A Parisian couple are the first to use an app allowing guests to buy a seat at their wedding, with tickets priced at €150. Jennifer, 48, and Paulo, 50, will marry later this month at a country manor east of Paris, alongside 80 friends and family, plus five paying strangers.
The startup, Invitin, founded by Katia Lekarski earlier this year, matches couples with paying guests to help cover wedding costs. Jennifer said the money is a small contribution but the idea appealed to her and Paulo as extroverts. They vetted the strangers' profiles before accepting them.
The paying guests will attend the entire day, including the ceremony, drinks, dinner, and dancing, adhering to a 'chic and elegant' dress code. Laurène, a toymaker attending with her husband, said she was excited to experience a wedding and its traditions, as she does not have a large family.
Lekarski said six weddings are planned so far, mainly in the Paris area. She was inspired by her daughter's question about why they were not invited to weddings. The company takes a commission, similar to other apps that connect strangers for shared experiences.
