Festival offers myriad of wedding ideas
Utah State University is unique in that 50 percent of its students are married. Luckily, Logan offers a unique event for all those preparing the big occasion.
Twice a year Logan holds a wedding festival, and this year’s festival is to be the biggest yet. Valerie Reese, director of the Wedding Festival, said they have 32 booths this year.
“We started out with 24 in Aspen Grove and we’re just going to keep getting bigger,” she said.
This year’s festival is titled “Fall In Love Wedding” while next spring will be “An Affair To Remember.” It will be held at the Coppermill Restaurant Saturday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission is free and is open to anyone – married couples, engaged couples, singles and elderly.
“It’s a fun atmosphere; people can just come and participate,” Reese said. “It’s a good place to come and get ideas, even if they’re not getting
married.”
Reese said she has had friends who are not getting married, like older ladies, but they come and walk around and get to visit with the vendors, taste samples, and see and do everything.
“They’ve enjoyed just coming and visiting,” she said. “So, that has been a fun thing.”
Reese said the festival is a good experience even if someone is not getting married, or if they are already married, they might have a parent’s anniversary coming up and can come and get some ideas for that.
“Some of the vendors offer a sale that day. It’s good for parties and anniversaries, not just weddings,” she said.
The Wedding Festival began with Becky Allen, owner of the store Our Wedding.
“Allen contracted with different businesses and would do a promotional for them in the spring,” Reese said.
Rhees, Allen and a friend of Allen’s talked and decided that she would do a fall
promotional.
“This way we don’t miss any of the brides and we give them all the same opportunity,” she said.
“When Becky quit, and I started doing it, there was a question of whether or not to continue on the festival, but there were several [vendors] who wanted to continue,” Rhees said.
Rhees explained that the Wedding Festival gives the bride and groom a chance to get ideas to plan their wedding and offers them a good chance to get better prices.
“They can get ideas, compare prices, try catering samples, gowns, photographers and videographers and look at registries,” she said. “It’s a great place for engaged couples to come. They can plan their whole wedding in one day.”
Jim Needham, the corporate sponsor, gives the grand prize in the drawing.
“We are also sponsored by radio stations Q92 and Kix96,” Rhees said.
This year is Rhees’ sixth year with the festival.
She said, “It’s fun to work with different businesses and managers and different people that I get to meet. We have a lot of vendors. It ranges from businesses that have a storefront to home businesses.
“The Wedding Festival is a wonderful opportunity for those preparing to be married,” Rhees said. “It’s a fun place to be. Everyone should come out.”
-eliza@cc.usu.edu