Marriage is a private celebration, usually witnessed by close family and friends. While some couples opt for intimate ceremonies, conveniently ignoring distant aunts and cousins whose phone numbers they don't even have, others charge strangers to join the festivities. They sell tickets to their weddings much like artists sell tickets to their concerts, and this practice is becoming increasingly popular.<\/p>\n
Considered the most beautiful day of a lifetime, even the culmination of a romance, a wedding is supposed to be a private affair. The guests have familiar faces, and even if, in the heat of the moment, the bride and groom forget a few names, they know everyone present. Moreover, the guests<\/a> are carefully selected and strategically placed on the seating plan based on compatibility.<\/p>\n Couples traditionally spend time poring over their contact lists and deciding who will be attending. However, a growing number of couples are breaking with this tradition and opening their weddings to strangers, in exchange for payment. This is called \u201cvendor sponsorship,\u201d a technical term that describes an unusual but particularly profitable<\/a> practice.<\/p>\n Now, strangers they've never met before can come as spectators and witness the union of a couple they know nothing about\u2014neither their relationship history nor their profession. To soften the financial blow of a wedding, which costs an average of \u20ac19,921<\/a> , couples sell tickets online as if their celebration were a mere pastime or leisure activity. These "mystery" guests, who come for the buffet but also to experience the warm atmosphere of the wedding, must pay a minimum of around \u20ac110 to pass through the flower-filled archway.<\/p>\n The idea isn't to end up with a troublemaker who raids the canap\u00e9s and steals the spotlight from the bride and groom. Nor is it to reenact scenes from the movie Project X amidst the white tablecloths and iridescent balloons. By selling tickets to their wedding, the main stars of the day are taking the risk of the celebration getting out of hand. In fiction, this kind of thing often goes wrong, but here it's all under control. How? Through the Invitin app.<\/p>\n On this platform, which connects couples with "surprise" guests, profiles undergo rigorous vetting. It's the same kind of check-up as on dating apps and, above all, a real guarantee of reliability. The app's founder, Katia Lekarski, also requires guests to sign a code of conduct. By signing it, these spontaneous guests, seeking human connection, promise respect and consideration.<\/p>\n In fact, the bride and groom have the final say and accept or decline the proposed profile. You can be sure you won't find yourself with a Mr. Bean-like figure around on your dream day. These emotional moments shouldn't become the scene of inappropriate jokes. In any case, the bride and groom are the big winners, since by hosting these ten pre-arranged guests, they can pocket "between 1,500 and 2,000 euros approximately," Katia explained in the pages of Ouest France<\/a> .<\/p>\n A wedding is synonymous with joy, good cheer, sharing, and conviviality. In an increasingly individualistic world, inviting strangers to one's wedding is a profoundly altruistic act, going beyond mere self-interest.<\/p>\n But why would ordinary people want to attend a wedding at random? It's not morbid curiosity, simply a reflection of a desire for belonging, a fun solution to a lack of interaction. "I have people writing to me saying they want to attend a wedding, meet people, be part of a ceremony, be able to go out, have fun," explains the founder of Invitin.<\/p>\n And if this practice sounds \u201cintrusive\u201d, it is not new. You yourself may have already been the \u201coutsider\u201d at a wedding and toasted to newlyweds who were friends of friends of other friends.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Marriage is a private celebration, usually witnessed by close family and friends. While some couples opt for intimate...","protected":false},"author":8340,"featured_media":430152,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6136],"tags":[97833,97333,97372],"class_list":["post-430150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mariage","tag-actu","tag-couple","tag-relation"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Faire-payer-inconnus-participer-mariage-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Faire-payer-inconnus-participer-mariage-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Faire-payer-inconnus-participer-mariage.jpg","author":{"name":"\u00c9milie Laurent","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cropped-2f5d8c00d5d5c27f8ce4d9b3f9015467-96x96.png"},"categories":[{"term_id":6136,"name":"Marriage","slug":"mariage","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":6308,"taxonomy":"category","description":" The Marriage section of The Body Optimist is for anyone planning a wedding or celebrating an anniversary: wedding dresses for every body type, outfits, hairstyles, planning and stories of ceremonies. It comes with one conviction: you celebrate your big day in the body you have, with no mandatory diet and no single model to follow.<\/p>\n The right wedding dress is the one you feel like yourself in, and your size doesn\u2019t change that. Before booking fittings, ask bridal shops what size range their sample gowns come in, so you\u2019re not stuck trying on dresses that are too small and held together with clips. Try several silhouettes: an empire waist, fitted under the bust and then flowing, gives you plenty of freedom to move; an A-line balances hips and shoulders; a mermaid gown highlights curves; a soft sheath moves with you as you walk. Think about lingerie, and about comfort when sitting and dancing. Start shopping several months ahead, since alterations often take several appointments. And nothing says you have to wear white, or even a dress.