For one low cost, you can have a safe, gorgeous wedding with Kattie Cool’s Haus of Cool

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Kattie Cool’s magical pop-up weddings have been held at breweries, an alpaca farm, the top of downtown Cleveland’s Skylight Financial Building, and at outdoor and indoor facilities inside the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. (Photographer: April G Photography, Officiant: Blonde & Ordained)

By Mimi Vanderhaven

There’s a new trend in weddings, and one local entrepreneur is the first to bring the concept to Ohio. Dubbed “the pop-up wedding,” it’s a fun, affordable, and stress-free way to tie the knot.

While the concept has been growing in popularity around the nation for some time, it skyrocketed at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic when so many couples were forced to reimagine their wedding day.

“In the last three weeks of March, I booked 32 new weddings,” says Kattie Cool (pronounced “Katie”), the founder of the wildly popular pop-up wedding service Haus of Cool. “People love this concept.”

How It Works
For as little as $3,750, Kattie and her team will plan and host your wedding at any number of unique Northeast Ohio venues and handle virtually every detail. “Literally, all you have to do is pick a date, buy a dress, and give us a list of friends and family to invite,” Kattie says. “We take care of everything else.”

That “everything else” includes all of this:

  • Professional planning and design
  • Invitations
  • Your own styled bouquet and boutonniere
  • Single-tiered custom cake
  • Styled ceremony space
  • Celebratory beverage for all guests to toast the day
  • Logistical expertise
  • Detailed itinerary of your time
  • Exclusive use of venue during your ceremony
  • Legalization of your marriage with an officiant
  • Personalized ceremony
  • Photographer
  • 50+ edited photos of your wedding day
  • Haus of Cool support team

Each wedding lasts an hour-and-a-half and is limited to 40 guests, and the large venues accommodate appropriate social distancing. Although a pop-up wedding does not include a reception featuring food, Kattie creates a fun 45-minute post-ceremony opportunity for a celebratory toast, music, dancing, and lifestyle photos.

“You are in and out in ninety minutes,” Kattie promises. “Many couples opt for lunch or dinner at a favorite restaurant after the wedding.”

Although the $3,750 price tag is attractive, Kattie says most people don’t do a pop-up wedding to save money. They do it because it’s fast, simple, hassle-free and fun.

“We recently handled the wedding of a neurosurgeon who could’ve afforded any wedding she wanted, but she went with us because she’s a busy professional and didn’t want to be bogged down planning a wedding,” Kattie says. “We also just did the wedding of a couple from Michigan who wanted to elope. They had only four guests, two of whom were dogs.”

Of course, a less expensive wedding also means more cash for the honeymoon or a new home.

Baker: Shelby Costo, Sweet Costo CLE

Wildly Creative
Kattie Cool started in the wedding business as a makeup artist and later developed strong organizational skills by serving as the administrative assistant for 10 senior executives at a global services company—simultaneously. But it is her creativity, imagination and sense of style behind the magic at Haus of Cool. “I don’t like doing trendy,” she says. “If it’s all over Pinterest, it’s not for me. I like to color outside the lines.”

Kattie’s venues are as diverse as her brides. She’s created magical ceremonies at breweries, an alpaca farm, the top of downtown Cleveland’s Skylight Financial Building, and at outdoor and indoor facilities inside the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. She’s even created a gorgeous living room vignette in the middle of a forest featuring vintage wingback chairs and settees.

“You should see my storage unit,” Kattie laughs. “It’s packed with all kinds of wedding arches, seating, rugs, candles, draperies, champagne glasses, and a lot more. Right now I’m stripping the bark off of large branches to build a massive, natural wood arch.”

Staying Safe
In terms of Covid-19 safety, Kattie and her team offer temperature checks, face masks, room for social distancing, and they bring in fresh seating for each wedding. The weddings are held every two hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on given dates. Current 2020 available dates include August 22, September 19, October 2 and 3, and November 7. Available dates in 2021 include June 12 and 19, and July 10 and 24.

When asked how much advanced notice she needs to do a wedding, Kattie replies, “I’d prefer a month, but, honestly, we could do it in a week.”

If you think you may be willing to say “I Do” to a pop-up wedding, visit HausOfCool.us and fill out a simple form, or call Kattie on her cell at 330-968-9588. You may also find Haus of Cool on social media and send her a message.