Powell Gardens Reviews

If you’re reading reviews on Powell Gardens, I question whether you have had a proper visit because the property truly speaks for itself. Powell Gardens is one of those spots where 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.

When we had to completely replan our entire wedding within a month, Powell Gardens was amazing! They took care of everything, answered all my questions quickly, and made sure our day 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!

This location was our 1st choice the moment we saw it. I was just a little disappointed that items were left around the chapel, but our amazing reverend was able to clean things up a little. Overall, fantastic experience.

When I came here to tour the chapel for my wedding, I knew immediately it was where I wanted to exchange vows with my husband. I came here as a child, with my mother and grandmother. 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!

What can I say but what a terrific job they did at powell gardens for our wedding. It always seems to look fantastic out there regardless of the season!

Beautiful venue for our ceremony! We had an evening wedding and the chapel was amazing at night! We have wonderful memories and great photos too.

Powell Gardens is the perfect site for a beautiful wedding. The chapel is amazing and creates such an intimate environment for a wedding. The Grand Hall is a great place for a reception. The space is great on its own and doesn't need any extra decorating. The only thing I would recommend is to check the microphone in the chapel...there was bad feedback. You might not even need a microphone.

Powell Gardens was a beautiful location for a wedding ceremony and reception! The cost seems a little high initially (you are also required to book catering there)but taking into consideration the fact that guests do not have to travel from a church to a seperate location for the reception, they provide the set up and clean up at the chapel and reception, and the setting is so beautiful that the only flowers that we had were the bridal party flowers and it was still amazingly beautiful, it was well worth the cost! It was pretty hassle and stress free! The rental coordinators will help you through the process and pretty much hold your hand the whole way through! Sam was an amazing help and always promptly returned my calls and readily and pleasantly answered any and all of my questions! On our wedding night, one of the heals on my shoe broke and we couldn't fix it. One of the wedding coordiators, Andrea, that was there to make sure everthing goes smoothly, took off her healed (white) sandles and offered for me to wear them for the rest of the night! She put on some flip flops! She told me to just leave them at the reception before we left! I was so grateful to her kindness, I will never forget that! THAT is service, my friend! We highly recommend Powell Gardens! The cost below is for the chapel, Grand Hall for reception and catering.

Powell Gardens was our first choice of venue and we’re both so very glad we were able to make it happen. Before we were engaged, and in my husband’s case before we’d even met, we both thought Powell Gardens would be a lovely place for a wedding. In person, the chapel is even more amazing! The architecture will give your guests something to talk about for years. You feel as if you’re exchanging your vows in nature.

We booked the earlier evening package which included the multi-purpose room for our reception. We did rent the Fountain Gardens but the July heat was a bit harsh to really be able to enjoy if until after sunset.

I will say also to keep in mind that Powell does many weddings each year. Sometimes even multiple weddings going on at the same time, or within hours of each other. Despite a busy schedule Sam and Denna were always very helpful with any questions we had regarding specific items, time frames, scheduling on site visits for us and our vendors and troubleshooting anything that came up. The night of the reception Sam and Denna stopped by several times to check and make sure that we had everything we needed. They are an experienced, dedicated, professional event planning team.

The only thing I would to tweak about Powell Gardens is the lighting in the parking lot. Several of our guests commented that it was very dark by the time they left (around 10:00 p.m.) and it was somewhat difficult to find their way to their cars. Powell also has a very specific timetable for weddings regarding when you will have access to the changing rooms, chapel and reception areas. Make sure that you keep that in mind when planning and that your vendors are aware of it as well. We didn’t have much trouble working with the schedule and communicating with our vendors for setup times. I enjoy the idea of going back to visit Powell Gardens in the future with my husband for many years to come.

Powell Gardens is an aboslutely beautiful setting to get married and the team is so easy to work with! We definitely do not regret getting married here at all and this was the perfect setting for us to be married in!

The only problem I had at all with this venue was one woman who was just not very friendly. Besides that, this is a wonderful place for a wedding and we loved it. Our friends and family were blown away by how beautiful this place is and how perfectly it fit in to our wedding. The venue alone has such a vast array of flowers and plants and beautiful things. My wedding was really like a fairy tale and would not have been anywhere near what it was without the venue. Amazing...absolutely amazing!

This was a wonderful space for our wedding. Destiny was amazing at helping us make sure everything ran smoothly day of.

Powell gardens is beautifulplace to have a wedding. I would highly recommend it to any couple getting married.

I have loved Powell Gardens since I moved to the KC area and knew if I ever married again I would walk down the aisle of the chapel there. Sam and Denna were helpful, and Jayme and the catering team were absolutely unbeatable. As most others have mentioned, there are some very frustrating restrictions in the contract - and with my family, who are late for everything, that proved to be a bigger problem than I anticipated. I highly recommend having someone who is not in your wedding party there as early as allowed (one hour before your wedding) to decorate the chapel. We didn't do much decorating, as it is already soooo beautiful - but we did want to tie in our theme colors a bit. Also, trying to drag all of your stuff out of the dressing room when you are in your bridal gown and everyone in high heels- big pain - so have someone on hand to take care of that too! (If PG had a service that would do these things I gladly would have paid for it!)

