HOW EACH VENUE APPEALS TO DIFFERENT BRIDES
My husband, Kip, and I began creating these unique wedding venues in 2016 after the last of our three daughters got married. Our three sons also gave us great insight into the groom’s perspective. Our combined experiences with our family and the wedding venues we have created have led us to host over 350 weddings in the past five years. We have enjoyed working with couples who have vastly different personalities but similar dreams for unique wedding venues that reflect the uniqueness of who they are and who they want to become together.
The Barn at Riverbend head table captured by Sarah Dean Photography
Mission Theatre:
A unique wedding venue for an elegant, timeless, stunning celebration
“The Mission Theatre bride is classy, loves glamour, has read The Great Gatsby, enjoys the theatre, and is not afraid to be seen!”
When we acquired The Mission Theatre in Mission Kansas it was in desperate need of a do-over. This iconic theatre was constructed in the 1930s with the first of its kind, concrete walls. In 1938 The Mission Theatre opened with an Art Deco vibe and we respected its history enough to bring it back to its original glory. Our first act of construction was to cut a 16-foot hole in the back of the concrete walls so dump trucks filled with gravel could level the terraced theatre and fill it with cement. For the first time in over 80 years, the Mission Theatre had a flat polished concrete floor.
When we first started decorating, no wallpaper felt bold enough to adorn the walls of the historic theatre. After looking at sample after sample, we finally found the wallpaper books that were filled with metallic paper that fit the theatre perfectly. The waterfall chandeliers add just the right touch for the bride who sees herself walking down the grand stairs from the second-floor bridal suite. Our in-house DJ company shines a spotlight on her as she is introduced for the first time with her family and friends, celebrating their union.
The stunning Mission Theatre captured by Jefferson May Photography
One of the favorite features of The Mission Theatre is the marquee and movie poster windows that face Johnson Drive. Our couples love to fill the windows with their own posters designed using their engagement photos. The marquee is two-sided and can advertise their new name or undying pledge of love. A recent marquee read “Till death do us party” on one side and, “Mr and Mrs Garcia December 11 2021” on the other.
Mission Theatre marquee courtesy of Hallie Fry Photography
8th&Main Event Space:
A romantic urban wedding venue with a modern feel
“8th&Main attracts the couple who don’t want a fussy wedding.”
8th&Main Event Space has been many businesses over its 100-year history but we know it was originally a bank after finding 3 vaults when we dismantled its tired walls. Constructed on the corner of 8th & Main in historic downtown Grandview, MO, the birthplace and home of President Harry S. Truman, the urban beauty gave us many timeless features to work with. The main vault door is so intricate, that we made it the centerpiece of the bridal suite. After gutting the old sheetrock and pitching almost every industrial door we replaced them with 8-10 foot oak doors and transits from a historic downtown church built in 1902. 8th&Main Event Space appeals to the bride and groom who are drawn to an intimate, urban, steampunk wedding venue that also has the classic beauty and convenience of a small-town Main Street business complete with ample parking directly behind the wedding venue.
8th&Main vault
The reception room is filled with handmade wood tables on rolling black metal legs. The west reception wall is papered with an inviting mural of green ferns, subtle blue thistle, and white foliage. Modern orbital lighting and original brick decor make this a turn-key inviting space. The open-aired private courtyard is perfect for a bride who is looking for an outdoor wedding venue. An outdoor ceremony can easily turn into happy hour with a brilliant amber glass fire pit.
One surprising feature is the courtyard sliding doors can open and the city of Grandview allows 8th Street to be blocked off for a street party. Reserve a couple of food trucks and the night and street belong to the happy couple along with their closest friends and family.
The 8th&Main courtyard photographed by KatePhoto
The Barn at Riverbend:
The outdoor wedding venue of your dreams surrounded by nature’s beauty and the people who love you
“The Barn at Riverbend bride loves nature, values her guest’s experience, and wants to feel the breeze in her veil as she locks eyes with the one she loves.”
The Barn at Riverbend has been our home for over 25 years. When a couple steps onto our property for a tour there’s an overwhelming feeling that these 20 acres have been tended and loved for many seasons. Deciding to put a barn wedding venue in our backyard was no small decision. The first major project was making sure the ceremony site would be shaded. We chose an overgrown hillside filled with 100-year-old oak trees and carved out a winding staircase through the trees where a bride can be seen at every turn. The benches for guests are made of stained white oak supported by tree stumps. The beauty of nature is the predominant feature of The Barn at Riverbend. Hundreds of hasta line the walkways, and perennial flowers bloom from March until the first freeze.
When the ceremony is over guests will gather in an open stone-lined patio built into a shed where the celebration begins at the bar. We built the bar-shed new but took a lot of effort to make it look like it had always been there. Most of the wood came from old fence boards we had saved for many years. Throughout the construction process, our mantra was it has to look authentic. Everything turned out better than we could imagine.
The barn was completely remodeled, painted white inside and out, and is simply charming in every way. The reception is held both inside and outside the barn in a covered, vaulted dark stained veranda that overlooks the south fork of the Grand River. Tall junipers filled with twinkling lights frame the outdoor veranda. Nighttime at the Barn at Riverbend is breathtakingly romantic.
After the sun sets at Barn at Riverbend taken by Alyssa Brooke Photography
Main Street Events offers three stunning wedding venues in the Kansas City area for people to celebrate their most important moments. 8th&Main Event Space, The Mission Theatre, and The Barn at Riverbend are romantic, hospitable spaces that appeal to couples who want to throw the best party of their lives.
