For many {couples}, marriage ceremony venues vary from rustic barns to beachfront resorts. However for Garrett Copeland and Ash Vicious, there was just one place that felt proper: Chili’s.
With the restaurant’s slogan — “Like No Place Else” — serving as an unofficial theme, the couple held an intimate, unconventional marriage ceremony at a Chili’s in Bristol, Connecticut, in Could.
“So we used to meet up for birthdays or any holidays that we wanted to spend together. We’d go to Chili’s. And then it extended to us where we actually had one of our first dates there, and that was just always one of our favorite places,” Vicious stated.
“So we were like, screw it. Like, why not, you know? I mean, everyone spends so much on weddings nowadays… why not have a little bit of fun with it?” Vicious added.
The occasion, held contained in the restaurant’s bar part, featured simply the couple, a photographer and Copeland’s greatest buddy as a witness. The choice got here after months of playful conversations — and a shared need to do one thing private.
“We had already been joking that we’re gonna get married…and we were, just joking about how we do and where we’d do it. And so when the opportunity presented itself…we already knew,” Copeland stated.
“We’re gonna like…see if we could punk people. Because our whole friend groups have been saying, ‘they’re gonna get married, they’re gonna get married, and not tell us.’ And so we wanted to see if we could punk people. And then we decided, if we already know we’re gonna end up together, right?” Vicious stated.
Dulce Cruz Flores
Dulce Cruz Flores
“We might as well actually take it seriously,” Vicious continued.
Although no authorized or non secular officiant was current, the couple stated the ceremony was deeply significant. They contemplate themselves married and plan to carry a bigger occasion later.
“I don’t really believe in legal marriage. I don’t believe in ‘OK, the law with my love life.’ So it was more of like a ceremony, of like a promise ceremony, or like a pagan tying of the knot kind of ceremony, um, at Chili’s right? Just to be as different as you possibly could, you know? I mean, like, I just don’t see a lot of benefit in getting married legally, at least,” Vicious stated.
“With name changing and stuff right now, like, I just don’t want to go through that process, because I have a lot of licenses under my last name and stuff. So we just figured, if we were going to get legally married, we’ll save it for the big wedding,” Vicious added.
Copeland stated they will in all probability do an enormous ceremony down the street with family and friends.
“My financial responsibility is right now, other than a wedding, and we just wanted to have something very like, just us, and enjoy it, and kind of just enjoy, like the little silly ‘lol’ of it with our friends,” Vicious stated.
Dulce Cruz Flores
Dulce Cruz Flores
The ceremony started as a little bit of a joke, in line with the couple, however rapidly gained traction as they embraced the concept.
“It was just the photographer, us and his best friend as, like, our two witnesses. Because, honestly, this all kind of started off as a joke, and it just kind of snowballed,” Vicious stated.
“We actually tried to, like, arrange a little something with Chili’s,” Vicious added. “And unfortunately…I don’t think they believed us…I mean, I don’t blame them.”
NBC Connecticut reached out to Chili’s for remark however has not acquired a response.
“I called Chili’s that day, asking for a reservation, which they they don’t typically take on weeknights,” Copeland stated. “And I said, we have special event. We have a photographer coming, and they were very, I guess, taken off guard. And so when we showed up, I think they were surprised anybody came and but it was fine. They sat us in the bar section, and they had very prompt service, and everything was wonderful. So, I mean, I love the Bristol Chili’s. I will be back, you know, maybe for the anniversary.”
After the images have been posted on social media, the couple acquired way more consideration than anticipated.
“When we posted them on our personal pages with our photographer. I think we got like 500 likes, which for me, because, you know, I’m not famous or nothing…I was thinking, I made it,” Copeland stated.
“I’d like commented in one of their posts about weddings and wedding photography… and they DM me, and they asked if they could repost the pictures. And I said, if you tagged me, sure — I didn’t follow the page at the time, I didn’t know that they had over a million followers. So when my phone started to explode a couple days later, it was pretty I remember when we hit 10,000 likes, I was thinking, there’s no way it’s gonna be on that…I’ve been in stadiums with 25,000 people, 30,000 people, and that’s already so unfathomable. And like 100,000 people, that’s like a small city,” he stated.
As for what they ordered on their massive day?
“I love a good Margarita, so I always get the Presidential Margarita with, like, some chips and salsa,” Vicious stated.
“Triple Dipper. That’s what we got,” Copeland stated. “I mean, you can get whatever you want. You get three things. You know, it’s still a pretty good deal.”
