A New York City couple has garnered criticism for the creative way they chose to have their dream wedding amid high inflation — by charging their guests to attend the ceremony.
Nova and Reemo Styles saved a whopping $70,000 in expenses for their June 2023 wedding after deciding that they had to thin out their 350-person guest list by adding on a price tag, they told the New York Post.
Once the content-creator duo announced that they were selling tickets to the event for $333, the number of attendees dropped to 60.
In a TikTok video explaining their choices, Nova posed the question, “How could we choose Nona over Titi?”
“We couldn’t, so our guests chose us,” the newlywed explained:
@thestylesfamilia Did We Really Sell Tickets to Our Wedding!? #thestylesfamilia #stylesfamilia #trusttheprocess #jamaicanmeacollins #wedding #weddingtiktok #weddingday #weddingdress #foryoupage #fyp #trending #trendy #weddinginspo #bride
The $333 tickets afforded the Styles’ family and friends a seat at the St. Patrick’s Cathedral ceremony, a spot on their luxury party bus, and a lobster and steak dinner at One World Trade Center.
Nova compared the event to a Beyoncé concert in an interview with ABC7.
“And I said, ‘People choose to go to [a] Beyoncé concert, because they know that they’re gonna have an experience. Let’s put the stress on the guests, and let’s sell tickets for a wedding,’” the bride recalled.
“I was like, ‘Babe, people aren’t going to come,’” Reemo said.
While people did come, the couple also received some criticism from their circle.
“‘I would never spend money on tickets.’ ‘I don’t care.’ ‘Who do you guys think you are? Jay-Z and Beyoncé?’” Nova recounted.
Social media users who saw the viral wedding also pushed back on the concept of a ticketed wedding.
“I think that’s incredibly selfish. You can have a really nice wedding without charging your guests over $300 to watch you get married,” wrote one commenter on a YouTube post.
“Who would pay for that pathetic money grab? Nobody has class or manners anymore,” said another.