CLEVELAND — Weddings can be hectic — and expensive.
Now, a trendy concept that’s gained international appeal is coming to Northeast Ohio — pop-up weddings.
The company is called Haus of Cool, run by Kattie Cool (yes, that’s her real name), and it hopes to remove some of the chaos and stress surrounding wedding planning.
“This is an easy, friendly, fun way — a spontaneous way — to just get married and celebrate why you’re getting married in the first place,” Cool said.
Think elopement — but with more pizzazz.
The “pop-up wedding” experience works like this: You get to choose the date, time, and your dress — and that’s pretty much it. You invite 20 of your closest family and friends to a location chosen by Cool, and she handles the decor, photographer, officiant, and everything else needed for an intimate and styled ceremony.
Several couples will be getting married at the same location on the same day, but hours apart, Cool explained, cutting down on the overall cost.
If you choose to have a big reception after or take your family and friends for dinner, that’s on you. Cool’s ceremony packages run from $2,500 to $4,500.
“I’m not going to say it is a one-size-fits-all but it kind of is. Because it can work for everybody. you just have to let go and let Kattie,” she said, laughing.
For Katie Price, the pop-up wedding was exactly what she needed.
“I had no idea something like that existed or I would’ve done it a long time ago,” Price said.
You see, Katie and her fiancé Dan got engaged in April of 2017 and planned for a wedding in the fall of 2019.
But in February 2018, Katie was diagnosed with advanced stage cancer. Wedding planning was put on hold as all of the focus shifted to just getting better.
Her scans came back clear in August 2018, and the wedding was back on. The couple chose a venue and a date, planned to have more than 300 guests.
“I was well over $30,000 and that was a budget wedding,” Katie said. “I was trying to do a lot of it myself and cut corners anywhere I could.”
Then, life happened again.
In February 2019, Katie’s mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
“It was just a big punch in the gut,” Katie said. “At that point in time, it was like, who even cares about any of this? So I canceled it [the wedding]. I didn’t say anything to anyone, I didn’t say anything to my fiance. I was just like, I’ve had enough. Life is too crazy and I canceled it.”
Soon after, Katie found Haus of Cool one night on social media — and all the pieces fell into place.
Katie and her fiance are now getting married in a pop-up wedding with a couple dozen of her closest family and friends on July 27.
“For the first time in a really long time, I’m actually happy about getting married again and that was lost for so long,” Katie said. “Every girl dreams about that day and I have that back.”
Haus of Cool’s first pop-up wedding is taking place on an alpaca farm. Each location will be different, Cool said, and brides are given several “themes” to choose from, like elegant or bohemian.
“The only thing my brides have to do is simply celebrate,” Cool said.
