Save Money on “I Do’s” – All the Chain Restaurants to Get Married At
Some couples want the glam and glitz, while some want to take the unconventional and chill path for a wedding.
And who can blame them?
With the average cost of a wedding at $30,000* (which is pretty much a car), the most expensive place to marry is in Manhattan, NY, at $88,000 with Southern Florida taking second place at $51,000. The least expensive place? Mississippi at just under $13,000.
A large chunk of that cost goes to the reception venue so if you’re the type of couple that doesn’t want to deal with shelling out the equivalent of a car for a one-day affair, consider these chain brands around the world for a lower-key wedding.
Taco Bell
You’ve probably already heard of Taco Bell weddings when they hosted their Love and Tacos Contest in 2017 to award a lucky couple to be the first to wed at their Las Vegas flagship location. Since then, over 60 couples have wed there with reserved bookings already into 2020!
Their wedding package only costs $600 and includes a ceremony with an ordained officiant, a private reception area for up to 15 guests, custom merch, Taco 12 Pack, Cinnabon Delight cake, and a hot sauce bouquet!
At this point, the only Taco Bell to host wedding packages is in Las Vegas, NV so spend the weekend with your loved ones there!
Denny’s
Another Las Vegas option that’s not Elvis-related is having a wedding (or renewing vows) at the classic American diner-style restaurant and Grand Slam breakfast extraordinaire, Denny’s.
Their affordable wedding package is only $199 which includes use of the chapel, a photo booth, silk bouquet and boutonniere (the flower for the groom), Wedding Pancake Puppies Cake (basically cake pops but pancake), champagne toast, wedding t-shirts for the couple, and two Original Grand Slams for the next visit.
McDonald’s
The golden arches don’t officially have wedding packages in the United States but other countries have taken part in those vows.
For instance this UK wedding:
However, the only city where you can get officially married with McDonald’s wedding packages is in Hong Kong, which has become a hit with couples there.
Their basic “Happiness Party” package is only $383 USD that includes the venue for 2 hours, gifts for 20 guests (any McDonaldland figurine), McDonald’s food, 20 invites, a pair of tumblers, apple pie cake display, a party MC, and a choice between Chinese-style wedding decor or general hearts decor.
Packages can go up to a little over $1,000 depending on the number of guests and what other extras you choose. So if you want to profess your love inside a McDonald’s, head to Hong Kong and make it a honeymoon too!
Hard Rock Cafe
When you want both edgy and elegant, the Hard Rock Cafe has you covered.
They can accommodate both low-key or large parties up to 1,000 guests, and with many locations in the world, you can take your pick of the ambiance like city rooftops, tropical resorts, and straight on the beach.
Their venues list shows what each restaurant looks like along with the hotel and number of rooms. Prices vary depending on the location and number of guests but for example, the one in Orlando, FL starts at $3,781 for 50 guests. All inclusive-style weddings in destination locales like Punta Cana, Vallarta, or Cancun can go up to $4,500 for 32 guests.
Olive Garden
Little people know that Olive Garden was launched by General Mills in late 1982. Yup, the major consumer foods brand that markets cereals, Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Pillsbury, and more, decided to create an Italian chain famous for its unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks.
They already do wedding catering but have yet to host an actual wedding in their locations. It wouldn’t hurt to ask if they would be willing to host if you want to be the first couple to be wed there! Otherwise, having a backyard wedding with catering from Olive Garden is also affordable.
The Rainforest Cafe
When you want to have a tropical setting without the humidity (depending on the state), Rainforest Cafe can be your answer with 27 locations worldwide.
Apparently, their Orlando, FL location is the most popular!
Pizza Hut
While not a wedding, Pizza Hut did have an Engagement Party Proposal Package at one point that they may bring back for Valentine’s Day.
The $10,000 party included:
- Limo service
- A ruby engagement ring
- A bouquet of flowers.
- A personal fireworks display
- A professional photographer
- A professional videographer
- A Pizza Hut $10 Dinner Box
At that price point compared to the other venues, you might as well have the engagement party and wedding in one!
White Castle
It seems like chain or fast-food restaurants will launch a “contest” of some sort for a lucky couple to get married at their location, and then afterward more requests come in to keep it going.
This is what happened for White Castle, when the burger chain awarded one couple the ultimate “royal wedding” in Las Vegas, in addition to a 5-night honeymoon in Belgium to stay at a real castle.
Weddings are not restricted to just the Vegas location, as 75 other couples have married in various White Castles around the nation. They don’t offer any visible packages online so here’s how to contact them for more information.
Dunkin’
Dunkin’ Donuts held an early Valentine’s Day popup in Vegas at the Sure Thing Chapel where the first 100 couples got a donut bouquet and a free wedding saving them the typical $450.
They could be bringing that back for next Valentine’s! We’ll update this post if they do. There have also been couples that married outside of various Dunkin’ locations along with having wedding cakes made entirely of donuts!
Costco
With their favorite date spots being Costco, Margot Schein and Julian Parris felt it was only appropriate to say “I do” in one as well since it was their first date location.
They also mixed in their other love, Harry Potter, with the bride wearing her Gryffindor House colors while carrying a paper flower bouquet made from the pages of the novel, and the groom sporting his house, Ravenclaw, colors.
The couple was presented with their own personalized Costco name tags and said “everything was perfect from start to finish.”
While Costco has almost everything wedding-related they don’t regularly host ceremonies inside the store that often. They seem to make exceptions though so contact them if you want your love to be officially declared in a Costco!
Domino’s
If you’re the type of couple that would rather get pizza than kitchen knick-knacks you’ll never use, consider setting up a registry at Domino’s!
“Our registry aims to bring couples together over their shared love of pizza,” spokeswoman Jenny Fouracre said. “We hear often from customers that Domino’s was a part of their big day, from proposals to after-hours meals at their wedding. We wanted to make it easier for people to ask for and receive something that they’ll really use.”
Read More: The 10 Best Free Food Apps You Should Have On Your Phone
Sources:
ValuePenguin by Lending Tree
The Daily Meal
Delish
Fox News
Eater
