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9 Unique Kansas City Wedding Venues

There’s not many days that can be considered the best day of your life. Among these few days, one day usually remains a constant between the masses: your wedding day, the BIG day. There can be many stressors leading up to and on that big day, but it is important to keep in mind the reason for a wedding. Its not to impress friends and relatives or show old school mates just how fancy you’ve become. Its about those friends and family coming together to support you and your spouse and to express your love and devotion to each other. With that said, it is important however to find the perfect place to tie the knot as to make that day as perfect and memorable as it can be. Allow me to help get you started with ideas on what style of wedding you want, and a few examples of each.

Outdoor/Country Kansas City Wedding Venues

Crestview Dairy

Crestview Dairy is a 31 acre historic landmark that has been transformed into a wonderful outdoor wedding venue with a wholesome countryside quality. The site offers 4 separate locations for ceremonies and receptions to choose from, including a courtyard lawn surrounded by historic buildings, an intimate pergola amongst the woods, a large elm grove, and a lakeside shelter house and deck. Receptions can be held in their main barn or outside in a tent. Parking is close, unlimited, and free, and lodging is available onsite as well.

First Creek Farms

First Creek FarmFirst Creek Farm

First Creek Farms is a wedding venue located just 15 minutes north of Downtown Kansas City. If you are looking for a rustic barn wedding, this may be the one. This venue is a perfect location for a country farm style wedding with its rolling hills, surrounding forest, lake, rustic (but nice) barn, and windmill to complete the aesthetic. Don’t think that a rustic barn means you won’t be tying the knot in style and luxury. The First Creek barn is fully equipped with everything you might expect: A/C, heating, nice bathrooms, chandelier lights, and a loft to hang out.

The Legacy at Green Hills

The Legacy at Green Hills is another great option for the couple looking for an outdoor wedding. Amenities include a farmhouse that is used for getting ready and overnight lodging if needed, a pergola for the ceremony, a patio for cocktail hour, and a pavilion for the reception. The pavilion can also serve as a ceremony site which can take the stress out of worrying about the weather. The grounds of The Legacy at Green Hills are vast and beautiful. There are plenty of great photo opportunities with 38 total acres, a 4 acre lake, and 22 acres of wildflowers.

Church Wedding Venues in Kansas City

The Hawthorne House

The Hawthorne House may be perfect for those wanting the little white chapel wedding experience, but also offers so much more. They have of course the perfect little white chapel, a gazebo for pictures or a ceremony if you choose, a large indoor pavilion/event space for hosting the reception, farmhouse suites for getting ready, and 11 acres of beauty for pictures and gathering. The Hawthorne House has been doing weddings for over 24 years, and their expertise will be certain to make your big day a little easier and more stress free.

Hawthorne HousePhoto by: K + H Rogg Photo

The Brim

The Brim is a new Kansas City wedding venue that opened its doors in 2021 and fulfilled the dream of the lovely couple that envisioned it. The result was a gorgeous 16 acre property that accommodates a chapel for the ceremony, a separate reception hall, and plenty of beautiful surrounding landscape for festivities and photos. The Brim prides themselves on providing a premiere wedding venue at affordable prices for all to be able to have their dream wedding. So if your wedding will be budget conscious, the Brim may be the venue for you.

Pilgrim Chapel

The Pilgrim Chapel is a venue that is perfect for couples that want to add a unique flair to their wedding. Although the Pilgrim Chapel was built in the early 1940s, its classical design and architecture are reminiscent of historic old world churches with stone walls, exposed beam ceiling, stained glass windows, and wooden pews that come together to create a fairytale ambiance. The chapel cannot provide a space for a reception, but it can accommodate around 70 guests for a ceremony, perfect for a small, intimate wedding.

Urban Wedding Venues in Kansas City

The Madrid Theatre

The Madrid Theatre is certainly the most unique wedding venue on this list, and will have your guests talking about it for years and you talking about it forever. The theater originally opened its doors in 1926 as a Spanish revival silent movie theater. It has since been fully restored to its prior grandeur and has been hosting fancy gatherings for over 20 years, including the most memorable and unique weddings in the city. The space allows for options for ceremonies and separate areas for receptions, and has an upstairs that is used for getting ready and provides extra space for gathering. The Madrid Theatre offers packages that include personalized planning services to ensure your big day goes flawlessly and has convenient parking for your guests.

