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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
We sold $1K tickets to our wedding — haters called it a scammy cash grab, but hundreds of happy guests paid up
When it came to 'for richer or poorer,' Marley Jaxx and Steve Larsen definitely chose the former. Ahead of saying 'I Do' on Aug. 1, the Idaho-based digital entrepreneurs sold $1,000 tickets to their $50,000 wedding-weekend extravaganza, making room for a whopping 270 guests — most of them 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. Instead, it was an effort toward 'disrupting' the multi-billion-dollar wedding industry — and making the world a better place. 'We broke even and raised $132,000 for charity,' Jaxx, 34, told The 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 all the way to the bank. '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 organization 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 fête in their hometown of Boise, she and Larsen, 37, were sticker-shocked by the 'crazy' costs, such as a $650 'cake-cutting' fee, at local wedding venues. So, rather than blowing 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 $997 'VIP' vouchers — which Jaxx and Larsen ultimately rounded up to $1,000 — for their marriage celebration marathon. Besides the usual rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception, the pretty penny permitted deep-pocketed participants to partake in a range of unusual offerings — from romance counseling sessions led by experts to a Saturday morning 'Biohacking Brunch.' There, party-exhausted attendees enjoyed red-light therapy care, breath work tutorials and a $20,000 bio-charger energy rehabilitation. 'Our social media audiences actually came up with the $1,000 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 fête. More budget-minded fans from cyberspace were given the option of paying either $57 for admission to the Friday afternoon ceremony and reception, or $97 to attend both the Thursday night rehearsal dinner as well as 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 labeling 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, which can run lovebirds over $26,000. Nova and Reemo Styles, of the Bronx, hawked tickets to their swank union at St. Patrick's Cathedral. The New York newlyweds previously told The Post that charging $333 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 — with the monies raised from their wedding. 'It costs $15,000 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 $15,000,' 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.' Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Couple sells $1K tickets to wedding — and hundreds of guests pay up
When it came to 'for richer or poorer,' Marley Jaxx and Steve Larsen definitely chose the former. Ahead of saying 'I Do' on Aug. 1, the Idaho-based digital entrepreneurs sold $1,000 tickets to their $50,000 wedding-weekend extravaganza, making room for a whopping 270 guests — most of them 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. Advertisement 6 Jaxx and Larsen raked in over $96,000 at their wedding and an additional $36,000 at their post-nuptials brunch, totaling around $132,000 in charitable funds. Courtesy Don & Emily Mamone Instead, it was an effort toward 'disrupting' the multi-billion-dollar wedding industry — and making the world a better place. 'We broke even and raised $132,000 for charity,' Jaxx, 34, told The 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. Advertisement Now, she's laughing all the way to the bank. '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 organization dedicated to building schools in Africa. 'We wanted to [sell tickets] from a place of heart and purpose,' added the millennial, 'not scammy.' 6 The newlyweds tell The Post it was important that they recover their wedding costs and raise money for a worthy cause. Courtesy Don & Emily Mamone Advertisement While planning their unusual fête in their hometown of Boise, she and Larsen, 37, were sticker-shocked by the 'crazy' costs, such as a $650 'cake-cutting' fee, at local wedding venues. So, rather than blowing 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 $997 'VIP' vouchers — which Jaxx and Larsen ultimately rounded up to $1,000 — for their marriage celebration marathon. 6 Jaxx and Larsen say they were shocked by how many strangers purchased tickets to their wedding and donated to Village Impact. Courtesy Don & Emily Mamone Advertisement Besides the usual rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception, the pretty penny permitted deep-pocketed participants to partake in a range of unusual offerings — from romance counseling sessions led by experts to a Saturday morning 'Biohacking Brunch.' There, party-exhausted attendees enjoyed red-light therapy care, breath work tutorials and a $20,000 bio-charger energy rehabilitation. 'Our social media audiences actually came up with the $1,000 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!'' 6 The Idaho sweeties were committed to offering their loved ones, as well as ticketed guests, memorable experiences and entertainment during their posh wedding weekend party. Courtesy Don & Emily Mamone The pair's family and friends were granted full, VIP-level access to their three-day fête. More budget-minded fans from cyberspace were given the option of paying either $57 for admission to the Friday afternoon ceremony and reception, or $97 to attend both the Thursday night rehearsal dinner as well as the wedding. Approximately 100 guests opted for those options. 6 Jaxx says baker Michelle Sohan offered to make the wedding cake after learning their ticketed wedding on social media. Courtesy Don & Emily Mamone Advertisement 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 labeling 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, which can run lovebirds over $26,000. Nova and Reemo Styles, of the Bronx, hawked tickets to their swank union at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Advertisement 6 Larsen and Jaxx are looking forward to traveling to Kenya and building classrooms with the more than $132,000 they raised at their wedding. Courtesy Don & Emily Mamone The New York newlyweds previously told The Post that charging $333 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. Advertisement But the darlings are even more excited for a July 2026 trip to Kenya, where they'll erect classrooms for kids in need — with the monies raised from their wedding. 'It costs $15,000 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 $15,000,' 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.' Advertisement 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.'
