Marriages may be made in heaven, as the old adage goes, but businesses that cater to wedding parties are happy that more couples are sealing the deal on Oregon’s picturesque North Coast.
Even in an economy still trying to regain its post-recession footing, weddings – and the hoopla that accompanies them – remain big business for many companies, whether large or small – from lodging facilities and caterers to wedding planners, florists, photographers and musicians.
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Cannon Beach’s Surfsand Resort’s 3,000 sq. ft. ballroom has become a popular venue to host wedding receptions.
Photo courtesy of Surfsand Resort.
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Whether it’s quiet Cannon Beach with photogenic Haystack Rock standing sentry over its pristine beach, perky Seaside that conjures up family visits to the coast as a kid, regal Astoria and its historic waterfront and Victorian homes, or the vast expanse of beach and rocky crags as a backdrop on the Long Beach Peninsula, couples from across Oregon and beyond are finding appealing settings for their nuptials right here in this coastal and river region.
Area’s natural beauty a great backdrop
"A lot of people come from around the country to get married on the Oregon coast," notes professional photographer Don Frank of Seaside, who has been capturing those cherished moments on film for posterity since 1997.
Frank, one of the producers of Seaside’s Weddings at the Beach Bridal Show, said he believes the number of out-of-area couples who come to the North Coast to get married has grown as word has spread of the area’s natural beauty and the numerous amenities available locally that can serve most of the needs of wedding groups, whether they number 20 or 200.
While no rankings could be found to identify the most popular wedding destinations in Oregon, the North Coast has to be among the leaders, according to Clatsop County Clerk Catherine "Cathie" Garber.
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McMenamins Sand Trap in Gearhart has seen growth in reservations for its facilities for wedding and receptions.
Photo courtesy of McMenamins Sand Trap.
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"We definitely get more out-of-county applications for marriage licenses than from in-county" residents, Garber told the Coast River Business Journal. She said requests for licenses come from throughout Oregon, as well as Washington and Idaho, "and some from the Mid-West."
In calendar year 2009, the county recorded 538 marriage licenses. That figure was slightly up from the 531 licenses issued in 2008, she said.
Clatsop County officials do not track how many non-residents apply for a marriage license. The county is one of the few counties in the state that provides marriage licenses by mail, so anyone can send the $50 fee and receive a license no matter where they reside. The license is good for 60 days. And in Oregon, couples don’t have to marry in the county in which their license was issued.
Another barometer in determining the popularity of the North Coast as a setting for exchanging vows is to examine the growth in attendance at the Weddings at the Beach Bridal Show at the Seaside Civic & Convention Center.
Now in its fifth year, the event, which will be held Feb. 20, has seen a steady increase in both visitors and local exhibitors, said Frank, who has co-produced the show the past three years.
"Attendance has grown every year," he said, noting that last year’s show attracted more than 100 brides-to-be, many from out of the area.
There were 40 exhibitors at the 2009 show, nearly double the 25 vendors who participated at the first show. Frank is hoping for 50 to 60 exhibitors this year.
Frank said the bridal show is "unique" in that it is produced locally, with local sponsors, and nearly all exhibitors are North Coast-based.
Area has an abundance of event venues
As a bridal destination, one of the area’s advantages is the abundance of venues, restaurants/caterers and lodging facilities that can serve nearly any size of wedding party – from small intimate settings to large groups numbering 100 or more.
The beachfront Surfsand Resort in Cannon Beach has become a popular spot for weddings and receptions.
Scott Cruickshank, director of operations for Martin Hospitality, the resort’s owner, attributes the Surfsand’s popularity not only to its location, but also to the assortment of onsite venues the resort offers, including a large ballroom with ocean view. The resort’s private park-like gardens, Haystack Garden Retreat Center, provides a beautiful setting for the exchange of vows.
But Cruickshank said it was the addition of the 3,000 sq. ft. ballroom that "put us in the bridal market."
"It gave us the flexibility to host larger functions," he said.
One event location that hopes to expand further into the wedding business is McMenamins Sand Trap in Gearhart.
The Sand Trap, which has the distinction of being the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi, has a 180-seat banquet room for receptions, said Susan Truax, director of sales for McMenamins. It also boasts an outdoor setting for wedding ceremonies overlooking the golf course.
Since acquiring the property in 2008, Truax said the Sand Trap has seen a growth in wedding receptions. She said it’s the goal of the facility "to capture more weddings. We’d like to have one booked every weekend day."
More area businesses finding bridal niche
In addition to the wide selection of wedding-appropriate venues available, Frank, the bridal show producer, said the North Coast also is blessed with having a wide assortment of businesses and entrepreneurs who have found a niche in providing bridal services.
Where there may have been only one wedding-related business serving the North Coast not many years ago, today "you have more competition, and the level and quality of the service have risen," he said.
When one considers that a wedding and reception costs an average of $20,000, it’s understandable why more businesses are finding ways into the lucrative market.
Custom jewelry designer Holly McHone, owner of Holly McHone Jewelry in Astoria, said creating one-of-a-kind wedding sets for couples makes up a significant part of her business.
McHone, who advertises in visitor brochures available in local hotels, said a good portion of orders for bridal sets come from out-of-area couples, many of whom are planning a wedding on the coast. She said customers come from Portland, "a lot" from Seattle and some from as far away as San Francisco and even Washington, D.C.
But as pleased as she is with the business from non-residents, McHone said local customers remain her bread-and-butter. Last year, during the height of the economic tailspin, McHone said she had more local customers in their late 20s and early 30s making purchases. They told her they were "making the choice to help the local economy."
Finding a niche in the bridal business can be as easy as identifying a need and meeting it.
While flowers are her primary business, Linda Mathis, owner of Flowers by Laurelwood in Astoria, added a rental service that provides tables, chairs, public address systems and floral-related items for weddings and other functions. Mathis said she expanded into the rental service because it was something that wasn’t being met by other businesses.
Now, her rental business covers all of the North Coast down to Nehalem and across the Columbia River and up the Long Beach, Wash., peninsula.
"We do a lot of destination weddings," Mathis said.
Recession hasn’t dampened North Coast’s popularity
Even a severe recession hasn’t seemed to dampen the North Coast’s popularity as a bridal destination.
Couples may have become more frugal in response to the economy, Frank said, but that has turned into a positive for the local area.
"Instead of flying off to Hawaii to get married, they’re finding an experience just as romantic right in their own backyard," he said.
Wedding planner Maeve Kennedy Grimes agrees. The coast, she says, brings back "good childhood memories" of visiting the beach with parents. "I don’t really think we have any competition" for providing a better backdrop for a wedding.
Grimes added that businesses that want to succeed in the bridal business are those which take to heart an important rule: "It’s all about the bride and groom. You have to make sure they get the wedding they want."