Absolutely gorge venue. The vibe was "magical" as the word that kept coming to mind being there…read more Normally would rate a 5 however was somewhat confused on the meal situation. They were extremely strict on what/how much you could have. Not a terribly lot of food and once the last table was called to eat, the staff immediately closed the doors to the food area. There seemed to be an abundance of food left but shut er down. Wonder what they did with all the left overs Anyway. I personally had just enough as I prefer to drink my calories but most at my table were still hungry.

Ruined Our Wedding!!…read more My wife and I got married on September 28, 2024, and we wish we had taken our money elsewhere. Russ will sweet talk you into choosing this place. Yes, it's nice and can be breathtaking, but the problem lies within the customer service on the day of the wedding. We had family and friends come from out of town to attend our wedding, some of whom had never been to Kansas City before, which made us feel very special. The night before the wedding, Russ called and informed my wife that we were over our guest list limit and needed to make an additional list of the people we really wanted to attend. My wife was up all night crying out of frustration because this was very last minute, and some people were going to be upset. The wedding day was a horrible experience! First, Russ's assistant (whose name I can't remember) was the worst! She's black. I believe she's racist against her own kind. She stirred up trouble the whole time, accusing the wedding party of smoking weed on the property. Keep in mind, weed is 100% legal, and if someone smoked it before arriving, it's their business. Second, there were no lights in the groomsmen's section due to a storm prior. When we asked if we could get a light to shave or whatever, Russ's assistant was very rude and even got mouthy with my groomsman, who showed her nothing but respect by saying "Ma'am" and "Please." Even after she was done chewing out my groomsmen over the light, she walked away, then turned back to finish chewing us out, informing us that certain things "were not her job." Her attitude eventually rubbed off on Russ, and he started talking to me like I was just a thug off the street, despite the fact that I had paid over $10k for this venue. Third, they started trying to do crowd control with our guest list by refusing to let our family and friends in. Some had traveled from out of state and could not get in because Russ's assistant didn't use the list we stayed up all night creating. Instead, she passed the list to our daughter (who doesn't work for the company and wasn't present) to retype, which resulted in a number of people being removed. They let all the older people in (50+) and told anyone who looked young that they weren't on the list, even though they were. Then there were the pictures. It took about 45 minutes to get the lights working outside for our pictures. Because they didn't let our younger family members in, a lot of older people had left before the reception even began, leaving us with a semi-empty room. My only wedding! My lifetime memory ruined by poor customer service and micromanagement. DO NOT USE THEM!! PLEASE GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!

Attended a musical event in the chapel today as part of the Fringe Fest. I have driven past The…read moreLoretto for decades and had never been inside and I certainly didn't expect this level of grandeur. I had assumed it was just a bunch of old offices or classrooms, never imagining a chapel with such grand arches, stained glass and marble stairs and landings. I hope that organizations can take advantage of this event space and host appropriate events. This chapel would make a great "listening room" for folk / classical concerts. If you receive a wedding invite that is being conducted here, by all means go!

We had our daughter's wedding here in December 2021. We worked with John for nearly a year and…read morecould not have been more thrilled with the experience. The venue provides a unique, historic KC location with a strong team of vendors to choose from. Some of the top reasons we recommend: 1. The beautiful on-site chapel that allows for a church setting and no need for a room flip. 2. Early access to venue for set-up (3 days before our event) and ability to return the following Monday for clean up. This allowed us to simply enjoy the entire day on Saturday. 3. John and his staff were so fun to work with. We loved his humor, energy and knowledge.

I have been with Unity for a few years in KCMO. The service here in Lawrence is wonderful. The only…read morething that this congregation needs is more social time. I went to Unity for a month and did not feel like I really met any friends. It is a wonderful place for someone who does not want to talk to anyone after service, because everyone lines up to leave pretty quickly. They do have a children's service, and the adult service itself, is beautiful.

From the owner: We are a thriving spiritual community, sharing love, building bridges, and inspiring…read moretransformation. Unity of Lawrence is non-denominational. This is especially important for non-religious wedding venues. We offer seating for up to 150 people. There is also a stage for events if needed. We offer building usage/rental for any kind of inquiries.The building is newly renovated! Email: jennifer@unityoflawrence.org for more details and pricing.

