Couple pay off their wedding after selling admission tickets
Smart or tacky? A couple paid off their wedding and raised over $100, 000 (R1,7-million) for charity by charging guests an admission fee.
A bride and groom are making headlines after selling admission tickets to guests for their wedding.
Marley Jaxx and Steve Larsen hosted a $50, 000 three-day celebration for their special day. They charged strangers on the internet $57 (R1,009) for a basic ticket and up to $1,000 (R17,704) for a VIP experience.
Family members were given full access to the festivities. A total of 270 people attended.
Not only did they walk away from their wedding without any debt, but they also raised a lot of money for a good cause.
"We hit break-even. That was the goal. We weren’t trying to profit off our wedding, we just didn’t want to go into debt for it. And everything beyond that now goes toward the charity piece, which is the part we’re most excited about," Larsen told People.
The newlyweds raised over $132, 000 (R2.3 million) for Village Impact, a nonprofit organisation that helps build schools in underprivileged communities.
Jaxx and Larsen will be travelling to Kenya in 2026 to help erect some of the classrooms.
"It costs $15,000 to build a classroom with Village Impact. We went with them to Africa two years ago and it was the most beautiful, life-changing experience," Jaxx told the New York Post.
While most people wouldn't even consider inviting complete strangers to their wedding, the bride and groom are glad they did.
"I had people approach me saying, ‘I have no idea who you are, but I’m at your wedding and it’s awesome.’ They came to the wedding as strangers, left as friends and now we’re all going on this life-changing trip to Africa next year," the bride added.
Some people called the idea a "money grab", but the couple wouldn't change anything about their special day.
"Our wedding is going to help hundreds of children walk into a classroom for the very first time which is absolutely world changing for those kids. Cue me ugly crying every time I think about it," Jaxx wrote on Instagram.
"We wanted to create something with meaning that wouldn’t end when the music stopped."
Jaxx added in a separate post that couples shouldn't have to go into debt for one day.
"We believe financial stress shouldn't start with the wedding. Instead of a gift, contribute to your seat at the table… and for other couples, they may choose to put their profit towards their honeymoon or their first home. For us, we’re building a classroom in Kenya. This is bigger than a day."
Internet users love the concept, and some might even try it for their own weddings.
"In this world where so many people don’t have close friends or relatives and don’t interact with strangers and enjoy a wedding celebration weekend, this was a wonderful idea... Usually, I like ripping apart these Internet influencers, but kudos to them," one person said.
An Instagram user commented: "Amazing! Thinking outside of the box and I’m here for it."
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Main image credit: iStock