Unconventional way couple saved $70k on wedding costs - and guests were not happy

A New York couple who were determined to marry in style lost 80 percent of their guests when they decided to charge them $333 a head.

Nova and Reemo Styles set their hearts on a wedding in the city's iconic St Patrick's Cathedral but discovered that the venue alone would cost them $150,000.

Sixty guests bit the bullet and forked out for the experience which included a double decker bus tour through New York City and a steak and lobster dinner, but the move horrified traditionalists.

'Talk about TACKY!' one wrote. 'I would never think of making someone pay to come to my wedding! That is just ridiculous.'

Nova and Reemo Styles lost 80% of their guests when they decided to charge them $333 each

But the couple had set their hearts on New York's iconic St Patrick's Cathedral at $150,000 

Nova, 30, told ABC7 that they had to think creatively after discovering just how much their dream wedding would cost, and started to think of it in entertainment terms.

'And I said 'People choose to go to Beyoncé concert, because they know that they're gonna have an experience', the lifestyle influencer told the station.

'Let's put the stress on the guests, and let's sell tickets for a wedding'.'

Reemo warned her that the idea risked turning a triumph into a disaster.

'I was like, 'Babe, people aren't going to come',' he said.

And indeed the couple experienced an instant backlash when they told their nearest and dearest to get their wallets out.

'I would never spend money on tickets,' one told them.

'Who do you guys think you are? Jay-Z and Beyoncé?' demanded another.

The annual Knot Real Weddings Study found that the cost of the average wedding in the US increased by $5,000 in 2023 to an eye-watering $35,000.

And no state was more expensive than New York where the cost of the average nuptials is now $49,000.

'The biggest price tag is typically the venue, and that accounts for about 37 per cent of the total cost,' said the website's deputy editor Esther Lee.

Sixty guests bit the bullet and forked out for the experience which included a 12-hour double decker bus tour through New York City and a luxury steak and lobster dinner,

The couple saved a whopping $70,000 which they plan to use on starting a family

The Styles' unusual approach allowed them to bag their dream venue and enough guests to fill their bus for a spectacular trip through New York City.

It also saved them a whopping $70,000 which they plan to use on starting a family.

The couple tied the knot in June 2023 but news of how they financed the occasion began to spread in May this year when the couple posted the wedding videos to TikTok with the caption 'Did we really sell tickets to our wedding!?'

Reaction was quick from many who thought the couple had had their wedding cake and eaten it.

'What a joke!' wrote one. '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!'

'Only 60 guests out of 350,' wrote another. 'That says a lot. I would be totally offended being asked to spend $333 per guest. If you can't afford it don't do it.'

'I absolutely would not pay to come to a wedding, because I'm already paying to go; gas, time to get ready, a gift, that's money/time I could spend in other ways,' added a third.

'That's probably the dumbest thing I've ever heard,' wrote another. 'I would imagine many guests RSVP 'no'.'

'I said 'People choose to go to Beyoncé concert, because they know that they're gonna have an experience', Nova told ABC7 

But some were quite impressed by the novel idea in the face of rocketing wedding expenses.

'This wedding was EPIC!' wrote one. 'The love, care thought and creativeness that went into planning this is unbelievable!

'You truly cared about making this an unforgettable, memorable experience! Well done!'

'That's actually quite smart,' wrote another. 'Those that mattered didn't mind paying to celebrate.'