While the covid-19 pandemic has forced many couples around the world to postpone their weddings, in the United States a wave of mobile chapels are hitting the roads to replace churches, temples and town halls. Caravans and even tiny houses, in the form of miniature places of worship, are literally taking to the road to go to the lovers for a celebration of their union.
Get married in a mobile chapel? Why not? It's an inventive solution that some Americans have come up with in order to get married despite the restrictions that have been put in place due to the pandemic.
Picture, if you will, various unusual vehicles driving the roads serving as small mobile chapels -- sometimes they take the form of camper vans, sometimes tiny houses -- and pulling up to marry couples at home or close to home. There's no need to travel anymore since the church comes directly to them. What could be more efficient? "Onetime, a couple saw us coming down the Pennsylvania Turnpike, my phone goes off and they said, 'We're driving down the turnpike and saw your chapel and we'd love to have you marry us,'" Bil Malbon, the owner of Tiny Chapel Weddings, based in Ashland, Virginia, told the New York Times.
Big love, small chapel
Malbon notes that since the onset of the pandemic his services have become even more coveted as couples have looked for creative ways to reduce the number of guests, due to the pandemic. In his mobile chapel, Bil Malbon can accommodate a maximum of 20 people. Couples interested in a mobile wedding, whether it's a traditional religious ceremony or a party, have many options open to them. The bonus is unforgettable photos that would make any wedding planner on Pinterest green with envy.
He offers several "Chapel to go" packages. The first starts at $650 for a 3-hour time slot within a 60-mile radius around Richmond. The second one extends the perimeter to the state of Virginia for $1200. Finally, for $1600, Tiny Chapel Weddings will travel anywhere in the United States.
Pop-up weddings
Other mini-chapels have also positioned themselves to serve this niche market. Such as Flora Pop's adorable little message trailer. The company claims to be the first to offer "pop-up" weddings in the desert (as in the photos taken in the desert of Nevada near Las Vegas), on a rooftop or even in the street.
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Meanwhile, the "Best Wedding Chapel" was recognized as the fastest in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. The 1942 American LaFrance fire truck was given a $100,000 makeover as part of the US TV show "Trick My Truck." The chapel now has stained glass windows, an altar, two wooden pews and even... an organ.
For those who still aren't convinced by these mobile union sites, head to Seattle where a shipping container painted in pink hosts ceremonies performed by Elvis himself! Or almost. Because when you get married in the United States, it's for better or for worse, but with style.
