked, which is hard to do when you are making a lot, especially with salmon! The chicken was also delicious, and so were the mashed potatoes and charred vegetables. Even the salad had very fresh ingredients, and stood out as better than expected. The liquid nitrogen ice cream was very popular, and fun to watch! The star show was very cool, and guests really enjoyed that! The whole night, staff were very eager to help, going over and above. You are also paying for security: there was a guard in a car at the entrance to the parking lot, and another guard inside the building. There were plenty of people around to setup, tear down, and serve food all night, as well as a person who narrated the star show. Everyone who worked there was professional and polite. Sarah was out of town the weekend of our wedding, but she had some awesome people filling in for her, who knew what they were doing. I could tell right away that we were in good hands at the rehearsal, and they managed everything wonderfully all weekend! We could not have imagined a better night, and it is with many thanks to Sarah and the rest of the hard working people who maintain the planetarium, and who served us tirelessly! Five stars!!

5/13/2022 • Holly M

We had our reception at the Planetarium in May 2022. Here are my thoughts: Pros: - The venue is amazing and super fun for guests with VR and exhibits available. - The food was excellent! We created a custom menu and the chef exceeded our expectations and even accommodated a few guests with dietary restrictions - which they said tasted amazing. - Staff was friendly, professional, and courteous - The star show - probably my favorite part of the entire evening. I don't know what they're paying Will, but it is not enough. We came to him with some special requests and he did an absolutely PHENOMENAL job! Our guests, (and ourselves!), were absolutely mesmerized. - The event coordinator - Sarah, is friendly, flexible, and generally a very prompt communicator. Cons: - Expensive. Venue rental starts at $3K, they require a $7K minimum for food and drink, their wedding package starts at $96/plate, and tax and staffing will be a MINIMUM of another $3K. - Don’t expect good photos or video inside the starbay itself - it’s just too dark. - Though Sarah was a likable person and generally very responsive, there were a few issues with how things were handled: - Getting what we wanted in contract form required a lot of revision and careful reading as things expressed to her were sometimes not what we received back. For example, when we suggested ways we hoped to save money on the menu, the options she sent back were even more expensive. We had to stab around in the dark quite a bit, running ideas past her to find something that would work, instead of her suggesting things to us. - They had very few vegetarian options on the menu despite advertising meal inclusivity on the catering website. It took us finding a menu on a competitor's website and giving it to them before they finally offered something suitable for a vegetarian option. It did end up delicious! - Pricing was frustrating. Sarah would warn us in advance about relatively small costs we would incur - (a couple hundred for the VR ride, for example). But say nothing about the nearly $2,000 additional bill for staffing. Our bar tab also ended up nearly double that which we anticipated... not quite sure what to say about that. You also had to be careful that any adjustments made in correspondence with Sarah ended up in the final contract. - Lastly, I would advise having a good wedding coordinator if you choose to go here. Though Sarah was very fast to email most of the time, the two days leading up to the wedding she was hard to reach. I understand it was the weekend, but as an event coordinator, you should be available for last minute things. She also did not keep the event running on schedule. In the contract she gave us a schedule of events that we approved - but it was not followed - requiring my husband and I to jump in and move things along. This resulted in us running out of time at the end so only a few people received dessert. There were also a few things in the contract that were not carried out - no extra seats were put in the lobby for our elderly guests as requested, and the escort card table was placed in a different spot than in the schematic resulting in a bad traffic jam and confusion as people entered the dining area. To summarize - the star show and the food are absolutely what sells this place. If you have a large budget and a good wedding planner, then this is a great venue that will help you achieve a truly special event!

