I do… Whatever the audience says! The Edinburgh Fringe show letting strangers plan live, legitimate weddings

Research suggests that the average couple spends between 12 and 24 months planning a wedding.

From finding the perfect venue, to slimming down the guest list, and deciding what to wear, what music to play and which napkins to use, there are countless decisions to be made.

But in One Hour Wedding, Roz Pappalardo and Rachel Terry are taking all of that choice away from 30-or-so happy couples and making them really commit to one of the biggest decisions of their life: to tie the knot. The venue is Friesian at Underbelly at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the guest list is anybody paying £14 for a ticket, and these strangers will be the people making every other choice for the next hour.

Pappalardo says: “It is like a choose your own adventure within an A, B, or C structure,” explaining that the audience will – through song – be presented with wedding dress options, bouquets (Terry used to be a florist), backdrops, songs… everything really, down to the cups the fizz is served in and even who the Best Man is. Everything will be taken out of the couple’s hands and decided by the guests over the course of 40 minutes or so, saving time for the legal bit. “Which obviously has to be legit.”

And it will be. At the end of the hour, the couple, provided they have given all required notice and the ceremony is without a hitch, will be legally married. In Australia, Pappalardo can marry couples (she gained her certificate in order to marry two of her friends), but in Edinburgh, there will be a local humanist celebrant who makes it legally binding. A Fringe regular, he’s part of the fun and lives just a ten-minute stroll away from the venue. We joke he’s on an hourly rate.

As for the vows, the audience will contribute their own suggestions into a “wishing well” which the couple will then choose and commit to. But, there is an opportunity for the pair to personalise their wedding too, by giving speeches if they choose to.

The idea is for Pappalardo and Terry to take all of the pressure off the couple’s shoulders and find unfiltered joy in union. Not only is the show perfect for those wishing to do away with the idea of planning – as a fellow August bride who is in the thick of it, this is sounding more and more appealing – but also for those wanting to share and celebrate their love while avoiding any unwelcome family politics or drama. It could be treated like an elopement. Or, family and friends can buy tickets to support their loved ones.

“On a more serious level, [the show] puts those choices in a really interesting box. Because at the end of the day, you’ve made the most important choice, haven’t you? You’re marrying this person,” Pappalardo says, “And does it really matter 20 years down the road what shoes you wore?”

Terry, who has just celebrated her 25th wedding anniversary, adds: “Those things that you stressed about, you just go, ‘oh my God, they’re so like irrelevant now’, compared to the journey you go on together as a couple and all the adversity.”

Being a part of such a monumental event isn’t something that the pair take lightly, despite the initial silliness of the show. Both have been bridesmaids for friends, Terry is in a long-term marriage, and between them they have worked as theatre directors, musicians, programmers, MCs and more. The idea snowballed enthusiastically from the start of the year: “We started discussing it and thought it all sounded ridiculous. But because we are both artists at heart, it’s much more exciting for us to turn it into a show than a legit wedding business.”

If there were any mishaps, like objections or cold feet, for example, Terry laughs: “We can pivot if we need to!” You’d likely assume this means some quick-thinking improv, but it could also see Pappalardo take centre stage. “I’m a single chicken, so I’m looking for some fun. I can be a stand-in at any given moment,” she laughs.

While the happy couple will have significantly less to worry about on the build-up to their big day, they will have quite a long day before they exchange vows. The show is running at 9:50pm, and it adds a Las Vegas air to proceedings. Terry says: “It’s a beautiful time in Edinburgh, the light is just beautiful. Then afterwards we can all go out together. We can go somewhere, we eat somewhere, and then go and dance somewhere afterwards.” Roz suggests whisky and promises to raise a toast to each couple on their anniversary each year.

The duo are keen to celebrate all types of unions, open to accepting practice runs and vow renewals as well as weddings. Couples will be supported from declaring their interest, with video calls in the lead-up and a meeting on the big day. For anybody interested, they are advised to reach out to R&R Productions via the website or social media and save a preferred date between 5 and 23 August ahead of an online meeting. Once that is done, the required documents should be filled out (there is a nominal cost), and Edinburgh registrars should be contacted. Before the wedding, the marriage schedule should be collected from the registrar’s office. After that, it’s time to get married with the audience making all of the non-legal decisions, and the celebrant will help to lodge the paperwork post-show.

It’s as easy as A B C!