Couple shocked by high cost of wedding decide to charge guests an entry fee... and end up bringing in $50,000

Daily Mail​

a day ago

A couple who was shocked by the sky-high cost of their wedding decided to charge their guests an entry fee... and ended up bringing in $50,000 in ticket sales.
When Marley Jaxx, 34, and Steve J Larsen, 37, from Boise, Idaho, were gearing up to tie the knot, they quickly realized just how expensive weddings could be.
They were baffled by the idea that most couples end up in tens of thousands of dollars in debt just from throwing their dream wedding.
Both coming from entrepreneurial backgrounds, it then dawned on them: what if they treated their big day like a business event and sold tickets as a way to cut down costs?
'We started venue hunting… and saw a $650 cake-cutting fee - not including the cake, just to cut it!' Marley explained during an exclusive chat with the Daily Mail.
'The current system often sets [couples] up for failure. Most couples start their marriage tens of thousands of dollars in debt… over one day. That feels backwards.'
Marley and Steve offered two ticket options to their guess - a $57 'general admission ticket' and a $997 'VIP weekend pass.'
The first 'got you access to the full wedding day: the ceremony, dinner, dancing, entertainment, and all the magic.'
'This was just for the wedding day itself. Like, "Cover your plate and come party with us,"' explained Marley.
'The $57 ticket was less than the cost of a typical wedding gift, but instead of buying us a toaster, you bought a seat at the table.'
The second came with a full 'three-day experience' for two guests, which included everything from the first ticket plus multiple other perks like access to a pre-ceremony hangout and reserved seating at the nuptials.
In addition, VIP ticket holders got to attend a 'full event with bestselling authors, relationship experts, panels, and transformative sessions' the day before the wedding, as well as a rehearsal dinner, where they held a live auction for charity and offered a slew of special performances.
It also gave them entry to the 'biohacking brunch' the morning after the wedding, which came complete with 'red light therapy, PEMF mats, breathwork, and tech you'd normally see in billionaires' basements.'
'The $997 VIP pass was designed like a conference or retreat package stacked with value that would normally cost way more,' shared Marley.
They ultimately sold 100 of the regular tickets and roughly 30 VIP tickets, bringing in just about $50,000 - which covered their entire costs of the wedding.
Marley admitted that not everyone loved the idea of having to pay for a seat at the wedding.
'One friend told me it felt like we were turning something sacred into a circus,' Marley recalled.
She also faced immense backlash online after opening up about the endeavor.
'Sure, some people online said, "I'd never buy a ticket to a wedding." That's fine! Some people would never buy a ticket to a baseball game either,' she said.
'But clearly, there are stadiums full of people who would. Same goes here. Would everyone buy a wedding ticket? Nope.
'But would someone pay for a night out with dinner and entertainment to support a couple they love? Maybe!
'Just like anything else in the world, it comes down to fit. Not every offer is for everyone and that's okay.'
According to the bride, there were a slew of benefits that came with charging wedding guests an entry fee.
She said it made for a better time since everyone who was there actually wanted to be there and removed the 'pressure' people feel to get the right gift.
'Sometimes people go to weddings out of obligation. They feel guilted into it,' she dished.
'But no one was forced or pressured to attend ours. So the energy was completely different.
'It was full of people who were genuinely excited to celebrate with us and many people said it was the best wedding they've ever been to.'
Marley insisted that it was never about 'making money' to them, explaining, 'Our heart behind this was to bring people together and create an experience.
'It made the experience collaborative instead of transactional. And it started conversations that really matter.
'While we didn't need the money for ourselves, we thought, "What if couples could actually make money from their wedding to put toward a down payment on a home, or a honeymoon, or starting their life with less stress?"
'That's what I hope to help other couples do through the case study we're building.'
Over the entire weekend they raised an additional $132,550, which they have donated to a charity called Village Impact, who will be use the money to 'fund classrooms for kids in Kenya.'
'What we created wasn't traditional but it was extraordinary. And the value we provided far surpassed the price tag,' Marley gushed.
'Every ticket sold, every donation, every moment… it all added up to something way bigger than just a wedding.
'We didn't do this to profit. The entire vision was: let's create an unforgettable experience, avoid the financial stress most couples face, and use it as a way to do something good in the world. And that's exactly what happened.'
In the end, Marley hopes that others will start doing this too, and that in the long run, they can help stop couples from getting in debt because of their weddings.
'I'm excited to teach this model to future couples. Disruptive ideas always sound crazy the first time,' she concluded.
'It's crazy to the same level that staying in a stranger's house sounded crazy before Airbnb. Or trusting an unlicensed driver before Uber.