The show “Friends” made it popular for two friends to make a pact to marry if neither friend is married to another person by a certain age. But the Keast brothers have taken this concept to a whole new level.
The new application “Backup Plan” by the Breakup Shop, designed by Evan and Mackenzie Keast, creates a legally binding agreement for two people to marry each other by a certain time.
“We are more picky when it comes to dating nowadays,” Mackenzie Keast said. “We are starting families later in life, delaying the process a little bit, making us more picky.”
The new app comes out this month. The target market varies; Mackenzie Keast said they are looking for anyone in their 20s or early 30s who are looking to settle down in the future. Divorcees are also a viable market.
“A backup plan provides insurance for a lifelong partner should you fail to find true love elsewhere,” Mackenzie Keast said in a news release.
Users set up a profile and set a date by which they would like to be married. They then search for nearby singles, matching and talking with suitors they may be interested in. If two people decide to be each other’s backups, they set their official dates and terms and then digitally sign the legally binding pact.
“It is something that people want to see,” Mackenzie Keast said. “It is like Tinder for people who want a little more security. The reaction so far has been very positive.”
In their news release, the brothers said all marriage pacts should be further reviewed by a legal counsel and notarized.
“We are trying to work everything out with relationship and marriage lawyers now,” Mackenzie Keast said. “Laws vary from state to state.”
If someone backs out of the pact at the time of their agreed upon date, financial compensation might be involved to pay damages.
The Keasts have also been known as the “Breakup Brothers” for their other work at the Breakup Shop. They have a service where one of their Heartbreakers will break up with a customer’s significant other for a fee. This can be done over text, a phone call or a letter. This heartbreaking business was first started in November, and it exploded.
“We couldn’t even fill all the orders,” Mackenzie Keast said. “We are doing the dirty work on our customer’s behalf.”