The Grand Hall

The Grand Hall is a great option for the couple that wants pure opulence and grace on their wedding day. It is located in the heart of downtown Kansas City and is a beacon of the art deco movement, providing the most elegant of wedding venues down to every detail. The Grand Hall provides space for both the ceremony and reception and even allows for photo shoots on the 31st floor terrace overlooking the downtown KC skyline for epic newly-wed photos. Coordinators are also provided to make your day go smoothly.

KS Loose Mansion Kansas City 0180 1Foyer and Grand Staircase at The Loose Mansion by Jerry Wang Photography

Loose Mansion

The Loose Mansion is a stunning historic building dating from 1909. The mansion in total is over 17,000 sf and is immaculate in every detail. As you tour the building you will see chandeliers, Italian tile floors, carved mahogany molding, intricate fireplaces, beautiful staircases, and more. If you choose to have your wedding here, you will have 6 options for where to have your ceremony. Seating capacities vary from 30 to 230 for ceremonies and the reception hall can accommodate up to 400 guests. The Loose Mansion has an incredible team that will be sure to make your big day as perfect as possible, and they have award after award to prove it.

So there you have it, a place to start looking. There are of course plenty of other amazing wedding venues in Kansas City that will blow you away as well. Touring wedding venues can be one of the most fun and exciting things about planning a wedding. Remember to keep it light hearted and enjoy all of the little moments. Another part that is a blast is choosing your catering and menu. Several venues have award winning in-house chefs and catering teams that can customize the menu for exactly what you desire. Other venues allow for outside catering options which can be a lot of fun as well. I suggest, especially for laid back outdoor style weddings, to consider food trucks as caterers. Depending on the size of your wedding, you can hire a few trucks and make the food options very unique and different. Most food trucks are operated by experienced chefs that thrive on large catering events. Most importantly, don’t sweat the small stuff and have fun in the planning and on the day.

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The Best BBQ in Kansas City: Truckster Food Guide

BBQ Ribs

 

Okay, Kansas City is known for a few things. It’s called the City of Fountains, the Heart of America, the Cradle of Jazz, Paris of the Plains, and the Barbeque Capital of the World. Fountains are cool and all, but we like food, and in fact we love some good BBQ. So how can someone possibly say definitively which restaurant offers the BEST BBQ in the BBQ holy land? Well, of course, it’s a bit subjective and based on personal preference. Here at Truckster, we’re pretty into food trucks, and we are here to spread the word that the best BBQ in the BBQ Capital may not come from a restaurant at all, but from a food truck. Allow me to introduce: Fire Canyon Barbeque.

Fire Canyon Barbeque may seem fairly new to the BBQ scene in Kansas City, but don’t be fooled! FCBBQ is an 8 year BBQ food truck veteran of the Colorado Front Range, and luckily for BBQ lovers in KC, in 2019 owners and operators Darren and Bridget Shafer decided to bring their glorious BBQ back to where their love for the sweet and savory smoked meat began. Pitmaster Darren Shafer is a KCBS member and certified judge and a RMBBQA member. If you don’t know what those acronyms mean, they mean the guy knows how to make some of the best BBQ you’ll ever eat. 

BBQ Sliders

 

With that, let’s get to the meat of it. Fire Canyon BBQ offers a variety of soft bun sliders filled with sliced Italian sausage, pulled pork, or brisket, all drizzled in the customer’s choice of signature sauce. FCBBQ offers the same meats in a per-pound option, along with sides of corn, coleslaw, baked beans, and potato salad. From here, things get interesting with the menu from FCBBQ with their Blue Plate Specials. These specials include entrees like ribs, chicken wings, chilis, and burnt ends. The fun thing is- these specials change weekly which provides customers with constantly rotating dishes that will keep them coming back to see what’s new. 

The reviews for Fire Canyon Barbeque have nothing but love for both the food and the lovely couple that runs it. It has a 5 star rating on FB, and 5 star rating on Yelp, and a 4.9 star rating on Google. If you’re someone who always refers to ratings and reviews when choosing where to eat, you’ll know that those are some super impressive ratings. The food and service isn’t the only awesome thing about FCBBQ either. The truck itself is amazing. The truck is a 1983 step van that was originally used as a search and rescue vehicle. It has since been completely decked out with big tires, chrome wheels, and a custom wrap, giving it the nickname “Badass”. People know when they see this truck that they are in for a BBQ treat.