11/06/2018 • Maggie L

We had our reception at the Planetarium at the Saint Louis Science Center and it was absolutely perfect. After a less-than-stellar food tasting, they made some changes and it ended up being the most delicious wedding food I've ever tasted - and it was at my own reception! Everyone raved about the food, the environment, the star show (because of course there's a star show in the Planetarium, of the night sky from our first date and the day we got engaged) and agreed that it was hands-down the best wedding reception they'd ever been to. We paid a flat fee of $2500 for the space (atrium for cocktail hour and planetarium for reception) and a per-person fee of $75. I know their prices have gone up since we signed our contract but this was extremely reasonable. Other places require you to rent tables, chairs, linens, pay for alcohol separately, pay for cake cutting, and coffee, and parking spaces/ at attendant but the SLSC did not. Literally every little thing was included in those prices. They do enough events that any sort of decorations you need are covered and they do not skimp on quality food or beer/ wine/ liquor. They were even willing to work with us to have my husband's family wine available at the bar for a small corking fee ($7/bottle I think?) but we ended up not doing that. The only reason this is 4 stars instead of 5 is because the events center for the Science Center had a lot of turnover in the last year. It seemed like each time they got a new head of events (first Joy, then Carrie, then Asmira), we were starting from scratch with the planning and some of the options for linens, centerpieces, and food changed with each revamping of the events dept. Was everything perfect in the end? Absolutely. But even up until the day before the wedding, we were figuring things out because I was going off of info from a past events director and my parents were going off of info from the current events director (which I had not seen). I think Asmira is there to stay and I'm pretty sure any small kinks got worked out with our wedding so if you decide to go here, you're in great hands. I can't recommend it enough.

4/29/2018 • Zachery R

Having our reception at the Planetarium at the Science Center was more than we could have ever imagined. Working with Brittany, Hilary and Jeff with all the details made our reception go flawlessly. We got so many compliments and we owe it all to you!!! Thank you for the amazing service, food and venue! The star show was fantastic as well. I cannot say enough great things and we highly recommend!!

1/10/2018 • Lindsay M

Having our 1/7/17 wedding at the St. Louis Science Center was the best decision . My husband Patrick and I were married in the Omnimax and had the reception in Boeing Hall!. Our event planner Joy Schmidt made every whimsical dream I had come true here. From the cocktails served in the Omnimax Theater pre ceremony, the falling snow imagery as I walked down the steps inside the Omnimax , allowing just our parents to sit right behind us as we said our vows and having our 250 guests enjoy the “show” down below , using liquid nitrogen to create amazing champagne sorbets for our guests to enjoy as they entered our reception in Boeing Hall, helping us decide on our outrageously delicious menu( people are still raving!) , helping us choose vendors for the things that were important to us and of course Joy herself was incredible and so patient with all of our requests and questions. Joy Schmidt , like the Science Center, is a National treasure!

8/21/2017 • Danielle K

Man, where do I begin... It was a good start the the science center was the perfect fit for my chemical engineering husband and me (medical student). We have always been huge science nerds throughout our relationship, so the science center was a place we wanted to look into. However, I sincerely believe that we would not have chosen the venue if not for our meeting with Joy Schmidt and her colleagues. Honestly, we could not have asked for a better person to coordinate; was was incredibly thorough, prepared, and went SO far above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect on the wedding day and I had nothing to worry about! She helped us with our hotel block, ideas for the wedding, support throughout, stayed late several times in meetings with us, and so many other things that did not necessarily fit under her job description but that were so helpful-- we would not have had the perfect wedding day that we did without her! After every meeting we had with her, both of us were more excited about our wedding, very calm about what we had left to do, and just felt encouraged by all the help Joy provided! I honestly believe that a wedding at the science center without Joy or Starlite events still would not have been the perfect day we were looking for, they were THAT good! I also want share my appreciation for all the Starlite events staff who helped as well. They were kind, professional, and made our wedding at the planetarium absolutely incredible! I could not have asked for a better day, better food, better lighting and detail work, a better star show, and just the perfect culmination of all the details for the wedding. Honestly, I would work with Starlite events and specifically Joy Schmidt at ANY location, not just the science center! But how lucky are we that we got to work with what I can only describe as the perfect team in the perfect venue for us on our perfect day! If anyone is considering whether or not to work with this group of wonderful humans, GET IT TOGETHER! Of course you should! Seriously though... I would hands down, no reservations at all recommend Joy and Starlite for any event, whether a wedding (we called it the merger), a corporate event, or anything else! They will make the day special, so much more than what you anticipate, ensure all the details that you did and did not think of are covered and executed to perfection, and will have fun with you while doing so! Please, to make your guests happy and you happy, have your event with Joy and Starlite!