News18
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
This Couple Charged Guests $997 To Attend Their Wedding, Here's Why
Last Updated: 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. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Couple Charges Guests Nearly $1K for Wedding Weekend Admission, Aiming to Revolutionize Trends and Avoid Debt (Exclusive)
After the couple broke even, they donated the rest of their proceeds — totaling more than $100,000 — to Village ImpactNEED TO KNOW Entrepreneurs Marley Jaxx and Steve J. Larsen sold tickets to their wedding weekend in Idaho as a case study, a proof-of-concept that weddings can be funded, not financed Guests could buy a basic $57 ticket for admission into the wedding day, or a three-day experience for two tickets valued at $997 that allowed access to the wedding day, plus the pre- and post-wedding events After the couple broke even, they donated their remaining $132,550 proceeds to Village ImpactA bride and groom are trying to revolutionize the wedding industry, and they started by charging admission to their own nuptials. Entrepreneurs Marley Jaxx, 34, and Steve J. Larsen, 37, were "baffled" by the "overpriced" traditional wedding planning model that often breaks the bank due to the "outrageous cost attached to the smallest things." Consequently, the pair decided to create a case study on their wedding by selling tickets to prove that weddings can be funded so that marriages start without financial strain. "Weddings are this multi-billion-dollar industry where couples often go into debt for a single day and I wanted to challenge that," Jaxx tells PEOPLE. There were two ticket tiers. A basic ticket, valued at $57 per person, covered admission to the wedding ceremony and reception on Friday, Aug. 1, at Honalee Farm in Eagle, Idaho. Those wanting to "make a full weekend of the event" would purchase the second option, valued at $997 for two tickets, which additionally included access to the rehearsal dinner on Thursday, July 31, and the "biohacking brunch and recovery lounge" on Saturday, Aug. 2. Plus, the VIP guests would get priority reserved seating and have their brand profile spotlighted in the wedding programs. "I know this idea is new. It's disruptive," Jaxx says. "Some people might call it tacky or a money grab. But to me, a cash grab is something done purely for profit with little regard for value or integrity. That's not what this is. We're creating an experience to celebrate our wedding with people who want to be part of it, and the contributions go directly toward making that possible without going into debt, while also supporting one of our favorite causes." Before the couple got engaged at an ice skating rink on New Year's Day, they joked about selling wedding tickets. But once the duo, who have both previously been married, actually started planning their wedding, their joke turned into a reality. "We run businesses and do events all the time, so we'd say things like, 'Wouldn't it be funny if our wedding was a main event and we sold tickets to it?' Totally a joke at first," Jaxx says. "But then we got engaged, and when we started looking at venues and saw the quote for one, there was a $650 cake-cutting fee. Like… just to cut the cake. Not the cake itself. Just to cut it." Jaxx asked her thousands of followers if the financial investment and expectations attached to weddings added pressure to spend more than anticipated to meet the traditional standards. Her comments were "flooded" with couples sharing similar experiences of "wild wedding markups." "So then I made another post and said, 'People should just sell tickets to their weddings at this point,' " Jaxx explains. She took a poll within her social community about turning her wedding into a proof-of-concept, and was "shocked" by people's openness to buying tickets and the high figures they'd hypothetically be willing to spend. "Eventually, we landed on this idea that felt really good to us: don't buy us a gift, just cover your meal and come party with us," Larsen says. "It took the pressure off gifts, helped us manage the guest count, and made the whole thing feel a lot more fun and collaborative." Although there were a lot of positive responses, some people