Overall, the venue cannot possibly be beat for beauty, ambiance, and price - although my heart was already set on PG, I did check some other venues to see how the price rated, and it truly is a great bargain!
Our small reception was in Cafe Thyme (I highly recommend this if you have less than 100 people, as it is prettier than the multi-purpose room) and everyone was very impressed with how elegant it was. The food was marvelous, champaine bar was perfect for our Sunday evening wedding, and the staff was so helpful and kind. I kick myself for not remembering our bartender's name, because she was an absolute delight and so very helpful and funny.
(If you book this venue - check out my cake vendor review as she has done many cakes for weddings at PG!)
FYI - I did not include the catering costs with my "spend estimate" on this review, but they were average-low compared to catering costs in the area. If you hold your reception there, you do have to use their catering services - but you definitely won't be disappointed!

Powell Gardens is an exceptionally beautiful venue for a wedding, and since we were married during the winter time, we not only had very little trouble selecting a date but we also received reduced rates. We also chose the least expensive area out of three for our reception, but we were never treated as less valuable to them. Both the wedding coordinators and the caterer comitted to helping us have the best wedding we could want!

After we had to cancel our destination wedding due to covid, we had 7 weeks to replan our wedding in KC and Powell Gardens saved the day! They offered a beautiful venue at an affordable price. We loved having access to the Study to get ready in before hand. They worked very well with our vendors for a stress free experience. Finding this venue was a little tricky for guests the day of rehearsal but the day of the wedding they had signage which was very helpful! The only thing we said would have been a helpful addition, that was missing, was if the venue offered adding on a day of coordinator but they did at least offer helpful recommendations.

I grew up about 10 minutes from here and have always wanted my wedding ceremony to be held in the chapel. This was worth every penny we paid for the rental. You get the Chapel Study 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.

I absolutely love this site for a wedding, the chapel was amazing for pictures. All my guests kept up to me after saying, "This is the most beautiful wedding I've ever been to." So I am pleased with the product and appreciate working with Powell Gardens. The only issue I had was when I need a few extra details about the venue before the wedding, the availability of seeing the grounds was difficult because it's a public place as well. I also did not seem to have particular flexibility with the number of chairs I could use, the venue really put their foot down and it created a bit of a strain in my planning. However, I am excited to say that the pictures and the ceremony were worth the stress, and in the end I loved our wedding.

Bride

The gardens were beautiful and very affordable for the Kansas City area. I would recommend the garden to anyone who wants a more laid back wedding with a smaller ceremony (150 max). They were always friendly and helpful and gave us a free membership for a year just for having our wedding there.

Powell Gardens is a beautiful place to get married. We got married in the chapel at sunset and had several guests tell us that it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever attended. You have to be very organized to get everything setup and get pictures taken in the time allotted. You also have to use caterers they select and their alcohol, but I think it was worth it. Cassie and Dena were very helpful in the rental department, as well.

I couldn't have chosen a better place to celebrate our wedding. The serene setting was perfect! Jaymie and Sam were great to work with and accomodated every request we had.

The only thing we didn't think of was lighting the main reception hall for the evening time....every time we visited was in the day. The candle lit mood was beautiful, but it did make for tough photo opportunities with very little light.

Overall, A+!

Beautiful Location but very pricey (around 2200 just for church and flowers) but perfect for an outdoor wedding or reception with beautiful flowers.

was a wonderful venue for the wedding ceremony! you cannot deny that it is incredibly beautiful and perfect for a wedding. we decided not to have our reception on site because the venue is small, and the food seemed a bit overpriced. unfortunately it rained the whole day and there is nowhere to go in the rain as you are getting ready (especially for the guys...) and pictures are either in the chapel or in the rain. we did both. we found them very friendly, and helpful. the restrictions are pretty tight and time frames are snug (especially for the rehearsal) but somewhat understandable. i would highly recommend this venue, but you must be flexable to work with them. :)

it is expensive, but we had a monday wedding and the price is much more reasonable... fridays and sundays are good options.

Powell Gardens is a beautiful place! We had a beautiful wedding! However if you choose to have your reception there too you have to use Cafe Thyme. I wan't thrilled with with the way it was set up, it was not set up properly like jamie and I had discussed, there was no room for the dance floor we had to move it around after the reception had already started. Also, I was told I could only have 2 hours to get ready before my wedding, so I called back and asked for more time to get ready, luckily I was the only wedding that day so I was allowed in, but you might have to make prior arrangements to get ready somewhere else to have enough time for pictures too.

Powell Gardens has an absolutely BEAUTIFUL chapel. We fell in love with it the moment that we first saw it. If that is all there was to rate, this would be PERFECT. However, for the price paid they allow very little time in the chapel prior or after for photography; have a very small place for the Bride and her Bridesmaids to change - and only a small hallway and a cramped bathroom for the gentleman. The chapel is not a "church," so it must have been set up as a place for weddings, yet they do not offer the amenities one would expect for the price they charge. All in all, it really is a great place to get married, and the photo opportunities that the site offers are endless. They really should invest in a few things, and offer a bit more flexibility, however. If you want a BEAUTIFUL place to be married, Powell Gardens is one of the best. If you desire any pampering (for you or your bridal party), however, they do not fit the bill.