With movie theatres experiencing a decline in ticket sales since pre-pandemic days, some enterprising exhibitors have found new sources of revenue beyond the box office. Private rentals have emerged as one promising avenue, making auditoriums available for special events such as birthday parties and film screenings for corporate, church and other social groups. Wedding parties are even getting into the act, according to a New York Times article this week that highlighted in-theatre ceremonies for a number of parties in New York state.
One reason couples are choosing to have their special day at the movie theatre is its relatively affordable cost for large groups. The NYT journalist documents a range of $5,000 – $25,000 for wedding groups to rent a theatre, which is affordable by comparison to typical wedding venues which charge an average of $36,000. From the theatre’s perspective, weddings are an appealing new way to earn five figure rental income for a single event. The types of theatres used as wedding venues tend to be older movie palaces and movie houses, with one theatre’s marketing coordinator pointing out that their location is “already so decorated that most couples don’t have to decorate as much.”
