If you are attempting to organize a wedding and are concerned about sky-high costs, then the Town of Shaunavon wants to help you “marry on the prairie” without spending thousands of dollars.
In recent years there has been a growing trend toward “pop-up weddings,” where couples looking to say “I do” can tie the knot without acquiring a hefty price tag and stress usually associated with a traditional wedding.
Shaunavon, “a progressive rural community” has jumped on board this pop-up craze and is offering a one-day wedding and vow renewal experience on Saturday, June 13, 2020, with an event named “Marry on the Prairie,” according to a town news release.
Visit www.shaunavon.com/marryontheprairie or Facebook for more information.
Spectacular green space
Marry on the Prairie will offer almost everything a traditional wedding might offer while creating an intimate, all-inclusive and memorable celebration in the heart of southwest Saskatchewan.
The event will take place at Memorial Park and Randy Surjik Amphitheatre, “a spectacular green space” in the heart of Shaunavon. If the weather is poor, the Crescent Point Wickenheiser Centre — a modern building that is the most popular indoor wedding venue in town — will be the alternate location.
Marry on the Prairie has created an all-inclusive wedding package for $379, the news release said. This includes: venue rental, officiant, registration and vows, one-night accommodation for the bridal couple, a decorated archway, photography, hors d’oeuvres, cake, a bottle of bubbles, a rose with a commemorative tag, basic bridal vehicle detailing, a chance to win a travel voucher, and seating for up to 10 guests.
Unique transportation
The town has also developed a variety of community partnerships for the bridal couple to take it up a notch with incredibly affordable enhancements.
From unique transportation — horse & carriage, antique cars, a massive prairie tractor — to fresh florals, extended photography sessions, beauty services, couples’ massage, nine holes of golf and cart rental, supper reservations or gourmet coffee party, a bridal brunch, a 30-minute aerial tour to view the prairie landscape, and the option to increase seating to 20 guests, the experience can be customized to fulfill each couple’s desires.
Marry on the Prairie is the brainchild of Dianne Greenlay, whose son Michael Kruse-Dahl and his fiancé, Allie Pev — much to Greenlay’s surprise — were married at a similar ceremony called Love on Robson in Vancouver last year, the news release explained.
Very quickly the initial shock of the non-traditional elopement was replaced with relief that they didn’t have to break the bank by paying for a traditional wedding.
Saving money important
“As I found out more about the pop-up wedding phenomenon, the idea made more and more sense to me,” said Greenlay. “These kinds of events … are sweeping the nation as young people are wisely choosing to put the thousands (of dollars) that a traditional wedding can cost towards their education, travel plans, and often a down payment on their first home.
“An idea quickly grew of making our quaint and beautiful town of Shaunavon the pop-up capital of the Canadian Prairies. We have since come up with so many exciting ideas to make the experience stress-free, fun, and very unique, as well as astonishingly affordable.”
Additionally, Kristy Thienes, Shaunavon’s economic development officer, has spearheaded the marketing campaign for Marry on the Prairie and is an advocate for elopements. In 2011, she and her husband, Garrett, secretly and surprisingly wed in Las Vegas in an intimate and unconventional ceremony. The money they saved by choosing a non-traditional ceremony went toward a down payment on their house.
Let others plan the wedding
“The greatest thing about your wedding is that it’s just that — yours. Our ceremony was about Garrett and I celebrating our love for one another, without the months of saving, planning, worrying or spending. Now, not only do we have a great story to tell, but we also own a house,” said Thienes.
Marry on the Prairie does all the legwork for spouses-to-be, empowering couples to have a special wedding day without the financial burden or stress of planning, the news release said. All they have to do is pre-register and show up with two witnesses and a Saskatchewan marriage licence.
The event is also a great opportunity for couples to renew their vows and to celebrate their love that has deepened over time; in which case, no marriage licence is required.
As traditional weddings often require couples to book venues a year in advance, organizers Greenlay and Thienes will attend wedding tradeshows in Saskatoon and Regina to let prospective couples know of the availability of this fun and affordable alternative to consider before laying down hefty non-refundable deposits for venues, décor, and caterers.
In addition, organizers encourage and welcome all interested couples to contact them at any time — the earlier the better — for more details and/or to pre-register for the next Marry on the Prairie event.
