Charging £150-a-head to attend your wedding is doing guests a favour
Three cheers for the Rotherham couple who have decided to charge their guests to attend their wedding. I think it’s a fabulous idea and the perfect antidote to the big fat nuptial trend sweeping these isles.
Groom Ben Farina, 33, and bride Clare Moran, 37, have been together for six years. They want to tie the knot in style without the £30,000 price tag of a typical wedding, so they hit upon the notion of asking friends and family to pay £150 each (£50 for children).
For that, the guests will receive a lot of bang for their buck: rather than the usual boozy reception, a night of dancing and the mother of all hangovers, they will enjoy an all-inclusive three-day minibreak.
The happy couple have paid £10,000 to rent a cottage complex in Peak District, which became available at the last minute due to a cancellation. It
comes complete with spa, indoor swimming pool and a lake in the grounds. Food and drink will be included and, best of all, no gifts required.
To his great credit, it was the groom who drew up a “business model” even before he popped the question – to counter his fiancée’s inevitable protests that they couldn’t afford it.
I’m sure some churls will accuse them of being stingy, but I applaud the couple for not just being shrewd but thoughtful. So many invitations these days require overnight stays in posh hotels, air fares and deluxe hen and stag bashes that it’s touching to find them wanting to be so inclusive and spend time with the people they love.
A wedding is all about the bride and groom, but a marriage is about much more: the support of family, the safety net of friends, a sense not just of togetherness but of belonging.
These three days are an investment in people and I hope it reaps dividends. Oh, and if anyone can’t make it at the last minute, do let me know. I’d love a weekend away in the Peak District.