Favorite Kansas City Summer Wedding Picture Locations

Sweet, sweet summertime is here, friends. And with summer? Well. Can you just say, summer weddings?! Because they are officially here too. Which means that couples and wedding parties all over the city are on trolleys and party busses, driving around Kansas City, taking wedding pictures. With the season being what it is, we thought today we would go ahead and share some of our favorite Kansas City summer wedding picture locations with you. There are definitely a handful, and at least a few of them aren’t the “normal” spots you might think of. 🙂 

Favorite Kansas City Summer Wedding Picture Locations

1. The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art

At the top of our list is one of the most well known, most popular wedding picture locations in Kansas City. And we especially love it during summer. Why is The Nelson such a great summer wedding picture location? Well, for starters, there’s TONS of shade. Which means we’ve got plenty of room to spread your wedding party out and still keep everyone in the shade with a nice breeze. We also love the Nelson for summer weddings because it’s air conditioned. And, if need be, we can pop in to cool off for a hot second or two before heading back outside. And did we mention there are bathrooms too? It’s essentially a perfect stop for those summer wedding pictures. 

2. Loose Park

Loose Park is second on our list for favorite summer wedding picture locations in Kansas City. Again, it’s a pretty popular wedding picture spot. But in the summertime? Instead of heading to the Rose Garden where there’s little to no shade, we suggest you check out the southwest corner of the park. Specifically the corner of Summit and 55th. Here you’ll find easy street parking, and so many pretty little copses of trees to take shade under while still having a beautiful background. And unlike the more popular side of the park? There’s so much shade, fewer people, and nothing but grass, so you won’t have to walk across or worry about hot concrete. 

3. Union Station

Kansas City’s Union Station is number 3 on our list for favorite summer wedding picture locations. Union Station might seem like a no-brainer on rainy wedding days, but trust us when we say it’s just as glorious in the summertime when it’s downright steamy outside. The Grand Hall (the main hallway) in Union Station is of course a classic on a hot day, but we also secretly really love some of the hallways downstairs by the Planetarium, and some of the balconies upstairs as well. There are so many great photo spots here, and they’re all air conditioned. 🙂 

4. The Bartle Hall Overhang

I honestly can’t even believe we’re putting this spot on our photo list, because it’s one of those that we like to keep secret so not everyone wants to shoot there. BUT, we like to share, so we’re adding it anyway. 🙂

One of our very favorite summer spots in Kansas City for wedding pictures is the overhang/covered patio area on the southern side of the Kansas City Convention Center. It also happens to be right next to the Loews Hotel entrance. Why do we love it so much? Well, it’s still in the center of the city. So if you’re looking for a place to spread everyone out, it’s great for that. But we also love it because it provides such a great shaded area with a fantastic city backdrop. With the skyline on one side and the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on the other, you just can’t go wrong. 

5. The 12th Street Viaduct

Again, this spot may be more well known and appreciated on rainy days, but we also love it for wedding pictures on a hot summer afternoon. With so much shade, and a great breeze on most days, the viaduct is a great spot to get out of the sun and still keep that industrial, city feeling for your wedding pictures. 

6. The Colonnade and JFK Memorial 

The Colonnade, is one of our Kansas City secret hidden gems. We don’t talk about it or tag it anywhere because again, we don’t want it to get completely overrun. But it really, truly is one of our very favorite summer wedding picture locations in Kansas City. With its classic rows of columns and covered pergola that is completely surrounded by lush greenery, this spot is a great stop for wedding pictures. 

What do all of our favorite summer wedding picture locations have in common? You may have noticed – the biggie is SHADE. I get it, we all love bright, blue-skied wedding pictures. But when the heat of the summer kicks in? You’re going to want to find a good spot with some shade and as little concrete as possible. Wherever you wind up taking your summer wedding pictures, just keep those two things in mind and you’ll be fine. 🙂