You won't believe how many couples got married at Electric Daisy Carnival
Newlyweds Kyle Kirk and Lauren Eisenburger met at R3hab.
The DJ, of course -- not the addiction treatment center.
Before the Dutch DJ's set at Shepherd's beach resort in Tampa in April of last year, Kirk had never been to a rave. And he had never seen a girl wearing kandi -- bright beaded jewelry handed out at raves -- until he met Lauren.
"I must have been standing there with my mouth hanging open just gawking at Lauren. I probably looked insane," Kirk, 28, remembers. "I don’t believe in love at first sight or anything, but it really felt like the entire world lost focus except for her. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her."
Just seven months later Kyle used kandi adorned with the phrase "Will you marry me" to pop the question at Electric Daisy Carnival in Orlando.
Fast forward to June, and Kyle and Lauren were one of 149 couples who were married -- like, legit married -- at Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, the annual mecca for EDM fans from across the country.
With the buzz of the neon-colored carnival in the background, they said "I do" right around 9 p.m. -- early by the standards of EDC, which goes strong until 6 a.m.
"I'm not really a very traditional person," Lauren told Mashable. "I couldn't imagine having a traditional wedding."
But she did opt for a more "traditional" look of a white dress bedazzled with brightly colored lights in the skirt, and he wore a tux. They also chose to get married in the Chapel of Nature, the more traditional venue at EDC. (Couples can also get married at the Chapel of Future.)
In addition to the 149 official ceremonies, EDC also hosted over 200 non-legal ceremonies each day.
Lauren says it's the judgment-free, "real" nature of raves that make finding romance so easy.
"You're able to be your true self," she said. "When you meet someone at a rave, you're meeting who they are on the inside."
Kyle added: "There's this feeling of family and acceptance that you don't see in any other community."
EDC has been offering marriage packages since 2013, and it's hardly the only festival. Burning Man has hosted lavish wedding ceremonies for years, and smaller fests like Bonnaroo, Hangout Music Festival also allow attendees to tie the knot on the grounds.
But it's EDC that's become ravers' go-to to say I do. Ceremonies, which cost $60, are short and sweet -- right around 15 minutes each.
"Going to EDC Las Vegas was a dream come true and getting married there was something that I always kind of fantasized about but never thought would actually happen."
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Topics Music
