Anna Fairey has been the event manager at Huitt Farms Venue in Anderson since it opened in 2017.
covid has thrown a curveball in the wedding industry and fairey coins 2022 as “the year of recovery”.
July is the month in which inquiries and emails quadrupled for the venue, as all the makeup weddings were mixed in with new weddings, Fairey said.
A typical day for her is a juggling game of leading potential clients through tours of the place, answering calls, responding to emails, helping some of at least 50 couples at a time solve problems. details of your day, oh, and last minute! reschedule a wedding if someone associated with the wedding party becomes covid.
you know, the usual.
your advice?
“Don’t be scared by the rush of everything now,” he said. “Honestly, the people who have the best weddings plan them further in advance. Slowing down a bit isn’t a bad thing.”
Your ideal range for a commitment would be eight months to 1 year.
These are the main reminders and to-dos after committing:
how many people are we talking about? create your guest list
“The venue is at the top of the list, but before you pick a venue, go ahead and start a guest list,” Fairey said.
Understanding how many people to accommodate dictates the size of the venue, overall budget and vendor options, he said.
reserve your place, which determines the date
here are some wedding venues in the anderson area:
- the barn at sitton hill farm
- the rocky river plantation
- bleckley station
- the oak wedding venue
- blue jar farm
- heyward manor
- pavilion at walker century farms
- bent creek farm
- sleepy hollow barn
- boxwood manor
- brownstone wedding and event venue
- women’s club of anderson county
Thinking outside the box? Here are some other spots to consider:
- anderson arts center
- mcfall landing
- lilia day spa rooftop
- woodburn historic house
- south carolina botanical garden
- darwin wright park
protect your suppliers, especially private ones
Booking’s first priority is to assure vendors that they can only be at one wedding on a day, Lindsey Mahaffey said.
lindsey and her husband craig have seen the wedding photography industry change a lot in the 18 years they’ve been in business, but the last five years have seen the most change.
Personalization is the biggest change, as brides do what’s important to them over what tradition demands, Mahaffey said.
A bride doesn’t like cake? well, she can have a scoop of ice cream at her place.
Don’t you like sparkler farewells? how about tossing cereal out of lucky charms?
mahaffey has seen unique touches that make everyone smile.
The pandemic has shifted thinking from grand weddings to intimate ceremonies with those who matter most, he said.
Weekday weddings are also more popular at a time when everyone is trying to get their date in a jam-packed year.
His main advice is to book in advance those providers who can’t be in two places at once.
Are you the guest at the wedding?:here are 16 wedding gifts to buy on qvc
do it your way
“the traditional is almost gone,” said fairey
has seen a less formal approach to weddings in recent years. Cutting a cake isn’t a must, as dessert bars are a big new trend, she said.
whereas before the reception would have been crowded, couples are now making much more use of the outdoor space and adding tables to make more space.
Here’s how to get a marriage license in Anderson County
approach the anderson county probate court with these requirements in mind:
- both parties must be 18+ and apply together
- all applicants must present a social security card and a legal document showing their own name.
- The name in the social security information must match the ID.
under 18?
- if at least 16 years old: the applicant must bring a certified copy of their birth certificate, which must be left with the probate court permanently.
- to show the consent of parents, one of the parents must appear in probate court with proper identification to link them to the minor.
sarah sheridan is the community reporter at anderson. she would appreciate your help telling important stories; contact her at ssheridan@gannett.com or on twitter @saralinasher.