BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – With people rescheduling, downsizing or even cancelling their weddings due to the Coronavirus, local businesses that rely heavily on weddings have had to make some changes.
Two businesses in Bowling Green’s Fountain Square Park say that they had to adapt to the pandemic.
The Charleston is a newer and highly-sought out wedding hot spot. Venue manager Robyn Ford said during Covid, some of their customers have had to scale down their big days. To help out those couples, they’ve offered the couples larger, additional wedding receptions once the pandemic started to slow down. Ford said this was not a strategic financial move, but one that’s built trust between their business and the community.
“For us, it’s paid off because we have gotten more bookings than ever before, and people are really appreciating how we handled the pandemic,” said Ford.
Also in the square is Morris Jewelry, a jewelry shop that experienced the same business decrease at the start of the pandemic and now a big boom in customers.
“Initially, a little bit of a slow down,” remembered salesman Jim Sears. “Just more family weddings, but now, gangbusters. People had money to burn. They were going to burn holes in their pockets with their money.”
The Charleston and Morris Jewelry are seeing a new trend since the pandemic with more and more brides and grooms from out of town.
“What you’re seeing is new weddings plus the weddings that we have re-booked, said Ford.
“Folks not from Bowling Green are getting married here,” said Sears. “I think it’s because downtown has everything that you need. You can get the venue, you can get the rehearsal dinner, you can get everything, your flowers, all just within this really close area, and cost wise it’s a lot cheaper than Nashville.”
“People are starting to feel, just now with the vaccine, that they want to get out and celebrate,” said Ford.
