PYMNTS-MonitorEdge-May-2024

Destination Wedding At … Taco Bell?

Going to the chapel … or maybe not. It turns out that more people are getting married at fast-food restaurants.

While it’s not necessarily out of the ordinary, as people have gotten married at fast food places before, there are now chains encouraging the practice and luring couples in with wedding packages. Given that the average wedding can run upwards of $35,329, give or take, getting hitched at the local McDonald’s may be the more economically sound option.

Many of those young 20- and 30-somethings planning to get married may already be saddled with debt from their college days. For example, we reported that tuition at NYU today costs students $66,000 per year, whereas it cost baby boomers $1,800. On top of this, around 75 million millennials entered adulthood during the 2008 recession. Because of these two options, millennials are putting off buying homes and living with their parents post-collegiate days. As such, it’s no wonder that millennials may not be able to afford a lavish weddings and may be considering a less expensive route.

Among the fast-food chains that offer wedding-related services, Taco Bell on the Las Vegas strip costs just $600 to tie the knot, while pizza giant Domino’s Pizza is offering up a wedding registry for post-nuptial snacks. And while White Castle holds contests across the country to win the chance to get married at one of its locations, McDonald’s Hong Kong location has a full wedding program.

So whether couples want to have a fourth meal at Taco Bell or they’re loving it at McDonald’s, it seems there’s a fast-food destination wedding venue for all tastes.

PYMNTS-MonitorEdge-May-2024