"I do" equals big money for Vermont

COLCHESTER – Colchester Jazzercise owner Pamela Fontaine enjoyed a business boost in July. A pre-wedding kick-off party held at the studio brought new members and a burst of marketing to the fitness center.

One of her instructors, Meg Terrien, now Meg Hershman, 29, of Colchester, teaches class every Saturday morning. On July 12, the day she wed Jordan Hershman, 28, of Colchester, the wedding party, and some guests, participated in her 6:45 a.m. Jazzercise class.

Photos posted to Twitter and Facebook by the wedding party gave the fitness center exposure it otherwise would not have had. New members have joined as a result, Fontaine said.

Weddings celebrate love and generate cash. The ceremonies brought more than $170 million in revenue to Vermont in 2012 and that's not including jewelry or dresses, a Vermont Association of Wedding Professionals report said.

Hundreds of local businesses experience gains right about now, during the wedding season — September being the busiest month of all for the occasion. It takes a dozen or so vendors to pull off the average wedding, according to the Vermont Association of Wedding Professionals.

The Hershmans spent about $40,000 on their wedding, with a third of the cost going to catering.

"My wedding was absolutely amazing," Meg Hershman said. "The day that I had envisioned in my mind forever actually came together perfectly."

After Jordan Hershman's June 2013 proposal, on a beach under a double rainbow over Lake Champlain in Grand Isle, wedding plans commenced.

It took more than 15 local businesses to bring their special day together at the West Monitor Barn in Richmond. From Colchester's Bevo catering, and The Little Purple Cake Shop to Vergennes videographer Cat Cutillo, and Williston's Stelleta for the brides up-do hairstyle, everything was tied together by local businesses into a neat Vermont wedding package.

Big day, big money

Coordinating hues, and French-tipped nails are a popular option for brides and their bridesmaids during pre-ceremony visits to the salon. Julie Laba, of Essex, and her wedding party did their beautification at Perfect Nails By Thu in July. Each paid about $45 for services, which included manicures and pedicures, a day before the nuptials.

Essex nail salon owner Thu Chau gave the bride-to-be a warm hug upon her departure. Laba and her crew were off to the rehearsal dinner. Chau said 20 percent of her business comes from wedding parties. She hosted ten in the second week of July alone.

Laba's ceremony cost about $26,000, which is on par for a Vermont wedding. The most expensive place to get married in the nation is Manhattan with an average cost of $86,916 per wedding. Least expensive is Idaho with an average of $16,159, according to TheKnot.com 2013 Real Weddings Study.

Vermont weddings have cachet. Some couples come to the state specifically to get married, said Jackie Watson, owner of Vermont Enchanted Events and board member of the Vermont Association of Wedding Professionals. "This equates to tourism dollars."

About $31 million of the $170 million in state weddings revenue is generated from reception and wedding dinner sales.

Liquor was the next leading wedding spending category in 2012 at more than $16 million. Gas, gifts, wedding party activities, rentals, and wedding day essentials like the cake, flowers, band, and limo make up the rest.

A total of 4,686 Vermont weddings were held in 2012. Direct sales tax on Vermont purchases for the big day were a whopping $13.27 million.

One of Vermont's main attractions for couples is the outdoors, said wedding planner Lorin Holmes.

"We see many bachelor parties that are more about activities," she said. "It's usually an outdoor activity. Popular right now are zip line tours, ski weekend, golfing, mountain biking, paint ball, hunting, and even the group of men doing a local 5k or Spartan Race."

Holmes, of Burlington, has operated VermontWeddings.com for a decade.

As for the hefty food cost, local food is the wedding trend. "Having your wedding catered by a local Vermont venue screams authenticity, which is something people look for in weddings," Holmes said.

Couples often send their guests away with locally made caramels, truffles, soap, trinkets, and jam, keeping many home-based businesses extremely busy throughout the state, Holmes said.

"I truly believe that there is a continuous and lasting effect on the state's economy with every wedding that takes place," Holmes said.

Visitors, vendors and the grand details

Big bucks are not always necessary for couples to have memorable Vermont weddings. An off-peak season wedding, with less-expensive venues like a bed and breakfast or historic town building, coupled with a finite guest list, and appetizers and drinks, instead of a main course, will do the trick.

