Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 9, 1992 TAG: 9202060270
SECTION: YOUR WEDDING PAGE: YW-16 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By BECKY HEPLER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
NEW RIVER VALLEY OFFERS SPECIAL WEDDING SPOTS
They call it a production and in many ways planning a wedding is like directing a movie. Obviously, one of your first considerations is choosing the location.The traditional choice is usually the church or home of a family member or friend. However, the New River Valley offers several interesting alternatives for people who want something a little different.
The campus of Virginia Tech has been the scene of many weddings. The War Memorial Chapel is a very busy place in the wedding season, said Naomi Wilson, who directed more than 100 weddings there last year. While there are still spaces available for this year, she is already booking into 1993.
"We used to have even more weddings here, but since we started charging, the number has dropped off a bit," she said. The $75 gets you an hour rehearsal time, two hours wedding time and Wilson as a wedding director. "We have such a tight schedule, we don't allow outside wedding directors here," she said.
For those with an outdoor bent, there is the Tech amphitheatre near the duck pond as well as the gazebo. Couples who want to use these places or any other academic building on campus need to call the Event Planning Office in Squires Student Center. There is no fee and you can schedule up to a year in advance.
For other facilities on or near campus, such as the Continuing Education Center or the University Club, prospective brides and bridegrooms need to contact those places individually.
"I have often thought that the steps of McConnell Library or the fountain in the middle of the campus at Radford would be a beautiful spot for a wedding," said Jeff Corbin of Radford City Florists. While the University has no chapel, as such, other possible wedding sites include the sculpture garden, the alumnae garden and Heth ballroom. Dean of Students Bonnie Hurlburt said anyone interesting in using the facilities should contact the Scheduling Office in Heth Hall.
Another pretty Radford spot is the Norwood Room and Gallery. While it's been used more for receptions than weddings, vows could be exchanged there, said Manager Michelle Thacker. Its popularity is growing, so plan at least six months to a year in advance if you want to use it.
Ask any wedding director in the New River Valley to name favorite wedding sites and Mountain Lake Hotel gets mentioned every time. The resort hosts approximately 150 weddings a year. While most are during the April-to-October season, there have been some winter weddings.
Prospective brides can choose from several different sites at the resort. The gazebo is a big favorite, as are the ballrooms and the porch. The covered patio at the recreational barn can accommodate 200 people while the Lake House is used for smaller affairs.
As befits a popular place, advanced reservations are necessary, especially for the more popular dates in the summer. General Manager H.M. Scanland recommends a lead time of six months to a year.
The other lake in the area is also popular. The gazebo at Claytor Lake State Park is often the scene of weddings. People interested in reserving it and the picnic shelters nearby can contact the Park Superintendent's office at the lake. The reservations can be made by mail or in person but not over the telephone.
The park rents the gazebo by the day or the half-day ($36 and $18 respectively) and no wedding can be held after 8 p.m. because of the park's evening programs. The park has chairs you can borrow, but you are in charge of set-up and tear-down.
Picnic shelters also can be rented by the day and the half-day ($68 and $34 for the large one that holds over 120 people, $36 and $18 for the small ones that hold 40 to 50 people). The picnic shelters near the dam are owned by Apco, so call the power company in Pulaski if you want to use those.
The other fee to be paid is a parking fee for each car coming to the wedding. A park spokesman said that arrangements could be made so that the wedding party pays it, not the guests.
Formerly, if you liked the lake, but wanted indoor facilities, you could use the Homestead Inn in Draper. The patio off the Inn was framed by the water and made an ideal setting for a wedding. While there are weddings booked there through March 7, the future of the place is in doubt. Managers Bob and Betsy Thomas are leaving and the owners have not decided on the next step.
The New River Valley is an area of great natural beauty and that's the backdrop that many want for their wedding, despite the chaos that an outdoor location can create. Wind Rock on the Appalachian Trail and the Cascades are two places where outdoor weddings have been held.
Couples planning weddings at these sites or on any other national forest land that involve more than 20 people need to get a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service. There is no fee for the permit. The Forest Service noted that the permit only allows you to use the area for that purpose, not to close off the area to the public, so be prepared for some uninvited guests if you hold your wedding there.
For some couples, it is not the location that makes the wedding special, it's the transportation to the area. Limousine service that carries the bride and her father to the ceremony and the bride and bridegroom to the reception has become as common as flower girls.
For those enamoured of old-fashioned ways, you can rent a horse and buggy, complete with a driver in full regalia. Wedding photographer Frank Kruszyna remembers a couple delivered to the reception site in a genuine 1910 Stanley Steamer, lovingly restored by the bride's father.