5/25/2016 • Tara B

I'm not one to review places, but I have to give my 5 stars to the Planetarium ! We recently had both our ceremony and reception at the St. Louis Planetarium and it was absolutely phenomenal--even better than I thought (and I had high expectations!) We looked all over St. Louis at venues, from the very traditional to nontraditional, and while there were many great choices, none held a candle to both the uniqueness and the awe factor of the Planetarium. We had the ceremony in the atrium (had black pipe draping in front of the Mars and chairs curved with an aisle in the middle), and the reception in the Planetarium dome. The dome can get dark, but they are pros with the lighting and you get your own technician during the night to adjust it (sunset during dinner and twilight during dancing). Your DJ also can add some light effects. You also have the option of a slideshow (your photos) and a star show. (pick your date). The star show was interactive and hilarious (got tons of compliments) Both of us are from St. Louis originally, but live in New Orleans, so it was a planning from a distance wedding, and Maggie and her staff went above and beyond to make things a breeze. All emails were handled promptly and questions answered. They worked with us to schedule things around when we were in town and Maggie even met with us on a Sunday morning prior to opening for us to tour, due to our busy schedules. Initially, I wasn't exactly sure how we were going to transform the place initially, but trust in Maggie and the staff! They have the catering there (other than the cake). It is a bit on the pricey side, but you get a lot for your money, and we can vouch that it is all delicious! I can't say enough for how awesome everyone was on the day of the wedding. We had a this plan for outdoor pictures in Forest Park, and had no rain in the forecast, and a storm blew in (with all of phones blaring off alerts of 70mph gust of winds expected and to seek shelter). Maggie let us in 1.5 hours prior to our expected arrival time. We went around the Science Center (proper) with our bridal party and photographer and got some awesome indoor pictures (of course, if you don't have a picture in your wedding dress with T-rex, clearly your life is incomplete!) We brought our own sound system for the ceremony and cocktail hour (Planetarium has a rental unit or you can use your DJ). The staff was super friendly and did not rush people with their meals (some places will grab your plates when you aren't looking to try and finish up, but we did not have that at all). The head table got their own wait staff and had our alcohol beverages of choice preordered and ready at the table. We did our cake cutting prior to the star show and they cut and had the cake out by the end of the star show. The entire planetarium was open to our guests including all the exhibits. At the end of the night, the wait staff had all of our boxes for our centerpieces, champagne glasses, decor ready and got a cart to bring it out to the cars. Despite our surprise storm and rainy night, we had absolutely an awesome wedding. Our guests had a ton of fun and just so many unique pictures. i would like to be helpful and give the cons of the planetarium, but honestly, the only con I had was that there are no hotels that shuttle there, and that's not the Planetarium's end! That's easy enough to arrange though. Definitely worth a look if you are getting married in StL!!

5/04/2016 • Lauren P

Absolutely AMAZING!!!!! The people were great, the food was perfect, and the space was fantastic !!! EVERYONE had a great time. The kids even enjoyed themselves because there was space for them to run around and play and the exhibits were all open to use. I even saw some of the adults playing with the exhibits. The staff was absolutely perfect, my groom and I never had to wait for a drink and the drinks were poured well (if you know what I mean). Maggie, our coordinator/contact was great. She answered every question that we had and was one top of her game the whole time. She even made sure that we did not need anything before she left for the night. We had around 200 people and there was room for everyone and a big dance floor. People were not squeezed in at their tables or in the room. Overall it was a great night, everyone had fun, and we are still hearing nothing but good things about peoples experiences. And so many people raving about how great he food was!!!

