Entrepreneurs Marley Jaxx and Steve J. Larsen tied the knot in Idaho last weekend and charged admission to the wedding. Marley says she and her husband weren't making a cash grab - the bride and groom weren’t trying to make money on the event. They’re actually trying to change the wedding industry and show that weddings can be funded so couples don’t have to go into debt and start their marriage with that financial burden.
They sold two tiers of tickets guests could choose from, including a basic ticket for $57 per person, which got guests into the wedding and reception. Those who wanted to splurge could pay $997 for two tickets to the full wedding weekend of events, from the rehearsal dinner to the wedding and reception and the “biohacking brunch and recovery lounge” the next day. The bride and groom’s family and closest friends didn’t need to buy tickets, but everyone else did if they wanted to come celebrate, but then they were off the hook for a wedding gift.
"Most people would spend more than that on dinner, a concert ticket, or a random night out, so asking $57 to cover your meal and be part of an experience like this felt reasonable," Larsen says. "It also made it easy to take the pressure off gifts entirely." They ended up selling 100 basic tickets and 30 VIP tickets and brought in more money through silent auction items and different donation tiers throughout the weekend. After breaking even on expenses, the newlyweds had $132,550 to donate to Village Impact, a nonprofit that builds schools and helps bring clean water to Kenya.