Fast food restaurants may not be seen as inherently romantic, but one popular chain continues to prove it’s got a place in the wedding industry. In fact, it’s convinced a lot of couples to say “yo quiero” in addition to “I do.”
Last February, Taco Bell announced that it would offer the option of hosting weddings at its Las Vegas flagship Cantina location. At the time, it seemed more like a kooky marketing stunt to promote the two-story store on the Strip, complete with alcoholic drinks and themed merchandise. But it now looks like couples actually want to tie the knot there. Although 33% of weddings take place in a religious institution, Taco Bell might as well be a house of worship for many young people. In fact, the Las Vegas Cantina location has welcomed 60 couples to make their partnerships official in the last year. Throughout 2017, the restaurant hosted an average of more than one wedding per week. They’ve got another 25 in the works already over the next year. One couple traveled all the way from China just to be married at the Cantina.
It’s an outcome that has surprised even the higher-ups at the company. Even though Americans consume over 4 billion tacos every year, Taco Bell chief brand officer Marisa Thalberg expressed in a statement that the popularity of their wedding option wasn’t totally expected.
Thalberg noted, “The idea of enabling some of our most fervent and creative fans to express their love (for each other and tacos) with a Taco Bell wedding was certainly our idea of matrimonial bliss. However, the desire we have witnessed this year for Taco Bell wedding has exceeded all our expectations.”
When you choose to get married at Taco Bell, you’ll receive a sauce packet bouquet, a wedding cake made of Cinnabon Delights, a bunch of fun wedding swag, and 12 tacos. Of course, heading to Vegas just to get hitched in a fast food restaurant might be a little out there for some tastes. Instead of taking one of the more than 130,000 limos currently in operation over to the Sunset Strip, you can instead use Taco Bell branding to bring the heat when you walk down the aisle.
That’s right: you can bring Taco Bell to you with some delightfully kitschy wedding merch. Although 76% of Millennials say they’d rather spend money on experiences than on material things, there’s nothing quite as special as a sauce packet print bow tie and matching wedding garter, a “Just Married” champagne flute set, and a themed “Mr.” and “Mrs.” tee-and-tank set. The items are actually pretty affordable, which might make it possible to share your love for each other and your love of tacos without breaking the bank. And if that doesn’t satisfy your hunger, you could always go through the drive-thru for some crunch wrap supremes after the ceremony’s over.
If getting hitched with a chalupa in hand doesn’t exactly appeal to you, never fear. In addition to wedding-themed products, the Taco Bell shop has a number of fun accessories and clothing items to appeal to the most Mexican-food-obsessed consumers.
For those who truly want to Live Mas, you can reserve your Taco Bell wedding through the chain’s website. If your ideal scenario includes crossing both nachos and nuptials off your list at the same time, you might want to think outside the bun and book your reservation fast!
Top Photo Courtesy Taco Bell.
