Couple charges $2500 from wedding guests to fund their 'dream venue' wedding, sparking debate

Weddings can be an expensive affair. Hence, it is normal for people involved in the planning and preparation to look for ways to reduce the cost of the entire event. However, what this couple did to bring down the cost of their wedding is something not many would agree to. u/lemonkitty_ took to Reddit to share their 36-year-old friend Jack's story, who was charged a whopping £2,000 ($2,595) just to attend his friend's wedding.

In the post, the friend explained that Jack was invited to "the wedding of Sophie (35) and Jeff (36), in the UK. Jack is good friends with Jeff and has known him for a long time. The bride, Sophie, is from the US. Jack RSVP'd to the wedding and was delighted that his girlfriend had been invited too, although she didn't know the couple." "A few months later, Jack received an email that stated 'Thank you for RSVPing to our wedding, and thank you for helping us have the wedding of our dreams.' At the bottom of the email, Jack saw a link that said 'click here for payment,'" the friend further elaborated.

Initially, Jack thought the link was the couple's honeymoon fund and didn't click on it. However, when he revisited the email again a few days later, he was shocked to see that the link took him to a payment page that requested guests to pay an estimated £2,000 ($2,595) for attendance. "He assumed this must be a scam, so he called the wedding venue to let them know," the friend continued. "The venue then told him, 'Sophie and Jeff thank you for your contribution to enable them to have their dream wedding,'" the post read. After contemplating, Jack decided to "empty his savings" to pay the fee and attend the wedding with his girlfriend.

At the wedding, Jack was once again taken aback upon realizing that despite the huge fee they were charged to attend the wedding, the drinks were not included in the menu. Later, he encountered another hidden fee when he went to pay his bar bill. "The bill was £30 ($39.81), plus nearly £200 ($265.48)," the friend revealed. "He was then informed by the venue that the bride and groom had requested every guest be charged this amount as a tip for the venue," the post read.

After paying the attendance fee as well as his drinks bill, Jack had no money left, so he was forced to negotiate a lower tip with the venue. "After the wedding, Jack checked the cost of the venue and calculated that the cost had been spread amongst the guests but NOT the bride and groom, so they had basically got a free wedding out of it," the friend concluded. 

People took to the comment section and shared how preposterous the entire thing sounds. "Uh...Yeah, no. Once I saw the payment screen, I would have called and canceled my RSVP. I don't care who the bride and groom are to me. If you want a specific type of wedding, pay for it yourself. What they did was downright tacky," wrote u/SHarks_blade. "I would never, ever empty my savings for a scam couple like that. Damn," added u/Top-Bit85. "I am from a country where guests pay for weddings. That being said, it is all volunteered payment and if anyone asked me for money, I would say not give any. If no one asks for money, I will pay as the tradition calls," expressed u/one23456789098.