Just when you thought weddings couldn’t get any more extra, a couple in New York City decided to flip the script and charge their guests $333 a pop just to show up. Yes, you read that right. Forget “I do,” it’s more like “You do — have to pay.” The happy couple, aka the “masterminds” behind this pricey plot, were faced with the high stakes of NYC wedding planning and decided to make their guests foot the bill. I mean, why should the bride and groom have all the financial anxiety right??
Let’s set the scene: these two lovebirds were planning a massive 12-hour extravaganza with 350 of their nearest and dearest. But when they realized that just the venue alone would set them back a cool $150,000, they did what any fiscally savvy (read: borderline delusional) couple might do. Instead of, I don’t know, going for a venue that was within their budget, they decided to do the totally normal and sane thing by selling tickets to their own wedding. Totally not insane!
Now, here’s the kicker — out of their 350 invited guests, only 60 were willing to cough up the cash to attend. Surprise surprise. That’s a whopping 80% of their friends and family saying, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Can you blame them? Charging people to celebrate your big day is a bold move, and the internet had a lot to say about it (as they usually do). TikTok exploded with reactions, most of which were less “Congratulations!” and more “What the actual f—?”
In their TikTok reveal, titled “Did We Really Sell Tickets to Our Wedding?” (spoiler alert: they did), the couple, Nova and Reemo Styles, showed off the fruits of their ticket-selling labor. The video featured their ceremony at the iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral, followed by a tour of NYC’s landmarks in a double-decker bus, and topped off with a lobster-and-steak dinner at One World Trade Center. I don’t know if it gives “fancy” or just “expensive-ass tourist.” Well, when you’ve outsourced your wedding budget to your guests, you can afford a little luxe.
But the internet was not impressed. People are calling them “cheapskates,” “tacky,” and “greedy.” And honestly? They kind of have a point. Weddings are already expensive AF, and the last thing anyone wants is to be hit with an entrance fee like they’re going to a Beyoncé concert (which, let’s be real, would be a much better use of $333).
Nova and Reemo did say they’re putting the extra cash toward their future family and a foundation for IVF treatments, which is sweet and all, but have you heard of maybe a registry? The $70,000 they supposedly saved from “ticket sales” doesn’t really soften the blow for the friends who had to pay up just to celebrate with them.
So, what’s the takeaway here? Maybe rethink your guest list before sending out those pricey RSVPs. Because as much as we all love a good wedding, there’s a fine line between sharing your special day and just straight-up charging for it.