weren't happy. The couple's family and closest friends didn't need to buy tickets and were just sent wedding invitations. Everyone else, however, had to decide whether or not they wanted to pay to attend the wedding when they saw the concept online. One man "didn't hold back" in telling the bride that he was against the idea, and even challenged her to a Facebook Live debate. Jaxx accepted the debate because she thought if she "really believed in this idea, [she] had to be willing to defend it." "I wanted to bring weddings back to this idea that it takes a village, and to show that there could be a different model where couples don't have to go into debt," Jaxx says, with Larsen adding, "It wasn't about making money, it was about covering the cost of their meal and creating a really cool experience." Jaxx continues: "For couples who do want to bring together a big community, the current system often sets them up for failure. I mean, financial conflict is the number one cause of strain in marriage. So the idea that you should start your life together by going tens of thousands of dollars into debt over one day feels backwards." Jaxx and Larsen, who met through the online marketing world and have been in a relationship for five years, tell PEOPLE that they sold approximately 100 basic tickets and 30 VIP tickets. The couple determined their basic ticket pricing on the typical per-head cost of a wedding guest. "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." At the "over-the-top" wedding — which was planned by Lisa Ball — guests enjoyed smoked salted caramel ice cream from Stella's Ice Cream, wedding cake from luxury cake artist Michelle Sohan and cookies from Mama's Secrets. Musical performances included dancing trombonist Jonathan Arons, husband-wife DJ duo Team Ragoza, and DJ Dynamix. Marley Jaxx and Steve J. Larsen's Wedding The VIP ticket was all about "upgrading the experience." VIP guests enjoyed a three-day celebration featuring brand exposure and exclusive experiences such as sessions from relationship and health experts. At the biohacking brunch after the wedding, guests were treated to breathwork, brain optimization tools, vibration plates, PEMF mats and red light therapy. "We hit break-even. That was the goal," Larsen says. "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." Proceeds beyond breaking even on the actual wedding itself are being donated to Village Impact to help build a school and "support initiatives like access to clean water and menstrual products." The nonprofit organization partners with communities in Kenya to create "access to quality education where it's needed most," according to its website. "We went home on our wedding night with 96,200 reasons to be grateful because we were able to write a check for that amount to Village Impact," Jaxx says. "And then the next morning, during our biohacking brunch, we raised even more, bringing our total to $132,550." The funds came from the ticket sales, silent auction items and different donation tiers throughout the weekend. "That money is going to build classrooms in Kenya, support clean water initiatives, and provide essential resources for kids who need them most," Jaxx explains. "In July 2026, we're heading to Kenya with a crew of people to help build the very project we funded." The newlyweds hope that couples will use their step-by-step wedding blueprint to turn their wedding into a celebration that funds itself instead of draining savings. They're teaching the model to other couples through The goal is to help couples fund their weddings creatively, whether that's through selling tickets, collaborating with local businesses, trading services, getting sponsors, or earning affiliate revenue through content. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "I pray that what we just experienced becomes a blueprint for others and that this disrupts the way people think weddings have to be done," Jaxx says. "That other couples see this as an invitation to step into more freedom: financially, emotionally and relationally. Weddings don't need to be a source of debt or pressure. They can be something radically different that is generous, sacred and shared." Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
