New Website Lets You Buy Tickets to Strangers' Weddings
Not A Wedding Crasher allows couples to fill empty seats while offering guests a unique experience.
A new online platform named Not A Wedding Crasher is enabling individuals to purchase tickets to attend weddings hosted by strangers. The website aims to fill unoccupied seats at ceremonies and receptions, offering a novel way for people to experience a wedding celebration.
Potential guests can browse available weddings based on date, location, or price. Prices for attending a wedding range from $25 to $150. Once a user finds a wedding they wish to attend, they can request a seat and submit a note explaining their interest. Couples then have the discretion to choose which guests they feel most comfortable inviting.
The platform emphasizes transparency, respect, and risk-reduction tools. All guests undergo secure identity verification through Stripe, though hosts do not have access to sensitive personal information. The site states that every listing is thoroughly reviewed to ensure authenticity, and hosts set event rules and expectations.
One listed wedding in central Los Angeles, California, for $125 per seat, specifies that attendance is limited to the reception and requires formal attire. Another wedding in Greater Asheville, North Carolina, priced at $25 per seat, includes access to both the ceremony and reception, featuring a buffet-style dinner and a DJ.
Not A Wedding Crasher was created by San Diego-based couple Jeff and Karina Besen. The idea reportedly emerged from a desire for unique date night activities. The platform, which launched in March, recently gained significant traction on social media.
Since its inception, the platform has attracted 20,000 signups and has processed tens of thousands of dollars in gross seat payments, from which Not A Wedding Crasher retains 20 percent. The founders noted that while some reactions have been skeptical, many have expressed positive views on the concept.