6/17/2015 • Rudy S

They were fantastic, professional, helped us with everything they could and more!

11/19/2014 • Maggie Y

Starlite Events was great to work with! We worked with Lisa who was incredibly helpful from the original walk through to the tasting to the big day itself. We did a buffet and the food was great (especially the short ribs and shrimps and grits- big crowd pleasers), we got tons of compliments. They work with 2 bakeries for the wedding cake (The Cakery or Sarah's Cake Shop), we love Sarah's Cake Shop but they were booked so we went with The Cakery and couldn't have been happier, it was delicious! When we first met with Lisa she told us that most people don't do a lot of decor and will often go with a space theme because of the setting. We went a little different way and had a "picnic under the stars," everything looked great. The centerpieces were simple and looked great in the space. They also do a star show at the end of dinner where you can pick a specific night sky (we did the day we got engaged) which the guests loved. We were a little worried it went too long, but everyone raved about it. The day of went so smoothly, Lisa was there the whole time along with her assistant and they were great. We were able to go in before the start of the reception and take pictures around the Science Center after hours, it was awesome. I would definitely recommend the Planetarium as a wedding venue if you're looking for something unique!

10/21/2014 •

We pretty much had the perfect wedding at the Planetarium. The staff was super helpful throughout, and planning was really a collaboration between our creative ideas and the event staff helping to make those ideas work for the space and process of our day (i.e., I appreciated their honesty and feedback about all the nutty stuff we wanted to do). On the night of, everyone was super nice and helpful (a random employee was kind enough to randomly grab me some cranberry juice so I didn't pass out on my way down the aisle). The event planer and intern made me feel so comfortable and at ease--they had everything handled, even when we decided to push back the ceremony by a few minutes to accommodate late guests. The food was great and tasted fresh. The bartender stole the show and everyone was impressed with his fancy drink-making skills. Towards the end, the staff was also great in helping my family wrap up everything that we needed to. We have zero complaints. The day was super memorable and we just had a great, positive experience throughout. Highly, highly recommend.

6/29/2014 • Maggie A

Starlite Events did an amazing job with my wedding at the Planetarium. Everything was set up perfectly and they helped me fulfill my vision of what I wanted everything to look like. My planner, Lisa, was a dream. She bent over backwards to help me and make my life easier. She definitely helped make this my dream wedding.

9/27/2012 • Angela R

We had our reception in the Planetarium at the St. Louis Science Center and it was perfect! The space is cool and unique and all of the exhibits stay open the entire time. Our cocktail hour took place downstairs and we created a playlist that Drew had playing over the sound system. She had our band set up on the balcony over the dance floor and the music sounded amazing in the Planetarium. They did a star show for us of the night my husband and I met. We had security on the property and the entire parking lot was used for our guests.

7/10/2012 • Amie R

I recently had my wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception at the Science Center. We have heard from many guests that it was the best wedding they have ever been to. We feel that the venue at the Science Center was a major part of that! If you're going for a fun, relaxed, interactive space - the Science Center can't be beat!! We went through a few planning hiccups on our way to the wedding date, which is why I'm giving the space a 4 out of 5. The events department is in kind of a transitional period, which made some planning difficult. I hope they get everything sorted out soon, because it's a great place to have a wedding!!

10/09/2011 • Michelle B

I chose the Science Center because I wanted to have my reception somewhere different that was special to me. The staff was great and the reception was beautiful! Quite a few of the guests said it was the best reception they had ever been to. I didn't have to worry about anything because the staff made sure everything ran smoothly. Great communication with the wedding coordinator!

8/02/2011 • Erin L

We just recently had our wedding reception at the St. Louis Science Center and it was absolutely fantastic. Brooke (the coordinator) was amazing. She was extremely responsive to all my phone calls and emails and went above and beyond what I was expecting. Everyone commented on what a unique venue it was and I couldn't agree more. I wanted a fun-filled reception and with all the exhibits open to our guest as well as a star show I got just that. Anyone considering this venue give Brooke a call you won't be sorry.