Strictly Business: Q&A with Kyle Brown of the Kern County Bridal Association
| Thursday, Jul 08 2010 06:41 PM
Last Updated Thursday, Jul 08 2010 06:43 PM
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Kyle Brown
Life goes on, even in an economic downturn. People still get married, for instance, but many have to figure out a way to do it cheaper. We checked in with the local wedding planning industry to find out what impact the economy is having on local nuptials.
NAME: Kyle Brown
TITLE/OCCUPATION: Founder, Kern County Bridal Association & Bridal Association of America
AGE: 43
FAMILY: Married to LeeAnn, business and life partner, with two children, Alex, 19 and Taylor, 15
Question: When was the Kern County and Bakersfield Bridal Association founded?
A: 1994
Q: How many members do you have?
A: 134 members in the local association at this time, with an additional 55 in the national association beginning chapters in other areas.
Q: Who does your membership include?
A: Our membership includes specialists covering all aspects of weddings and other kinds of special events as well as things you'll need after the wedding to begin a life together.
Q: Do you only provide services to your members or can the public call you for referrals?
A: The association was founded to try to connect the public to local providers of goods and services, so we provide referrals to both brides and professionals looking to connect with brides or each other. Our members are listed on our website TheBestWeddings.com.
We also include participating members' information in our annual planning publication, "The Wedding Book," which is available free at member locations, Russo's Books and Barnes & Noble.
Q: In the economic downturn, people are cutting back just about everywhere. Are weddings untouchable, or are they more modest?
A: Like most businesses, the wedding industry has suffered as a result of the economy. We have seen more modest celebrations in some cases, but others have just lengthened the engagement period to save money toward the event. We've also noticed more and more families contributing small parts toward the wedding, rather than a gift per se.
Q: Are men still wearing tuxedos, or do you find more business suits?
A: I ran this question by Carl Leech, owner of Mr. Tuxedo. He said, "Tuxedos are still the standard for the traditional wedding. When the bride is wearing a formal wedding dress, it's still inappropriate to wear a suit. If the bride is more casual in her attire, the groom can be a little more casual as well."
Q: How are destination weddings faring in this climate. Do people still go to distant, exotic locales or are people doing their nuptials close to home?
A: In our area, I would have to say there are less distant destination weddings. We see people heading over to the Central Coast, local mountains and lakes in the hot summer months; and, of course, Las Vegas, but the trend has gone away from long trips toward locations within driving distance.
Q: Often people like to go to coastal communities for anything upscale. Does Bakersfield have sufficient quality venues for a truly sophisticated wedding?
A: We have beautiful facilities in and around Bakersfield, and we also have members in coastal communities, lakeside and at mountain resorts. However, the look of any location can be enhanced with decorations and lighting.
Q: There's a longstanding cultural trend that hemlines go up with the stock market. What are some fashion trends you've noticed in the Great Recession?
A: I referred this question to Colleen Bastin-Marion, owner of Enchanted Bridal, who said that shorter hemlines appear primarily on brides with destination weddings. "Shorter, more flowing gowns are the trend in destination settings where brides are combining the wedding and the honeymoon into a single event," she said. "We still see a steady stream of traditional weddings featuring longer gowns layered with petticoats. I'm also seeing quite a few older brides who prefer colored gowns to white or ivory."
Q: Are there any upcoming bridal shows people can go to to explore their options?
A: Our next bridal show is the "Fall Fairytale Bridal Event" on Oct. 17 at Bakersfield Convention Center Marriott featuring 55 exhibitors. We're also partnering with KERO TV's "Latino Bride and Quinceanera Expo" in August at the fairgrounds.
Q: Do you really need a year-long engagement to plan a proper wedding anymore? How much time is reasonable to pull off something that doesn't look thrown together?
A: The professionals we work with could literally pull a wedding off in two weeks or less without compromising the quality, but it's a lot of work and stress for everyone involved. To protect your sanity and your budget, I would recommend nine to 12 months before just to ensure availability of your location and other professionals. In a pinch, like a military leave situation, it's possible within a month or two; it's just harder to get everything and everyone together.
Q: Are most weddings still held in churches and other houses of worship or are you seeing more secular venues?
A: I would have to say it's about half and half now, which is less than what it was maybe 10 years ago. The trend has really been to combine wedding ceremony and reception locations to cut costs.
Q: Are people hosting full sit-down dinners, buffets or is it down to cake and punch?
A: We have a few seated dinners, but most brides opt for buffet service, more in the interest of time than cost.
Q: What are popular colors this year and why are those colors dominant?
A: Our florists and decorators tell us that spring and fall remain the predominant seasons for Bakersfield weddings. Popular colors this time of year lean toward the fall selections -- deep plums, burgundy and red, and greens of varying shades according to the season.
Q: What's the average wedding budget in Bakersfield?
A: The information that we gather changes as the planning goes from beginning to end, but I would say the average cost is about $16,000 in our area.
