McKinney, TX -- Weddings aren’t just for churches any more.

Weddings are big business in McKinney, with many brides leaving the idea of a traditional church ceremony behind and opting instead for a more unique setting for their nuptials.

“We’ve had several brides and grooms come back here to get married because they showed their livestock out here as kids,” said Linda Dixon, manager of the 165-acre Myers Park & Event Center on County Road 166 just north of U.S. 380.

Myers Park is the site of the numerous livestock shows, rodeos, horse shows and dog agility competitions, and rugged camping in the woods. What brings brides to Myers Park, though, is its picturesque wedding spot – a lakeside gazebo with room for guest seating overlooking the gentle hills and trees of the park.

Having shown livestock as a teen at the then-Collin County Youth Park was one of the reasons Aubrey Waller England, 25, chose Myers Park’s gazebo for her March 15 wedding to fellow U.S. Marine Wade England, 24.

“I used to show cows up there when I was in high school,” said England who met her husband while they were stationed together in California. “I didn’t remember they had the wedding facility here, but we wanted something outdoors and some place where we could bring in our own food for the reception. When we went back out there looking at possible spots, I knew it was the perfect place.”

Clad in a traditional formal gown and non-traditional cowboy boots, England rode across the park’s bridge and up to the gazebo on a flower-decked four-wheeler to exchange vows with Wade. She then whisked her groom on the same vehicle, dragging a cluster of clanking root beer cans behind them, up the hill to the recently-rebuilt “The Landing” banquet hall for their Saturday evening reception with their more than 200 guests.
 
“We’ve also had ceremonies with dogs serving as ring bearers and attendants,” Dixon laughed. “We’re very flexible here.”

Another non-traditional wedding venue growing in popularity is the McKinney Performing Arts Center. The Courtroom Theatre can accommodate large ceremonies while the building’s other rooms can accommodate smaller ceremonies and receptions of varying sizes.

“We had two weddings our first year [2006] and six weddings last year,” said MPAC Events Coordinator Joyce Nissen. “We’ve had one wedding this year, but we have three more on the books so far and have been getting lots more e-mail inquiries lately.”

Brides can pay a rental fee for use of the Wurlitzer organ in the theatre at MPAC, too, Nissen explained, and are then responsible for hiring an organist.

Owners of the Bingham House, a bed and breakfast on Chestnut Street, have built much of their business around weddings, while just down the street at Chestnut Square Historic Village, brides enjoy a more traditional setting with an historical twist.  In 2007, 90 brides and grooms got hitched at Chestnut Square – some outdoors and others at the historic chapel -- with 39 weddings already performed there so far this year.

“We just repainted the inside of the chapel and put in new carpet. Stained Glass of McKinney donated stained glass for our windows, so the chapel’s all fresh and beautiful in time for Spring,” said Chestnut Square Executive Director Cindy Johnson. 

The village also has a fresh new Web site (www.chestnutsquare.org) that launched in mid-March. The site offers brides extensive information about venues for both chapel and outdoor ceremonies as well as reception facilities.
 
A popular date at both MPAC and Chestnut Square this year is Saturday, June 7, with two weddings booked that day at MPAC and three booked that day at Chestnut Square.

“Brides want the novelty of the 6-7-8 date [6/7/08],” Johnson said.

Most of the less traditional venues are available without a lot of advance planning, so for brides who don’t have the traditional six months or more to plan, the facilities are convenient options. In fact, Chestnut Square offered a special discount for last minute brides during January and February this year, as those are slower months and they wanted to encourage bookings.

“We may look next year at promoting February as a good time to renew your vows, too,” Johnson said.

Wedding ceremonies are becoming such a big thing in McKinney, the McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau identified weddings as a special tourism niche. The MCVB Web site (www.visitmckinney.com) lists wedding and reception facilities with click-through ability to book rooms at the city’s motels and bed-and-breakfasts. The MCVB staff also helps brides negotiate motel room rates and find facilities for the big day.

** For more information, contact: MCKINNEY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
Beth Shumate, Communication Services Manager
bshumate@visitmckinney.com; (214) 544-1407or (888) 649-8499

About McKinney CVB: The McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau’s vision is to generate economic impact by promoting and developing McKinney as a premiere destination for business and leisure travelers, so they fully experience McKinney’s historic charm and friendly, unique atmosphere.