Daniel Jean, 39, married Esmy Valdez, 38, in a private ceremony at a church in New York City on Thursday, June 27. To ensure their wedding didn’t break the bank, Jean decided to do something different:
“We didn’t have enough money to have our dream wedding. Weddings are so expensive these days. I decided to surprise my wife by having the reception on the subway running through Brooklyn and into Manhattan.”
According to a February report by The Knot, the average couple can expect to spend up to $12,800 on a wedding, which is why this couple chose to celebrate their big day on a subway car. The wedding took place on July 2 and was attended by 20 of their closest friends and a bunch of strangers on the train.
The memorable wedding party was held by the couple on July 2nd on the subway.
A video of the special wedding was shared on TikTok and quickly attracted more than 1.2 million views. In the video, viewers can see a long table placed in the middle of the train car, on which is a single-layer cake, a cupcake and champagne. The train car also appears to be decorated with leaves and fake flowers. People dance to the music played from personal speakers.
Jean also invited her friend, comedian Jodell “Joe the Show” Lewis, to help liven up the party. The couple received enthusiastic and professional help from friends, including another friend who was in charge of preparations and a “general director” of the show.
“It was a really fun and memorable party that cost about $3,000, whereas a banquet at a convention center typically costs $30,000,” Lewis said.
Esmy Valdez and Daniel Jean happily sway to the music.
In the shared photos, the couple appeared radiant, with smiles always on their lips. Jean in a light pink suit walked side by side with his bride Valdez in a pure white dress, swaying to the music. For Valdez, this party was extremely memorable, it made her love her husband even more.
“When I got on the train and saw everything, I thought: Oh! I picked the right guy. People in this city think that men need to have expensive things to impress the woman of their dreams, but the reality is that our reception was just filled with love,” she said