This New York City-based niece and nephew charged family and friends to attend their nuptials after deciding the cost for their dream wedding was far too expensive. The Nova and Reemo, a content creating couple, discussed choosing to sell wedding tickets and the exorbitant cost to have a wedding in NYC on an Instagram live before they tied the knot.
“Once you put the word wedding in front of something, it’s like people go out of control with the price that their asking,” Nova said.
“Whoever would know things at a wedding would cost thousands and thousands of dollars. It’s absolutely insane … to have a nice wedding with decent floral, decor, transportation, venue, good food, in NYC the price—over $150,000.”
View this post on Instagram
According to The Knot’s 2023 Real Wedding Study, the average cost of weddings and receptions in the United States is $35,000 with venues taking up almost half the cost at an average of $12,000. Using comprehensive research, The Knot broke down costs across a range of wedding services, styles and demographics.
The newlyweds hoped to have a wedding that involved a “12-hour fete,” the NY Post reported, but saved up to $70,000 on wedding plans by charging guests a $333 wedding invitation.
In the IG Live, the couple confirmed that wedding ticket sales did not cover the costs they’d incur for food or beverage per person but rather the “Styles Experience” that people would engage with throughout the wedding. This included a NYC tour on a double decker bus, a ceremony at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and reception at the World Trade Center.
View this post on Instagram
Nonetheless, the couple’s wedding guest list shrank 350 people to 60 people who attended the unconventional wedding. TikTok users shared their ire about the couple’s decision to charge attendees for their big day. One TikToker said, “It’s very expensive to look this cheap”
A user who went by the handle @pennymurdaugh commented: “What a joke! These people are cheapskates! They want the bling, but are too cheap to pay for it. They expect their friends to pay for their wedding! I would sever my friendship with anyone who tried this!”
The Styles Familia responded by reinforcing the couple out of pocket expense covered the actual wedding: “Penny, thanks for your assumptions! It’s silly to think 60 tickets could pay for the 12-hour wedding day that we had!! It DEF didn’t and we paid for all of our wedding ourselves!! Stay tuned though!”
@thestylesfamilia Did We Really Sell Tickets to Our Wedding!? 🤎 #thestylesfamilia #stylesfamilia #trusttheprocess #jamaicanmeacollins #wedding #weddingtiktok #weddingday #weddingdress #foryoupage #fyp #trending #trendy #weddinginspo #bride ♬ Life Will Be – Cleo Sol
Other social media users congratulated the couple and shared positive feedback on their non-traditional wedding and reception that featured swag bags with Air Force1 Nike sneakers and a performance from NYC rapper Fabolous:
View this post on Instagram
“I definitely would of paid for a ticket am this was definitely worth it congratulations,” said @muah_only1juicy
@antsotrue commented, “Ion careeeeee what anyone says YALLLLLLL KILLED I loved every single moment and I’m so glad I found your page to follow your story!!.!!! I’m hypeeee lol pray yall union lasts a LIFE TIME!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH!!!!!!”
Using a portion of the wedding ticket sales, the Styles’ plan to start a foundation for families undergoing IVF treatments.
RELATED CONTENT: Real Talk: Are You Really Ready For Marriage?
