{
  "id": 15713945,
  "title": "Strangers are paying up to $150 for empty seats at weddings all because one couple ran out of date-night ideas—20,000 people have signed up",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/strangers-are-paying-up-to-150-for-empty-seats-at-weddings-all",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-20T07:04:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/10/20/wedding-crashers-guests-attend-weddings/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Jeff and Karina Besen, a couple married for 19 years, found themselves without creative date night ideas. One evening, Jeff suggested they attend a wedding together, an idea initially met with skepticism. The Besens decided to create a platform to connect couples needing extra seating at their weddings with verified guests willing to pay a fee. Launched in mid-March, 'Not a Wedding Crasher' allows couples to list unused wedding seats, ranging from one to 60, with prices from $25 to $150. After reviewing the listings, guests request seats and provide personal notes. The Besens approve requests before revealing the venue details to the guests. The platform charges a 20% platform fee and a nominal service fee to guests. Since its inception, over 20,000 people have signed up, with approximately 1,000 guests attending around 60 weddings. The site's growth has been driven by social media, with the Besens creating promotional videos for each new listing. Strangers from across the country have attended weddings through the platform, sometimes forming new friendships along the way.",
  "summary": "San Diego couple Jeff and Karina Besen have been married 19 years. They built Not a Wedding Crasher after running out of date night ideas.",
  "key_points": [
    "Jeff and Karina Besen created platform to connect couples needing extra wedding seats",
    "Platform allows listing unused seats from 1 to 60, priced $25 to $150",
    "Over 20,000 people signed up, 1,000 guests attended 60 weddings since launch"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Monetizing unused wedding seating transforms surplus event capacity into a social marketplace that provides couples with extra revenue while offering strangers unique, paid experiences.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}