The Adventure of the Vow: French Groom’s $7,500 ‘Advertised Tuxedo’ Turns Wedding Into a Viral Kick-Off Moment
In an age where creativity meets commerce, a French groom found an unconventional way to finance his wedding: by turning his tuxedo into a billboard.
Dagobert Renouf, a tech entrepreneur from Lille, France, made headlines this week after revealing how he covered much of his wedding expenses by selling commercials on his wedding suit to tech startups.
On Oct. 25, Renouf walked down the aisle in a sleek black tuxedo covered in 26 embroidered company logos — from AI companies to SaaS and software tool companies. Even his own company, CompAi, purchased one of the locations.
“It was a great day,” Renouf wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), sharing photos of his logo-adorned tuxedo along with a heartfelt message thanking the startups who contributed. “The idea wasn’t just about money, it was about doing something fun and memorable for the tech community.”
A startup version of “something new”
Renouf’s idea took shape in July, when he announced online that he would sell sponsorship spots on his tuxedo. Within a few weeks, every location was sold. He then partners with a tailor who painstakingly embroiders each logo, transforming his wedding outfit into a mosaic of brand identities.
The sponsorships, he said, brought in around $7,500 (around ₹6.2 lakh). But in true startup fashion, most of that sum was reinvested into the project — with $5,500 reportedly spent creating the custom suit itself.
“It was as much an experience as it was a statement,” Renouf said in one of his follow-up articles. “People often think you have to do things the traditional way. I just wanted to show that creativity always pays off, even at your wedding.”
From burnout to viral breakthrough
Renouf’s story resonated not only with its humor, but also with its journey. Before launching CompAi, an AI-powered business tool, he spent more than five years and more than $100,000 trying to build a startup from scratch — an effort that resulted, in his own words, in “massive burnout.”
His “sponsored tuxedo” moment then became more than a publicity stunt: It symbolized a comeback of sorts for a founder who was once struggling under the weight of entrepreneurial failure.
Online, his post quickly went viral, sparking a mixture of admiration and amusement. “Bro, it’s crazy that you spent $5.5k of the $7.5k you made on the costume,” one user commented. Another joked: “Looks like your costume sponsorships will be more lucrative than your LaunchDay business.” »
Several others even asked how to sponsor her reception table cards or send her a tip via Venmo.
In an industry where founders are constantly coming up with ideas and seeking funding, Renouf managed to flip the script by turning his own wedding into a showcase for startups.
Whether it becomes a new trend or remains a one-off viral story, his creative approach has already left its mark. After all, few can say their wedding vows came with an aspect of branding – and even fewer can say they were paid for it.
