When Steve proposed to Marley on January 1, 2025, on an ice rink in Boise, Idaho, surrounded by their family and friends, the pair got straight to planning their special day.
But, after discovering the cost of weddings, an average of $35,000 in the US and £23,700 in the UK, the couple made the unconventional decision to charge guests to attend their nuptials.
The idea initially began as a joke, but they warmed up to the idea when they realised they’d be able to have the party they wanted.
In fact, the tickets were publicly available online and the bride announced on TikTok that anyone could pay to attend if they wished – even strangers.
Marley Jaxx, 34, and her husband Steve Larsen, 37, gave guests the option of paying £42 each to attend the actual wedding day, or £735 for a three-day experience.
This included the wedding, a charity rehearsal dinner and a biohacking day which involved health experts, electrolyte and red light treatments, and breath work – followed by a recovery lounge.
‘We decided to charge because we started making a big list of everyone who we wanted to come, we were paying per head, and wanted a big party but the cost kept getting higher and higher,’ Steve, an entrepreneur from Boise, explains.
‘We said instead of people getting us a gift, or donating to a honeymoon fund – pay for your meal, and you can come party with us. For us, it was all about doing a different way of doing things, and changing how people think about weddings.’
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Marley, also an entrepreneur, says that their decision to charge people to celebrate was met with some raised eyebrows.
‘Most people got it. Of course there were people who did a double take and were like “wait, what?”,’ she adds.
‘One friend of mine didn’t like it, and he didn’t hold back either. We debated it, and in the end, he said he understood. Other responses we had were from people saying that if we can’t afford a big wedding, then don’t do it.
‘It was never about what we could afford.’
Despite initial hesitations, 300 guests attended, covering the £36,894 cost of the shindig, which took place on August 1.
The celebrations featured brass players, an outside ceremony, a three tier cake and fire displays.
‘The people who were at the wedding wanted to be there,’ Marley says. ‘Guests were commenting on how peaceful it was. It changed the feeling of the wedding.
‘I thought it would be stressful, but it was peaceful. One of the guests said when people get a wedding invitation, there is an obligation to go.
‘But when you choose to pay, it is a different feeling – it shows how much they appreciate you.’
The newlyweds also managed to raise £97,807 to be donated to the charity Village Impact, which provides community-led education, leadership, and economic opportunities in Kenya.
The couple say the opportunities for guests to donate were through bracelets made by kids in Kenya, a silent auction with art from Ugandan artists, and even a few guests committing to join them on their trip to Africa to build the school in July 2026.
Marley and Steve says they’re ‘thrilled’ with how the wedding went.
Despite the backlash on social media, Marley said they were ‘frugal’ for their wedding.
Marley said: ‘I hope that any bride can say that there was nothing they wanted to change about their wedding day. We had family who travelled from all over, our three daughters did public speaking, which we were super proud of.
‘Everyone was dancing, we had such a great time.’
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