McDonald's Weddings Have Been A Match Made In Heaven For A Long Time

When some couples start off their lives together, they want a big blowout wedding on a beach in Hawaii or a cathedral in Manhattan followed by champagne, lobster, and foie gras for their 500 nearest and dearest. Other would-be-weds, more down-to-earth or budget-minded, prefer to get hitched in a place where they can then hold a pretty low-key reception: their favorite fast-food restaurant. You can tie the knot at Taco Bell, plight your troth at Pizza Hut, kiss the bride at KFC, or (as you've no doubt guessed from the title) make your vows at Mickey D's.

In fact, should you choose this last-named option, you'll be following in the footsteps of countless couples who've started their lives together under the Golden Arches. One such couple, a pair of crazy kids from Cleveland, recently celebrated the 45^th anniversary of the day they said "I do" at a McDonald's where the groom was the manager. Their son wrote a viral blog post about his parents' sweet 1978 ceremony and, as a result, the couple was even featured in a McDonald's commercial. As this commercial highlighted a number of different weddings that have taken place in this burger basilica over the past few decades, McMarriage, it seems, is no new thing.

Perhaps McDonald's has more cachet abroad, or maybe it's because the theme is seen as cute or funny, or it could just be that the chain's much cheaper than a traditional wedding venue, but for whatever reason, Mickey D's weddings seem to be quite the thing in certain Asian countries. McDonald's Hong Kong has been promoting itself for over a decade as a low-budget wedding option, offering in-house catering (burgers, fries, and apple pies), wedding photos, and even gifts for 50 guests. Indonesia, too, offers a poultry-centric package that will allow a couple to feed 100 wedding guests on the cheap with discounted McChickens and McNuggets.

In Sweden and also in Canada, people have gotten married in Mickey D's drive-thrus, something that has a certain appeal in this germ-conscious post-pandemic era. In England, too, people are taking advantage of newly-reformed marriage laws that now permit weddings in non-traditional locations including McDonald's. McDonald's in Australia has gotten into the wedding catering business, allowing 100 guests to eat for $350 AUD (under $250 in U.S. currency) and offering a choice of cheeseburgers with chicken tenders or McChickens with McNuggets. One bride in Singapore also had McNuggets at her wedding, but hers came in a more unique form: a one-of-a-kind bouquet sent by the restaurant in response to a wedding invite she'd sent. While McBouquets are not yet on the menu, DIYers take note: McNugget wedding accessories are practical as well as eye-catching.