So, I'm not planning a wedding, or a wedding planning business, so I might not know the specifics…read moreof what a bride is looking for. But I have definitely been around my fair share of event spaces. And Hawthorne House seems like a good one. There is a nice little chapel. It's crisp and clean and bright. Also, I appreciate that it's a "chapel" but it's not remotely religious. It's basic, to be sure, but I think there's a lot to be said for simplicity. My only complaint was that the acoustics here are ROUGH. Plan on adding some sound absorbing features if you want people to actually be able to hear what's going on. OR, ban loud, noisy children from attending. Seriously, I couldn't hear a single word of the ceremony because of a few irritating babies. You cross a nice little bridge through some trees, and then you're at the reception venue. I was quite impressed. The aesthetics match the chapel in that it's simple and clean. There are quite a few windows and the lighting is fancy without being overly ornate. The bar is completely adequate, and has room for 8 taps of beer, if that's your thing. Around the front of the house is a wraparound porch that just felt great to be on, as if you were at the house of some wealthy relative. And the front lawn is expansive with a pretty nice little gazebo. Not sure what you'd do there, but I'm sure it would fulfill your gazebo needs. My only complaint about the reception hall itself was the limited number of bathrooms. I can see with a larger event how there'd be a line for the facilities. The staff was all friendly and helpful, an stayed out of your way. The food was provided by the venue, and it was alright. It wasn't all totally to my liking, but that could be the menu the couple selected, or the cooks could have had an off night. But they kept the buffets filled and hot and did a good job otherwise. I can't say that I was OMG blown away by Hawthorne House, but I was certainly impressed. Any bride-to-be that chose this venue would be making a wise decision.

The ladies at the Hawthorne House are helpful and fantastic to work with. I am a photographer so I…read moreget to see lots of wedding venues, I (personally) love the charm that this venue has to offer. Outdoor weddings at the gazebo are lovely and so are the indoor weddings in the chapel. The bridal suite is spacious and has and area dedicated to hair and make-up. If I were a bride, I would just soak it all up - take breakfast and eat on the balcony outside of the bridal suite, in the morning and enjoy every moment of my time there. I haven't even talked about the food yet... Lets just say, AMAZING! I've had Chicken Marsala, Parmesan Crusted Tilapia, Sirloin Tips (my personal fave) and that's just the entrees - the mashed potatoes. The roasted red potatoes, the steamed broccoli, the glazed carrots... There is nothing that I've eaten there that has been less than fantastic. They had an appetizer item at the last wedding I shot there that was so good I looked it up to pass it along because I wasn't sure of the name - it was the Rosemary and Parmesan Shortbread Crackers with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Feta Cheese the crackers were heart shaped and looked awesome on the tray. The ambient light from the chandeliers at night is stunning in the reception area and the natural window light flooding the room during the day is a photographer's dream! If you are looking for a classy, elegant, charming chapel or a floral picturesque outdoor wedding this is definitely worth your time checking it out. Irene and her staff will take very good care of you :)

We eloped using KC Weddings 2 Go last week. Pastor Nancy was amazing. She performed our ceremony in…read moreher space in Independence and also room pictures for us (using my iPhone) and everything was fantastic! For $375, Pastor Nancy made sure we had a special ceremony just for us, with several pictures/poses to remember our experience. Thank you so much for giving us this magical experience!

From the owner: I know that you have many options when it comes to choosing an officiant, clergy, minister and…read morephotographer and it's imperative that you find someone who is just right for the both of you. Let me share a little about myself and hopefully this will aid in making your decision. We have a beautiful Little Chapel located next to the Jackson County Courthouse in Independence, MO. The only one of it's kind! Performing my first wedding in Kansas City turned out to be an incredible, life-changing day, and I knew I had a calling. It allowed me to play a part in a celebration of unity and true love which are truly the best things. I have photographed and participated in over 3500 weddings and enjoy being such an integral part of your Big Day! I perform ceremonies both within the faith and interfaith, as well as LGBT, spiritual, and non-religious styles if preferred. Ceremonies can always be customized. It can be formal, informal or a themed wedding. It makes no difference to me. It makes

Just got married at their sight in Liberty. My now wife and I were very happy and impressed with…read morethe venue, flowers l and everyone. Thank you sooo much.

Wedding venues are intensely personal and have to fit the couples' needs, so any venue isn't for…read moreevery one - that's true. The Vow Exchange though, is an awesome idea and probably perfect for a lot of different situations. We're not looking for a cavernous venue and the fact that The Vow Exchange holds no more than 28 guests (wedding party not included) is actually helpful. We're not feeling obligated to invite everyone we've ever met and actually have a reason why we can't. They have a several options ranging from just the space for an hour to the space, flowers, drinks, a photographer, and an officiant. Prices range from $200 to $1000. The interior is somewhat shabby chic with exposed brick and rough hewn beams, comfortable chairs and benches and wrought iron decor. There's a large overhead door that (I assume) can be opened if the weather permits. Our wedding is scheduled for May - we'll let you know how it goes and update this review then!