French startup lets strangers buy entrance to someone else’s wedding

Here's a twist on traditional wedding celebrations that isn't about the food, the flowers or the venue: Paris-based Invitin allows couples to sell a limited number of wedding invitations to carefully selected strangers. The platform, founded by Katia Lekarski after a simple question from her five-year-old daughter ("Why are we never invited to weddings?") creates a marketplace where couples can offset wedding costs while offering outsiders access to authentic celebrations typically reserved for friends and family.

The model serves three distinct audiences: couples seeking to finance their events without asking their friends and family to contribute, individuals wanting to experience significant life moments, and wedding industry professionals looking to enhance their offerings. With a secure vetting system, couples maintain control over who attends while guests gain access to celebrations in various settings from châteaux to beaches. Attendance is priced at EUR 150 to 400 per person.

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Invitin sits at the intersection of experience economy, wedding financing solutions, and our collective hunger for authentic connection. While it remains to be seen whether large numbers of couples are ready to sell seats to their nuptials (and guests willing to pay to crash weddings), the concept taps into three significant societal shifts:

1. Emotional experience as a service
People are hungry for meaningful experiences. Invitin taps into a growing desire to feel something real, to belong to a moment larger than oneself, and to be part of stories instead of watching them on a screen. It mirrors the rise of 'emotional tourism' — think grief retreats, psychedelic ceremonies and silent monastery stays.

2. The monetization of intimacy
In the creator economy (and, more broadly, in this economy), everything is a potential source of income, even your wedding. Invitin reflects people's growing comfort with monetizing personal milestones, provided the transaction feels authentic and consensual.

3. Community without closeness
Modern loneliness has created a craving for connection, but not necessarily commitment. Invitin allows temporary togetherness, where strangers gather for joy without lifelong ties. This type of belonging-on-demand echoes ideas like friend-renting services in Japan or platonic cuddle parties in the US.