When the coronavirus hit in early 2020 and continued through the rest of the year, the wedding industry was shattered. Strict restrictions on group sizes limited gatherings, and couples were faced with postponing their dream wedding until restrictions lifted, or drastically changing their wedding. While some couples chose to wait, many couples opted to get married by adapting their weddings to accommodate only a small group of people. This trend of intimate micro-weddings continues to increase in popularity and will most likely continue on past the end of the pandemic.
“Last year, COVID-19 hit everyone very hard, especially the wedding industry. There was no relief for these businesses. Weddings went on hold because no one knew what the regulations would be,” says JoAnne Marshall, Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency (GCTPA) director.
Ben McMillen has been involved with the wedding industry for 30 years, as a photographer and the owner of McMillen Photography. His business suffered greatly from the pandemic restrictions. He’s recently closed down his studio in Waynesburg and is operating his photography business mainly from home. Three years ago, Ben became involved in the Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency (GCTPA) as a board member.
At a board meeting after COVID-19 hit the United States and restrictions shut down the majority of businesses, JoAnne asked the group: “What can we do to help these businesses?” After much discussion and brainstorming, the board decided to focus on attracting couples to Greene County for micro-weddings.
“If you want more than a courthouse wedding but not a full, all-out wedding, this is perfect for you,” JoAnne says. “It’s a growing trend and it’s COVID-19 friendly.”
These weddings would bring out-of-towners in and boost both the wedding and general economy. Couples and guests staying in local hotels would increase the hotel tax collected, which funds the GCTPA.
The group began reaching out to local businesses in the wedding industry, with local venues as the initial focus. Each venue created a micro-wedding package with a similar base starting rate that consists of up to 25 people for two hours on a weekday. The length of time is perfect for a ceremony and photography session. Package upgrades are available for those that would like something a little larger or more involved, and weekend packages are also offered.
“When planning a wedding, venues tend to attract couples first,” JoAnne says. “That’s why we first focused on getting the venues involved. But any business in the wedding market can be involved as a vendor and capture additional exposure through our marketing campaigns.”
Christy Orndorff is also a GCTPA board member. Her venue, Valley View Farm, which she owns with husband Corbly, was one of the first venues on board. During the pandemic, they worked within the restrictions and saw a drastic decrease in event rentals. They did everything that they could to keep the business open and staff employed. The nearby one-room schoolhouse, used for wedding party preparations, was turned into an Airbnb and has brought traffic to the county. “JoAnne reached out to the local businesses to help when no one else did. I’m so blessed to be part of the Tourism board,” Christy says. “The collaboration has been very exciting, and I think this will be a springboard to many things other than just weddings.
“The biggest asset is the chance for these businesses to get together and share ideas, how to work within restrictions, to build partnerships. It’s given them hope,” JoAnne says. “The collaboration has been exciting.”
“The collaboration between the venues has been incredible. All the venues have been very helpful and have worked together to create a strategic plan and present a united front,” Ben says. “We have a common mission and we’re all in this together.”
Christy adds, “Each of the businesses has different strengths and can provide different opportunities. Everyone has been like an open book. It’s not about competition, it’s about lifting each other up and bringing traffic to the area.”
Tourism partners can upgrade their membership to be included as a vendor with the wedding initiative. Any business involved in the wedding industry – catering, photography, chair and tent rentals, etc. – is welcome to join. The money raised by the upgrade is used to pay for co-op advertising for the campaign.
The website for the initiative is now live at www.VisitGreene.org/weddings. The collaboration’s next step will be creating and implementing a marketing strategy, which will include social media advertising paid for by the funds raised from the partner upgrades. If you’re interested in getting your business involved in the initiative, reach out to JoAnne at Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency by calling 724-627-8687.