Editor’s note: This is the third of a four-part series examining weddings in Athens.
Although Athens is not considered a traditional destination for weddings, the connection couples have to the area brings them home to the bricks.
Weddings may not be a very large portion of Athens’ economy, but local businesses, venues and even students benefit from the marriage celebrations.
“Athens could be considered a wedding destination for people who have an affinity for the town,” said Paige Alost, executive director of the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s people’s relationship to the community that brings them here.”
Jessi and Barrett Way, who graduated from Ohio University in 2009, met in Athens and married July 28. Though the couple has since moved out of Ohio, they decided to have their summer wedding in Athens because of the special memories the city holds.
“It financially made sense to have our wedding in Athens,” Jessi said. “We were able to entertain 200 people for two nights affordably. We knew, no matter what, that we would have fun because we’d be back in Athens.”
About an equal number of alumni and Athens residents get married in the city each year, Alost said. Each couple that decides to make the promise of “I do” can choose from a variety of venues “unique to Athens” both on campus and in the city.
“When people come to Athens to get married, they are looking for something a little offbeat, a little unusual and something different than what they would experience in a big city,” Alost said.
Campus options include the Baker University Center ballroom, Walter Hall rotunda and Galbreath Chapel, which is currently closed until further notice due to renovations, said Dustin Kilgour, interim associate director of Ohio University Event Services.
Each of the 51 weddings and receptions held on campus in 2011 cost between $350 and $1,800, though couples can reserve outdoor spaces at no cost, he said.
“You have limited options in this town, especially if you are hosting a large number of guests,” Kilgour said. “Some of our pricing may be a bit high for what we do … (but) we are a department that covers its direct costs and goes about our business.”
Off-campus facilities that double as wedding venues include the popular Dairy Barn Arts Center and Shade Winery, which cost from $500 to $1,200 and $800, respectively.
The winery has held three weddings, owner Neal Dix said, while Dairy Barn has seen an “increase in the number of rentals in general,” owner Jane Forrest Redfern said.
Like venues in Athens, Polly Creech, owner of Hyacinth Bean Florist, said she works to allow couples leeway for their respective price ranges. Couples can pay from $300 to more than $1,000 on their floral arrangements, depending on types of flowers and quantities.
Creech said 20 percent of her business comes from weddings.
Creech said she thinks this local aspect may drive down prices. However, Alost acknowledged that a smaller town does not always mean a smaller price tag.
“People think that just because the road narrows and the population drops (in Athens), it’s automatically cheaper and that’s not always the case,” Alost said. “But the scale and the spirit in which we do things in Athens is always doing things at a lower cost.”
Couples can embrace this “spirit” by hiring students to provide cheaper novice photography services. A now-professional photographer, 2012 Ohio University alumnus Gregory Bodwell, got his start by photographing weddings during his college years.
In 2009 during his freshman year, Bodwell charged $500 per wedding. 10 weddings later, he now charges $2,000 per wedding.
“There’s more risks to using student photographers because they might miss a few things so they typically charge less,” Bodwell said. “I love being a part of the biggest day of someone’s life.”
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