Forget about onion rings and burger rings, Canberra. You can now pick up a gold ring at your very own drive-through wedding.
I Do Drive Thru, a start-up offering couples affordable, socially distanced drive-through weddings, has launched today in capital.
The quirky concept was conceived by Melbourne celebrant Mel Jacob to keep working under the current social distancing and public gathering restrictions.
Co-founders, Klara McMurray, Zena Lythgo and Kate Morgan – all practicing celebrants too – helped Ms Jacob get the business up and running quickly, having kicked off in Melbourne a month ago.
Ms Jacob said that even in times of uncertainty, love still exists and people still need to celebrate.
“Imagine looking back on COVID 2020 with the fond memory of getting married in this unique way, then having the big celebration with family and friends to look forward to, down the track.”
Adhering to the current five-person maximum wedding ceremony restrictions, the drive-through weddings allow couples can pick a site anywhere in Canberra, be it the picturesque Arboretum, Mount Ainslie Lookout, Kurrajong Point, or their own driveway.
Couples arrive either separately or together in one car, the celebrant then does the legals, rings are exchanged, the couple is asked ‘would you like vows with that’, the first kiss as a married couple takes place, and then everyone – except the happy couple – goes their separate ways.
“Basically anywhere you can pull up a car, we can get you married,” Canberra celebrant Amelia Haddock told Canberra Daily.
Ms Haddock and fellow local celebrant Pat Coelho comprise the Canberra team.
They were approached by Ms Jacob to help keep love in the air while big-scale ceremonies are off the cards.
On their Canberra launch day, Mr Coehlo said they’ve already received a number of enquiries, with the company currently experiencing enormous demand nationally.
Ms Haddock said the COVID-19 restrictions have thrown the wedding industry and all its clients into a massive tailspin, shaking up everyone’s plans.
“For me, it’s as much about being connected to weddings right now. All of my couples have postponed for at least six or 12 months, so I was a bit sad I’ve got to say.
“This opportunity, it’s very different from my normal celebrancy style, I usually do the big weddings, but this is just a little bit left of centre, it’s quirky, it’s fun, and I couldn’t say no to the people involved.”
For those wanting to go get hitched on a whim Vegas style, that’s not possible in Australia.
“If you’re looking to get legally hitched, you’ll need to complete a notice of intended marriage form, and then one month later we can make you married,” she said.
A commitment ceremony or renewing one’s vows can, however, be arranged in a day.
“Even though it is a short and sweet type ceremony, there’s no reason why we can’t bring a bit of that Vegas vibe, and just have a bit of fun with it,” Ms Haddock said.
With an average Australian wedding reported to cost in excess of $50,000, I Do Drive Thru packages start from $400, meaning you no longer have to put down a house deposit to get hitched.
“There are a lot of couples who want to spend that money in other ways, and we don’t judge, any kind of wedding is a great wedding as far as we’re concerned,” Ms Haddock said.
“This is a really viable option and could be post-COVID for a lot of couples who don’t want a huge hoo-ha.”
To find out more, head to their website, or visit their Instagram @idodrivethruweddings.
