This Ice Cream Shop Wedding Has Us Over the Mooo-n!

A young couple exchanged vows at their hometown ice cream shop earlier this month, and their budget-friendly wedding was udderly delightful! Here’s the scoop on their big day, plus a closer look at why Gen Z couples are choosing quirky, nontraditional wedding venues.

 

Reagan Baker (19) and Isaiah McKinley (18) decided to have their wedding at The Cow Cafe ice cream parlor and restaurant in New Bern, North Carolina, for sentimental reasons. Local reporters say it’s where the couple met and had their first date, and McKinley’s grandmother used to bring him there as a child, making the shop the perfect choice for a sweet new beginning.

 

It was also the first time The Cow Cafe hosted a wedding, though we doubt it will be the last! The shop stepped up in style, with a large stuffed cow playing keyboards, and friends and family gathered around in support. 

 

We love it! 

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Quirky & unusual wedding venues are gaining popularity 

 

Young Millennial and Gen Z couples are choosing nontraditional wedding venues like The Cow Cafe more often in recent years, for both practical and personal reasons. 

More affordable

 

First, these quirky, offbeat wedding venues are often more affordable than traditional locations. While the average cost of a wedding venue was around $12,800 in 2025 – a steep number that many couples can’t afford without going into debt – nontraditional venues are frequently much less, charging only a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to host special events. 

 

More personal (and more fun)

 

Gen Zers are planning weddings that prioritize intimacy, personality, and creativity. Baker and McKinley are a great example of this: choosing The Cow Cafe because of its personal meaning in their relationship and its fun, laidback atmosphere. Traditional wedding venues might be the right choice for large, polished weddings, but they can lack the personal connection and relaxed tone that younger couples are drawn to. 

 

Related: 10 Unusual & Unique Places to Get Married in the U.S.

 

Less competition for booking

 

Last, nontraditional wedding venues – like ice cream parlors, bookstores, movie theaters, comic book stores, etc. – are often easier to book on a specific wedding date than a traditional venue. Well-known wedding venues often book up 12 to 18 months in advance, which leaves couples scrambling to find an available wedding date. On the other hand, venues like The Cow Cafe usually have less competition, giving couples more breathing-room to plan their wedding on their own timelines, and to pick a wedding date that’s meaningful to them. 

 

Related: How to Get Married in North Carolina - Plan a Wedding in the Tar Heel State

 

 

So what do you say? Do you love this ice cream theme wedding as much as we do? 

 

See the newlyweds talk about their day in a sweet interview with WITN, Greenville (video below)

 

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Wedding Planning Tips from American Marriage Ministries

 

• A Simple Wedding Planning Checklist & Timeline for Busy Couples
   
• 5 Great Reasons to Ask a Friend to Officiate Your Wedding
   
• The Luckiest Month to Get Married According to Superstition
   
• When to Hire Your Wedding Officiant: Timing & Checklist
   

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Have a Friend Officiate Your Wedding with Help From AMM! 

Ask a friend, family member, or even your favorite coworker to officiate your wedding! Officiating a wedding is easy with free online ordination through American Marriage Ministries (AMM). 

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American Marriage Ministries is an inclusive nondenominational internet church that ordains and trains ministers to officiate marriage ceremonies. We're a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit church, and help people from all backgrounds and beliefs become ordained ministers for weddings. Our online ordination is free, accessible, and never expires.

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Become an ordained minister with free online ordination from AMM to officiate weddings for friends and family! (Photo: Tash Jones - Love Luella Photography / iStock)

 

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