Badass Food Truck

 

So if you are a BBQ fan, Fire Canyon Barbeque is a definite must-try. If you love it (you will), then download the Truckster app so you can track not only this truck, but all of the best food trucks in Kansas City. 

Find Kansas City Food Trucks

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A Food Truck Forward Weekend in Kansas City 

Kansas city skyline

Kansas City is probably best known for its barbeque. It would be fair to assume that Kansas City has nothing else to offer given the amount of chatter and enthusiasm the city has for BBQ. In fact, Kansas City has quite a lot to offer and has been voted one of the best Midwest Cities to visit. From music to art to architecture – Kansas City is sure to surprise and impress! KC is an eclectic mix of jazz clubs, boutique hotels, museums, and delicious restaurants that reach far beyond just BBQ. You’ll come to find that Kansas City is anything but a drive-by city. Remember the streetcar is 100% free and completes a 2-mile route through the city’s downtown, including the entertainment, arts, and hotel districts. It runs every 10 to 15 minutes, seven days a week. 

Friday – All about the music: 

While jazz was born in New Orleans, Kansas city likes to say that it grew up here. It was here that jazz evolved from a big-band style to more of a musical improvisation. In 2017, it was designated a Creative City by UNESCO for its contributions to music. 

A jazz musician plays the trumpet

Your first stop after arriving in the city on a Friday afternoon is to The American Jazz Museum in the historic 18th and Vine district of Kansas City. The museum strives to preserve and celebrate the history of American jazz music. There are exhibits dedicated to the greats: Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and more.

After you’ve thoroughly enjoyed your trip to the museum head over to the nearby memorial commemorating the legendary jazz artist Charlie “Bird” Parker. He was a major part of the Kansas City jazz scene and culture. If you’ve worked up an appetite, go grab lunch and a drink at one of the many restaurants in the 18th and Vine district including Smaxx, Soiree, and Kansas City Juke House. 

Friday Night Sound Bites Poster

Next, head over to Friday Night Sound Bites: KC Groove Therapy. The event is held every Friday from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. The Public market has live music and local Kansas City food trucks on a rotating basis out on their patio every Friday night. Local bands switch every week and will help locals and visitors alike relax as you move into the weekend. To top it all off, admission is free! 

Saturday – all about the food and drinks: 

We would encourage you to sleep on your Saturday morning. Whenever you are good and ready, head about 25 minutes outside of the city to KC Wine Co. This boutique winery and vineyard serves up Food Trucks & Fun every Saturday from 12-9pm. There is live music in the evenings, tours of the winery and vineyard, wine tastings, and yard games!

A shrimp po boy sandwich in front of the KC Wines front door

And what could be better than… drumroll please… many many food trucks! From KC favorites, including multiple BBQ vendors to cajun food, Korean fusion and much much more – you’ll be muching and sipping to your heart’s content in the most scenic of settings all day long! 

Sunday – All about the art: 

We recommend starting your day off around 9:00 am with your favorite morning beverage and pastry from one of the many boutique coffee shops in Country Club Plaza. The Plaza is known for being home to some of the best galleries, architecture, and art in the city. While walking through the Plaza area, make sure to stop along the way to admire the many fountains and mosaics. Fun fact – Kansas City is second to Rome for its number of fountains per capita. The Plaza area also houses two of the city’s best museums. 

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art not only has free admission every day, but also has a massive collection of art from all over the world, including a rotation of unique and visually stunning exhibits. The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art greets you with a four-story spider statue out front. It is a more intimate collection of modern sculptures, paintings, films, and installations. Pick your choice between one of the two museums and enjoy some of the best art in the Midwest.

Then, head over to historic Pendleton Heights, minutes from Downtown KC. From 11 am – 4 pm Art Garden KC, a free weekly festival, showcases works from multi-talented Kansas City artists. There are Food Trucks (wink, wink, nudge, nudge), local Brews, free activities for adults and children, and live art demos. 

A man buying a slice of Pizza from a food truck in Kansas City

End the day at Union Station. Today, Union Station still serves Amtrak trains, but it also houses classic restaurants like Pierpont’s and Harvey’s, live entertainment at City Stage Theater, a planetarium, a science center, and more. While visiting, be sure to also check out the massive chandeliers, 95-foot ceiling, and six-foot-wide-clock in the Grand Hall.

Whether you are in Kansas City or one of Truckster’s other 12 cities, make sure to check the app often to find a delicious food truck near you. From event catering to a quick lunch – Food Trucks can fit just about every need, and Truckster is here to make it easy.