While the average UK wedding costs £17,000, you don't need to spend tens of thousands to make the day special, as this can be achieved on a budget too. But one groom has been accused of taking his money-saving tactics too far after making his guests pay an entry fee to attend his wedding that will take place 'in a canyon'. He also made them bring their own camping chairs to sit on as they watch him and his wife-to-be exchange vows.
The 23-year-old explained: "My fiancé and I are getting married. We are doing a small wedding and only inviting 20 guests. We decided we wanted to have our wedding up in a canyon, but to access this canyon it costs $10 (£8.24) so we're having our guests pay the $10 to enter the canyon.
"We put this canyon fee on our invitations. My sister called today as she had just received her invite in the mail and was mad about having to pay to attend a wedding.
"She called me an a***hole because I was being a cheapskate and there are thousands of canyons that don't have a fee."
He tried to explain how he and his 23-year-old fiancé have their hearts set on this specific canyon view - and hoped their loved ones would support this.
"As the argument went on she started to nit pick our whole wedding plan, he added on Reddit.
"[Such as] having the guests bring their own camping chairs, not having a real reception just a small dinner for those who attended and posting our registry all over social media but only having 20 people actually be invited."
When trying to defend their decision, he says he picked an outdoor wedding to help keep the costs down because they don't have the money to spend on a lavish event.
He said: "We also just want our close intimate friends and families to be there so I don't know what's wrong with keeping it small.
"To those who will ask it's a canyon fee you have to pay at the base so it's not like we could just pay the park rangers in advanced and just say this should cover it."
While most users agreed they wouldn't be too bothered about having to pay $10 to attend the wedding, others slammed them for sharing their gift list to friends on social media who aren't even invited to the wedding.
One user said: "I was trying to be open minded but you lost me at posting your registry on social media, soliciting gifts from people who aren’t invited - that is tacky.
"This canyon is clearly not meant to be a wedding venue. The least you can do is pay for people’s entrance fees."
Another user added: "I have to admit that I was OK with the entrance fee. Although tacky, it's not really an a***hole move.
"He could have reimbursed people at the reception if there was truly no other way to prepay.
"The camping chairs - it seems weird, but whatever. He knows his guests and if they are all the camping type, then it's not a huge deal."
"Blasting on social media that you're getting married and expecting people who aren’t invited to buy you a gift, though, is really bad.
A third user said: "I'm not sure which is worst -$10 entry fee, BYO-chair, or getting the registry over social media and not being invited to the wedding."
Do you have a strange story to share? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.
