Courtney McKenzie and her fiance, Jamil Newell, are under no illusion about the high cost of a destination wedding, so the couple have come up with a creative way to cover the expense: have corporations sponsor it.
The Orlando, Fla., couple are all set to wed in December and are hoping that they get enough sponsors to cover the $30,000 it will take for them to marry in Thailand. In exchange for donations, they are willing to have corporate logos attached to both the groom’s tuxedo and the bride’s wedding dress, according to the Sponsor Our Wedding website they launched last week, the New York Daily News reports.
Corporate signage can cost anywhere from $500 to $5,000, but placement on the bride's wedding dress and honeymoon bikini will require a call for special pricing consideration.
McKenzie, a digital media consultant and former beauty queen, told the Daily News that the idea hit her in the middle of the night, and after she had a brief talk with her soon-to-be husband, they decided why not.
"We're still going to get married either way," she told the Daily News. "It was one of those things that we just wanted to see if it worked."
According to BuzzFeed, the couple has had steady fundraising inquires, including from a few Fortune 500 companies looking for ad space.
"We have a few Fortune 500 companies who have reached out to us, which is exactly what we wanted, as well as smaller companies like GlamHotlist, who are sponsoring my entire wedding and honeymoon wardrobe," McKenzie told the Daily Mail Online.
They already have accommodations during their stay in Thailand squared away, thanks to a hotel, and another company has agreed to kick in wedding bands, although McKenzie was quick to note that Newell paid for the engagement ring, the Daily News notes.
The couple plan to spend 11 days in Thailand and according to the website will be "hashtagging, tweeting and Instagramming our way through Thailand to our over 30,000 combined social media followers, and we want to include some of our favorite brands on our adventure."
According to the Daily News, the couple also plan to donate a portion of the proceeds to their favorite charities.
They realize that taking an unconventional wedding path isn't best for everyone and have noted that they have received their fair share of criticism for their approach, but they are taking it all in stride.
"We've received lots of emails from brides and grooms who would love to do the same thing," McKenzie told the Daily Mail. "It may not be for you, and we understand people can be resistant to change, but it's our wedding and we are doing it our way, which is how every wedding should be."