A couple in New York City charged their wedding guests a hefty fee of $333 per person to save money on the wedding. Nova and Reemo Style, the newlyweds, explained their unorthodox approach in an interview with NBC.

The couple argued that weddings are notoriously expensive, and they felt that if people were willing to spend hundreds of dollars to attend a Beyoncé concert, they should also be willing to pay for a wedding reception.

“I said, ‘People go to a Beyoncé concert because they know they’re going to have an experience. Let’s put pressure on the guests and sell tickets to a wedding,'” Nova recalls.

But not all guests were enthusiastic about the idea. Reemo admitted: “I just thought, ‘Honey, people aren’t going to come.'” And indeed, some guests expressed their displeasure and told the couple they would never spend money on tickets.

Despite the criticism, the couple stuck to their plan and charged each guest $333, which included a free seat on a double-decker bus and a 12-hour tour of New York City. This unconventional approach ultimately helped the couple save over $70,000 in wedding costs.

As the average cost of weddings in the United States continues to rise, with the node With the national average expected to be $35,000 in 2023 — an increase of $5,000 from last year — some couples are getting creative with their budgeting, even if it means charging their guests admission.

According to the data, the increase in wedding prices is largely due to the impact of inflation on the industry, which leads to higher costs for goods and services. In response, some couples have chosen to pass these costs on to their guests, a move that has sparked considerable debate and criticism.