By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Weddings have become smaller out of necessity with COVID-19. But some couples were already looking for ways to make getting hitched less stressful and less expensive.
That’s where Hitched419 comes in – as the matchmaker between couples and a simplified wedding process.
Last week, a team of local wedding vendors announced the creation of Hitched419 to provide engaged couples with a more intimate, more affordable way to wed.
Even before the pandemic, many couples had been trying to divorce from grand weddings.
“We’ve seen that a lot of couples have been simplifying their weddings,” said Atonn Smeltzer, owner of Weddings for the Ages in Bowling Green.
For years, the trend in weddings was bigger, bigger and bigger, he said. The new trend for some, he said, is shifting to “smaller, intimate” micro weddings.
For some, it’s the expense of an extravagant wedding they are most trying to avoid.
“There are couples who don’t want to take out a second mortgage to get married,” Smeltzer said.
They prefer to trade hundreds of guests and a “questionable buffet,” for intimacy and quality, he said.
For some couples, it’s not just the money but also the time planning a big affair that they find objectionable.
“One of the big stressors for a lot of couples is that guest list. You can still have that special day, with special memories,” with less stress and less expense, said Brigitta Burks, owner of Ella Flora.
The wedding packages offered by Hitched419 start with four to six guests, and continue upward.
“Planning the wedding can take anywhere from 40 to 60 hours,” April Gladieux, owner of Your Perfect Day, said of large events. In contrast, planning a small event with Hitched419 can take two to three hours, she said.
The vendors associated with Hitched 419 have years of experience in the business, Gladieux added.
“All the vendors involved have been around for at least seven years,” she said.
The vendor team includes Luckybird Photography, Your Perfect Day, Ella Flora and Weddings for the Ages. Couples can select from five venues in Northwest Ohio: the Oliver House, The Venues, Nazareth Hall, Schedel Gardens or Scarlet Oaks Estate. From there, couples can select two date options and a collection that fits their needs.
“The idea is it’s going to cut back on a lot of the decision making,” Burks said.
Instead of interviewing multiple vendors for flowers, cakes, photography, decorations and officiants, Hitched419 offers all of those in one place. The streamlined process saves time for busy couples, she said.
“It can be kind of overwhelming,” trying to select vendors, Burks said. “There are so many great people to choose from.”
So Hitched419 provides the ease of a Vegas drive-thru wedding, while creating a more meaningful event, Smeltzer said.
The need for smaller weddings emerged with the coronavirus pandemic – with Gov. Mike DeWine initially limiting the number of people who could gather to 10.
The vendors involved with Hitched419 immediately saw couples postponing their wedding plans.
Gladieux said 47 of the couples she was working with rescheduled their weddings.
“I’m feeling really bad for clients who had to reschedule,” she said.
But Hitched419 offers a slimmed down version for couples who don’t want to wait, and who want to keep themselves and their guests safe.
“We know it’s not a dream wedding,” Gladieux said. “But it’s following all the rules.”
All packages include an officiant, photography, personal flowers for the couple, a ceremony arch and a cake from Crowned Cakes by Jess. A la carte options will also be made available – if the couple wants such additions as more flowers, a bigger cake or more guests.
Pricing starts at $1,995. These collections were made to fit current gathering stipulations of less than 10 people due to COVID-19. However, they are also designed for those who just want a simplified, more intimate wedding experience instead of traditional nuptials.
“This will help couples to still have a gorgeous wedding without the months of stress and cost,” Gladieux said.
“This is something that the couples can customize as much as they want to,” Smeltzer said. “The chassis is lean, but you can put a lot of things on it.”
For more information, visit http://bit.ly/hitched419.
