Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Weddings in Wellfleet, Future and Past


Yesterday the phone rang and a cheery male voice inquired, “Would you rent your facility out for a wedding?”

I had to think quickly. “Ah, how many people are you expecting?”

“About eighty.”

Eighty guests would be a bit much for Chez Sven, so I thanked him for thinking of us and suggested Preservation Hall.

The building, under renovation, is located smack dab in the center of town and used to be a church. Here's a photo of one of the door panels, on display at the 2009 Garden Tour. From the Preservation Hall business plan: “Weddings and other large private parties will be a major source of revenue. We aim to make Wellfleet Preservation Hall, with its beautiful interior space and grounds, a destination for weddings, stepping in the trend that has developed in other towns on the Cape and Islands. WPH will offer the services of a wedding coordinator for a fee. We expect to have a significant number of such private functions in the Hall in the summer months.”

Next I contacted Simone at Preservation Hall for an update, and she responded, “We were just this morning thinking about what exactly will be happening, when, in the Hall once the construction is completed. Our current schedule calls for work to begin in January. We expect it will take about a year. So, we are planning for the Doors to Open in January 2011.”

The gentleman who called is, therefore, out of luck. Maybe he should get married on Uncle Tim’s Bridge, one of the more popular local wedding sites for now? Sven and I did. Sometimes people exchange vows on a Wellfleet beach or beside a pond. I guess the bride or groom wants to associate one of the most important events in life with a place that made him or her happy as a child?

Modern weddings have become extravagant affairs that sometimes last several days. Often an engaged couple even do research on accommodations for guests. I am always pleased to see Chez Sven high on a wedding Web site list. We’re glad to have wedding guests stay because of the positive energy, which is contagious. Weddings put everyone in a jolly mood. We had a family from England, here this September for an intimate wedding in Orleans. The son, an airline pilot, had fallen in love with the Cape. We were able to accommodate his two sisters, a child and husband, as well as the groom‘s parents. Sven and I hit it off with the parents, psychotherapists both my age, and actually received an invitation to visit them in London.

We also received guests in early August who were attending a bash at the Chequessett Yacht & Country Club and had flown in from Los Angeles and Miami, two friends separated by a continent and so very happy to be reunited, if only for a weekend. This wedding brought an unexpected bonus for me when I admired their outfits and sandals, especially the sandals. I found them so attractive I ordered myself a pair!

Have you ever attended a wedding in Wellfleet? Do you dream of getting married here? Would you consider Preservation Hall as an option?