In order to save money, a couple charged their wedding guests $333 each – and this measure sparked strong reactions on the Internet.
In an interview with NBCNewlyweds Nova and Reemo explained to Style why they decided to charge guests to attend their celebration as if they were going to a concert. The couple claimed weddings were expensive and thought if people were willing to spend hundreds to see their favourite pop stars, they could do the same for people they know and love.
Nova recalled, “I said, ‘People go to a Beyoncé concert because they know they’re going to have an experience. Let’s put pressure on the guests and sell tickets to a wedding.'”
“I just thought, ‘Honey, people aren’t going to come,'” Reemo interjected.
As guests attended the event, the couple faced some grumbling and harsh words. Nova told the outlet that guests told her, “‘I would never spend money on tickets.’ ‘I don’t care.’ ‘Who do you think you are? Jay-Z and Beyoncé?'”
Ultimately, the couple charged each guest $333, which earned them a free seat on their double-decker bus and a 12-hour tour of New York City, saving the couple over $70,000 in expenses.
Accordingly the knotthe rising cost of weddings will cause many couples to get creative with their budgets, even if that means they may have to charge their guests something for it.
According to data, the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. in 2023 was $35,000 – a significant increase of $5,000 from the national average last year, partly due to inflation. The price increase led to higher costs for goods and services in the wedding industry, which in turn drove up the price of the event.
However, on the Wedding Wire forum, many people have protested against couples charging their guests money, calling it “tasteless.”
“This is in bad taste!” wrote one person. “I would never think of making someone pay to come to my wedding! This is just ridiculous…”
Another added: “I would definitely not pay to go to a wedding because I’m already paying to get there – gas, time to get ready, a gift, that’s money/time I could spend elsewhere.”
“That’s probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” someone else remarked. “I imagine a lot of guests would answer ‘no.'”
