We charged $1500 to attend our wedding. Hundreds paid, but haters called it a scam
Ahead of saying 'I do' on August 1, the digital entrepreneurs, based in the American state Idaho, sold $US1,000 ($A1,500) tickets to their $US50,000 ($A76,600) wedding weekend extravaganza, making room for a whopping 270 guests.
Most of them were strangers from the internet.
But turning their holy matrimony into a money-making display wasn't just about pocketing a tidy profit, the happy honeys insisted, as The New York Post reports.
Instead, it was an effort to 'disrupt' the multi-billion dollar wedding industry and, in their view, make the world a better place.
'We broke even and raised $US132,000 ($A202,300) for charity,' Jaxx, 34, told The New York Post, explaining that she'd first casually pitched the idea of selling tickets to her wedding as a joke to her 21,000 Instagram followers.
Now, she's laughing.
'Weddings are so expensive, and selling tickets to one is disruptive,' continued Jaxx, who, alongside her new hubby, donated the excess funds from their wedding to Village Impact, an organisation dedicated to building schools in Africa.
'We wanted to [sell tickets] from a place of heart and purpose,' added the millennial.
'Not scammy.'
While planning their unusual fete in their hometown of Boise, she and Larsen, 37, were shocked by the 'crazy' costs, such as a $US650 ($A995) 'cake-cutting' fee, at local wedding venues.
So, rather than blow the budget, the social media-savvy sweethearts invited their combined 192,000 Instagram and YouTube followers to pay for an in-person seat at their not-so-exclusive soirée.
Roughly 30 high rollers purchased $US997 ($A1,527) 'VIP' vouchers, which Jaxx and Larsen ultimately rounded up to $US1,000 ($A1,500), for their marriage celebration marathon.
Besides the usual rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception, the price permitted deep-pocketed participants to partake in a range of unusual offerings — from romance counselling sessions led by experts to a Saturday morning 'Biohacking Brunch'.
There, party-exhausted attendees enjoyed red-light therapy care, breath work tutorials and a $US20,000 ($A30,645) bio-charger energy rehabilitation.
'Our social media audiences actually came up with the price point,' said Larsen with a laugh.
'We asked them what they'd expect to pay for [these special experiences] and they said, 'A grand!''
The pair's family and friends were granted full, VIP-level access to their three-day fete.
More budget-minded fans from cyberspace were given the option of paying a smaller fee for admission to the Friday afternoon ceremony and reception, or $US97 ($A148) to attend both the Thursday night rehearsal dinner and the wedding.
Approximately 100 guests opted for those options.
But not everyone saw the value in the duo's funky fundraiser.
Virtual vultures pecked mercilessly at Jaxx and Larsen for the uncommon move — accusing the twosome of making a 'mockery' of marriage, and labelling them 'nuts'.
However, charging a cover at the wedding chapel doors is trending as a unique way to save a few bucks on the big day.
Nova and Reemo Styles, of the Bronx in New York, hawked tickets to their swank union at St Patrick's Cathedral.
The newlyweds previously told New York Post that charging $US333 ($A510) per person kept their costs low and bank accounts stacked high.
Meanwhile, Jaxx and Larsen said they were thrilled to have also recovered the expenses they laid out for their splashy to-do — topped off with live performances by dancing trombonist Jonathan Arons, music from Team Ragoza and DJ Dynamix, and sweets from Stella's Ice Cream, confectioner Michelle Sohan and Mama's Secrets cookies.
But the darlings are even more excited for a July 2026 trip to Kenya, where they'll erect classrooms for kids in need, using the excess money raised from their wedding.
'It costs $US15,000 ($A22,980) to build a classroom with Village Impact,' said Jaxx.
'We went with them to Africa two years ago and it was the most beautiful, life-changing experience.'
'As we shared that at our wedding reception, several people donated the full $US15,000 ($A22,980),' she said.
'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 helpful funds notwithstanding, Larsen says selling tickets to their special occasion also helped him and Jaxx weed out their true supporters from the phony clout-chasers on their guest list.
'When someone chooses to purchase a ticket to a wedding, they are saying 'Yes,' but it's not out of obligation,' he noted.
'Everyone who was there wanted to be there.'
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