There are more than 40 Vermont State Park locations where, for a nominal fee of anywhere from $25 to $300, couples can rent picnic pavilions and park shelters, Holmes said.

The Vermont backdrop is everywhere. "Even the most budget conscientious couple can put together an event that has rustic, chic inspiration without breaking the bank," Holmes said.

When an out-of-state couple has a Vermont wedding it's usually because they have some tie to Vermont, Holmes said. "Either they have fallen in love here, gone to college here, grew up here, summered here, or spent winter vacations here," she said.

That love for the state has brought them back to celebrate one of their most monumental lifetime events, and with that, they are going to bring about 50 to 150 of their closest friends and relatives to stay in the area for two to five days, spending money on gifts, food, lodging, Holmes said.

Vermont weddings often become long weekends or mini-vacations for family and friends. About 67 percent of VermontWeddings.com website traffic comes from outside of Vermont, specifically New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Connecticut, Holmes said.

Local businesses help orchestrate the diversity each couple brings to their wedding table. The average couple hires about twelve to fourteen vendors, who might include caterers, bakers, bartenders, tent rental companies, jewelers, hair stylists and florists.

Weddings are a reflection of personal taste. Some couples opt for formal decor with linens and silver. Others want something more eclectic —such as a tablescape adorned with burlap, lace, pewter, mason jars, and even chalk boards.

Some couples also create lounge areas at the reception site, Holmes said.

They might pair a vintage sofa, antique trunk, typewriter and coffee table with a palette of coordinating textiles to create the space. "We see this lounge trend popping up all over Vermont lately as a way to have a conversation place outside of the dancing and partying crowd," Holmes said.

Whether it's a fifth-generation farmer opening up his barn as a venue, a wood craftsman making salad bowls for wedding gifts, or an in-home wedding baker who uses only locally-sourced ingredients, Holmes sees a passion in the people who help put on Vermont weddings.

"A lot of heart and passion put our Vermont vendors a step above the rest in terms of working with wedding couples, and giving people the best possible experience for their special day," Holmes said.

Contact Lynn Monty at LynnMonty@FreePressMedia.comand follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VermontSongbird.

According to EmilyPost.com, a long-time authority wedding etiquette, the maid of honor and best man play an important supporting role to the bride and groom. Some sustaining traditions come with a price tag. Vermont wedding planner Jackie Watson concurred. Every bride and groom are different, and will expect more or less than what is listed below.

Common supporting role expenses by Vermont wedding planner Lorin Holmes:

Expect to spend: Maid of Honor

Responsibilities include the bridal shower and bachelorette party.

A maid of honor often helps pay for and provide gift for these parties.

She can expect to pay a couple hundred dollars for transportation costs, entertainment, drinks, limos or taxis for the bachelorette night alone. The mother-of-the-bride will sometimes chip in or cover the cost of the bridal shower, but not always, so if need be a maid-of-honor will be throwing in an extra $100 to $150 for that, followed by the tacking on of $25 to $50 in gifts for each of the two parties.

Maids-of-honor will need to buy the matching dress costing somewhere between $150 and $300. With alterations add another $50, and with matching shoes add $90.

Don't forget the "day of" wedding costs, probably $50 for that matching hairstyle, another $50 for professional makeup, and then again another $50 gift will be needed for the wedding.

These costs mentioned above range anywhere from $830 to over $1,000.

Expect to spend: Best Man

Traditional duties include protecting and holding on to the wedding rings for the ceremony, handing out tips and fees, keeping track of the groomsmen, and giving that first toast to the newlyweds – not too costly.

He might however, have to get that wallet out for his tux and a bachelor party. Here in Vermont, we see many bachelor parties that are more about outdoor activities, but even those can come with costs. Assuming all the groomsmen are splitting the cost, the average best man will expect to pay somewhere between $350 and $700 for both the tux and bachelor party.

Upcoming local bridal show

WHAT: Burlington Summer Evening Bridal Show, brides attend free

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14

WHERE: Echo Lake Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington

CONTACT: Call 459-2897 or visit VermontWeddingAssociation.com