<\/p>\n For us, getting married is one choice among many: a civil partnership, living together without marrying or staying single are just as valid. When it comes to wedding prep, we reject the \u201cshedding for the wedding\u201d countdown so often pushed on brides-to-be: the dress gets altered to fit the body, not the other way around. Our articles feature brides of all sizes, couples from all walks of life and ceremonies that look like the people getting married.<\/p>\n Each anniversary has a traditional theme, usually a material that grows more precious over time: paper for the first year, cotton for the second, leather for the third, wood for the fifth, tin for the 10th, china for the 20th, silver for the 25th, pearl for the 30th, ruby for the 40th, gold for the 50th and diamond for the 60th. Lists vary by country, and modern versions exist.<\/p>\n No. Nothing requires you to change your body to get married, and crash diets before the big day can bring fatigue, stress and the yo-yo effect. It\u2019s better to choose a dress that fits your body as it is now and schedule a final fitting a few weeks before the ceremony. Sleep, regular meals and time to breathe will serve you far better.<\/p>\n All three can frame a shared life, but legal protections differ by type of union and by country. In many places, marriage gives spouses stronger rights in areas such as inheritance, survivor benefits or shared property, while other partnerships may offer fewer protections but can be ended more simply. Before deciding, check the laws where you live or ask a family law attorney.<\/p>\n Keep exploring: find all our sex and relationship topics<\/a>, everyday couple life in Love life<\/a>, and desire and pleasure, honeymoon included, in Sexuality<\/a>.<\/p>","parent":6135,"count":101,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":6136,"category_count":101,"category_description":" The Marriage section of The Body Optimist is for anyone planning a wedding or celebrating an anniversary: wedding dresses for every body type, outfits, hairstyles, planning and stories of ceremonies. It comes with one conviction: you celebrate your big day in the body you have, with no mandatory diet and no single model to follow.<\/p>\n The right wedding dress is the one you feel like yourself in, and your size doesn\u2019t change that. Before booking fittings, ask bridal shops what size range their sample gowns come in, so you\u2019re not stuck trying on dresses that are too small and held together with clips. Try several silhouettes: an empire waist, fitted under the bust and then flowing, gives you plenty of freedom to move; an A-line balances hips and shoulders; a mermaid gown highlights curves; a soft sheath moves with you as you walk. Think about lingerie, and about comfort when sitting and dancing. Start shopping several months ahead, since alterations often take several appointments. And nothing says you have to wear white, or even a dress.<\/p>\n For us, getting married is one choice among many: a civil partnership, living together without marrying or staying single are just as valid. When it comes to wedding prep, we reject the \u201cshedding for the wedding\u201d countdown so often pushed on brides-to-be: the dress gets altered to fit the body, not the other way around. Our articles feature brides of all sizes, couples from all walks of life and ceremonies that look like the people getting married.<\/p>\n Each anniversary has a traditional theme, usually a material that grows more precious over time: paper for the first year, cotton for the second, leather for the third, wood for the fifth, tin for the 10th, china for the 20th, silver for the 25th, pearl for the 30th, ruby for the 40th, gold for the 50th and diamond for the 60th. Lists vary by country, and modern versions exist.<\/p>\n No. Nothing requires you to change your body to get married, and crash diets before the big day can bring fatigue, stress and the yo-yo effect. It\u2019s better to choose a dress that fits your body as it is now and schedule a final fitting a few weeks before the ceremony. Sleep, regular meals and time to breathe will serve you far better.<\/p>\n All three can frame a shared life, but legal protections differ by type of union and by country. In many places, marriage gives spouses stronger rights in areas such as inheritance, survivor benefits or shared property, while other partnerships may offer fewer protections but can be ended more simply. Before deciding, check the laws where you live or ask a family law attorney.<\/p>\n Keep exploring: find all our sex and relationship topics<\/a>, everyday couple life in Love life<\/a>, and desire and pleasure, honeymoon included, in Sexuality<\/a>.<\/p>","cat_name":"Marriage","category_nicename":"mariage","category_parent":6135}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8340"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=430150"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":430154,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430150\/revisions\/430154"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/430152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=430150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=430150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=430150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} A platform dedicated to this type of practice<\/h2>\n
Creating social connections is another reason for this trend.<\/h2>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Marriage section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you choose a wedding dress for your body type?<\/h2>\n
Our approach<\/h2>\n
Where to start<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What are the traditional wedding anniversary gifts?<\/h3>\n
Do you need to lose weight before your wedding?<\/h3>\n
Marriage, civil union or living together: what\u2019s the difference?<\/h3>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Marriage section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you choose a wedding dress for your body type?<\/h2>\n
Our approach<\/h2>\n
Where to start<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What are the traditional wedding anniversary gifts?<\/h3>\n
Do you need to lose weight before your wedding?<\/h3>\n
Marriage, civil union or living together: what\u2019s the difference?<\/h3>\n