ELKHART, Ind. (WSBT) — A new way to tie the knot for couples in our area involves no planning — couples just show up and say their vows.
Instead of booking a venue, planning floral arrangements, and auditioning DJs, Andi Swanson with Andi Renee Studios designs a pre-packaged wedding ceremony for couples to enjoy for an hour and a half.
This pop-up style wedding is just a few notches above the Las Vegas style experience, giving couples a chance to celebrate with family and friends.
“So like in Vegas, they have their chapels where you can just go and get married, which is great. You have to pay for a plane ticket and then you can’t really take anybody with you. I mean, you can, but if they can make it. So this is a little bit more elevated, it’s a little bit more intimate, and you can have some of your closest people with you,” said Swanson.
The wedding planner and creator says the pop-up ceremony experience falls between the courthouse experience and an elaborate church ceremony.
The package includes a fully designed wedding venue, a photographer, DJ and sparkling grape juice to toast the bride and groom.
The space allows for up to 20 guests, although the couple can choose to upgrade to a maximum of 40 guests.
Any plans for a reception afterward is up to the wedding party.
The pop-up package starts at around $2,000, and bookings are often scheduled just weeks ahead of the wedding day.
“So, our pop-up weddings are fully designed, fully done for you. All you do is just come, show up dressed ready to go. Our pop-up weddings are designed for people who want something better than the courthouse, but not quite that $30,000 wedding. It’s just the ceremony. You come in, you say “I do,” we snap a few photos, we have a toast, and then we kind of send you on your way. And reception is all on you,” said Swanson.
The pop-up wedding is not the only package available through Andi Renee Studios.
For those looking for something a little bigger, there are weekday micro-weddings.
Where the pop-up sends everyone on their way right after the ceremony, the weekday micro-wedding makes more room for celebration with up to 50 guests and 5 hours of a full reception.
“I never know what they’re going to show up in. We’ve had people go full out, ball gown. We’ve had people like their dresses are beautiful. The gentlemen are in tux, some are in jeans. We’ve had brides in black dresses that are just stunning,” said Swanson.
And the venue book is growing with Niles, Elkhart, and South Bend all hosting the micro-weddings at buildings like The brick and the Crystal Ballroom.
Each year, one couple will get to have it all for free.
“What we do is we find one lucky couple, very deserving couple, and all my vendors kind of come together, venue, caterer, floral, DJ, everything. And it’s usually about a $20,000 wedding. It’s always during the week, it’s usually on a Wednesday. We haven’t announced it this year, but we will be announcing that real soon,” said Swanson.
Andi Renee Studios still has openings for this year. To book a pop-up ceremony or view a list of all the packages, pricing, and available dates, visit Andi Renee Studios’ website.
