Is a pop-up wedding right for you? Louisville company says ‘yes’
Pop-Up weddings are different than eloping or skipping off to get hitched in Las Vegas. They are small, intimate events taking place in unique locations supervised by a wedding coordinator for a fraction of the traditional cost of a wedding. Kathryn Gregory/Courier-Journal/USA TODAY Network/Wochit
If you haven’t heard of pop-up weddings, you will.
Across the country, couples are ditching the idea of the traditional elaborate, expensive affairs and choosing to tie-the-knot with a less stressful, less expensive, less time-consuming ceremony.
Pop-up weddings are different than eloping or skipping off to get hitched in Las Vegas. They are small, intimate events taking place in unique locations supervised by a wedding coordinator for a fraction of the traditional cost of a wedding.
According to a study of 13,000 brides nationwide, The Knot.com found the average cost of a wedding ceremony and reception in 2016 was $13,329. Yikes!
“We hear from a lot of millennials who don’t want to spend thousand of dollars and a year or more planning a wedding like their parents did,” said Krista Embry, co-owner of Crown The Day, a pop-up wedding business right here in Louisville.
“They tell me they want something special, small and prefer to use their money on a great honeymoon or a down payment on a house,” Embry said of the budding trend.
The couples interested in pop-up weddings aren’t the type who care about photo booths, flash mob dances or matching bridesmaid dresses.
What they do want are a few special friends and family at their side, wearing whatever they want, and for the ceremony to take place in a special location.
Embry’s scaled down, boutique style weddings are held at various locations throughout Louisville and Southern Indiana.
From the serene banks of the Ohio River to an edgier venue like The Baxter Avenue Morgue (Zombie makeup can be included) to outdoor music festivals, there’s something to appeal to everyone.
Crown The Day offers wedding packages for $795. The price includes a unique venue, officiant, flowers, cake (or cupcakes), a livestream of the ceremony to Facebook, unity sand ceremony (couple combines two colors of sand into one vessel), a wedding coordinator, a celebration toast and photographs.
For $350, Embry offers a similar service (minus the celebration toast, flowers, and cake) for couples who wish to renew their wedding vows.
By visiting the website, interested couples will find a list of the venues where ceremonies are offered and the day when the weddings or vow renews will take place there.
“Each wedding takes about 45 minutes and is conducted back to back to the next one, but this is not a mass wedding situation,” Embry said. “The ceremony is individual and special – we take care of everything – so all a couple needs to do is show up with their marriage license.”
Embry is currently booking ceremonies and plans to include more venues options, dates and services in the future.
In the meantime, to help spread the word and educate people on what a pop-up wedding is all about, Embry is offering free weddings and vow renewals this week at Abbey Road on The River, Thursday, May 25 to Monday, May 29.
If you are ready to tie-the-knot or renew, simply show up at the Crown The Day booth in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
“It won’t be hard to find us. We’ll be the booth covered with flowers,” Embry said.
Three couples have already signed up to renew their wedding vows but Embry said you can also walk up and get hitched this week.
Free ceremonies will also be available to members of the military on the Fourth of July and Veterans Day.
Another affordable option for those wishing to get hitched this spring is the Portland Wedding Weekend, June 10 and 11. The Portland community is hosting a weekend of affordable weddings at the newly-reopened church at 2718 Lytle St.
Celebrations will be conducted throughout the day and into the evening on Saturday and Sunday. Turn-key wedding packages start at $20 per guest and include the chapel, decorations, catered meal, soft drinks, wedding favors, and cake.
For more information, contact Brianne Miller at 502-396-5882 or email portlandeight@yahoo.com.
If you are ready for a unique and personal way to say “I do” or “I do again” at a fraction of the cost of a traditional ceremony, a pop-up wedding or vow renewal may be the perfect solution to celebrate your union with the person you love.
Reach Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.
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