Saturday, Aug. 01, 2009

Weddings in Myrtle Beach thrive in recession

The wedding industry in Myrtle Beach, which draws thousands of people from across the state and country during the peak wedding months of June and July, has done surprisingly well despite the recession, some local businesses say.

Records show that Horry County marriage license applications and issuances are slightly lower than last year, but those aren't a tell-all because people many times will purchase licenses in nearby Marion or Dillon counties, officials said.

Area wedding chapels, where couples can have a small, quick gathering just minutes away from the beach, say business is up as brides and grooms are looking to pay less than they would at a large, traditional, church ceremony.

Weddings make up a small part of the Grand Strand's tourism market, which is primarily made up of leisure travelers, but area officials see it as an opportunity for expansion.

"This is an area that certainly has potential for additional growth," said Kimberly Miles with the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

Seaside Wedding Chapel in Little River has had a "fantastic" summer season, said owner Lamar Boulware.

"We're in a record-breaking year," he said. "We've never had as many weddings as we're having."

The business has seen an increase of about 15 percent to 20 percent from last summer, Boulware said.

He attributes it to lower gas prices. On average, it was $1.50 more per gallon this time last year.

"What we see is the crowds are smaller, and we see more family vacations that they do incorporate with weddings," he said. "We've actually married people and they admit they're unemployed."

Much of Seaside Wedding Chapel's business comes from North Carolina, but there are other states represented, too.

"I think I've personally married half the state of West Virginia," Boulware said.

August and September look promising for the business, he said. Boulware has already turned down five couples for Sept. 19 because he's booked.

Harold Mitchell, owner of Together Forever Weddings & Receptions in North Myrtle Beach, said the recession hasn't hurt his business at all.

This summer, the business has performed more large weddings that would have normally been held in a church, he said.

"People are having to watch their spending more, so they want more bang for their buck and they come to us because they can get the same service, faith-based service," said Mitchell, an ordained minister.

The weddings he officiates cost no more than $4,000, a far cry from the 2008 average wedding cost of $21,814, according to The Wedding Report, an online database of wedding research.

Business at Together Forever is up about 10 percent, he said.

"We've done fewer weddings from overseas this summer, but we've done more weddings from people driving in," Mitchell said.

The Myrtle Beach Wedding Chapel in North Myrtle Beach has seen a slight decrease in business during the summer wedding months, but spots are filling up for August and September, said co-owner Teresa Martin.

The business kept the wedding packages at the same prices from last year, Martin said.

"We didn't see the need to increase. We wanted to do our part to help folks out," she said. "I think people are looking for better deals, and I think we're getting folks who would've normally gotten a larger wedding at home."