60 People Got Married at a McDonald's Drive-Thru in Sweden

The pandemic put a damper on thousands of couples eager to get married. And when things reopened, the waiting period for a civil ceremony in Sweden became the opposite of quick and easy.

One Saturday in August, a McDonald’s in Nacka opened its drive-thru, Vegas-style, married a whopping 60 couples, and treated them to a custom menu that included a Happy (Ever After) Meal.

The brainchild of Nord DDB, the McDrive Thru Wedding was all love. There were decorations, bubbles, a classic car, a wedding photographer, a balloon-arch backdrop for social media posts, and McDonalds-branded flower bouquets. A personal favorite: The marriage certificate came in the form of a McDonald’s receipt. The part where you explain to your family and friends that you were married at a McDonald’s drive-thru is sold separately.

The video below compiles highlights of the event, noting that some couples were married after many years together and one took the plunge after 60 years apart. The bride comically recounted that her now-husband got down on one knee and proposed, but “then I had to help him up.”

“The biggest wedding season of the year [summer] was just around the corner, and we started seeing headlines about City Hall being fully booked for months to come,” say Sofia Nordström and Jacqueline Hellstedt, art director and copywriter at Nord DDB. “Since McDonald’s is already well-versed in how to offer things in an easy and accessible manner, it felt like a given to open up the world’s fastest drive-thru for weddings as well.”

Couples had to bring an approved marriage license application, and McDonald’s provided the rest. Couples began by placing their Happy Meal order at a drive-thru kiosk—each meal was valued at 150 Swedish krona, or $15 U.S. dollars.

A marriage officiant and two wedding witnesses greeted couples at the first window. When the ceremony was over, couples took their marriage certificate printed on a McDonald’s receipt and collected their meals at the next drive-thru window.

“Several of the couples brought multiple guests,” the pair tell Muse. “For the actual ceremony, however, you could only bring as many guests that could fit in the vehicle since they were going through the actual drive-thru. One couple used a van with more seats so they could bring more guests along for the ride.”

The campaign took three months to implement. Couples were found via radio, print and social media ads that ran at the beginning of the summer. The agency noted that one attendee proposed to their partner after hearing a radio spot.

I’m lovin’ it!

CREDITS

Advertising agency: NORD DDB
PR agency: PRIME WEBER SHANDWICK
Media agency: OMD