This Couple Charged Guests $997 To Attend Their Wedding, Here's Why
Marley Jacques and Steve J Larson's wedding in Eagle, Idaho, raised over Rs 1.1 crore for charity, funding a school in Kenya
News18
At a time when weddings are often synonymous with extravagance, an US couple has flipped the script, turning their nuptials into a ticketed event and raising over Rs 1.1 crore for charity in the process.
A report by People magazine has revealed the story of 34-year-old Marley Jacques and 37-year-old Steve J Larson, two entrepreneurs who hosted what might be one of the most unconventional weddings in recent memory. Held on August 1 in Eagle, Idaho, their wedding was not just a personal milestone, but also a fundraising event, complete with paid entry and VIP perks.
The couple, who have experience organising business events, found the traditional cost of American weddings excessive. Even a cake-cutting service, they discovered, could cost up to $650 (Rs 54,000). 'We did not want to make our wedding a burden. We wanted people to just bear the cost of their food instead of gifts and be a part of this experience," Jacques explained.
So, instead of following convention, they created what they described as a 'self-funded wedding model". Guests were invited to buy tickets to attend. Two tiers were offered – a basic ticket priced at $57 (roughly Rs 4,750) which included access to the ceremony and reception, and a VIP ticket costing $997 for two people (about Rs 83,000), which came with added benefits like a rehearsal dinner, a 'biohacking brunch", a post-wedding recovery session, and even brand mentions in the wedding programme.
Surprisingly, 100 basic tickets and 30 VIP tickets were sold. While close friends and family were invited free of charge, tickets were bought by people from the couple's professional and social media networks.
The event itself was anything but ordinary. Guests were treated to luxury ice cream, cookies, and cake. Music came courtesy of live DJs and artists. VIP attendees had access to wellness activities including breathwork, red light therapy, and brain optimisation.
Although the concept was met with some criticism online with some calling it 'petty" or a 'money-making trick", Jacques and Larson were clear about their intentions. They said the goal was never profit but to make the event financially neutral and socially impactful.
In fact, they donated the surplus funds, $96,200 by the night of the wedding, to Village Impact, a nonprofit that supports education and infrastructure in Kenya. Additional money was raised during the post-wedding brunch, bringing the total to $132,550 (roughly Rs 1.16 crore).
The couple is now set to travel to Kenya in July 2026 to help construct the school their wedding proceeds will fund.
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