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Arts
Tied in Knots Wedding planners are hurting as couples turn to mini-ceremonies to follow social distance rules
BY NINA RANGEL
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With large gatherings up in the air for the foreseeable future, wedding industry professionals say they’re seeing more couples downsize to avoid postponing their special day.
Those smaller gatherings — called “minimonies” — are helping couples salvage their wedding plans by bringing together 10 or fewer guests in a way that follows social distance guidelines. But San Antonio’s wedding industry vendors say they’re feeling the financial impact.
“I’ve stayed afloat somehow,” said San Antonio floral designer Erin Rose. “I’ve had a few weddings that have just had to happen, funerals. The weddings I have booked over the next few weeks are going to be just the bride, groom and their minister.”
That’s a big change, considering the average wedding size in the Alamo City tended to average around 120 people before the pandemic.
Spring is the most popular season for weddings in Texas, and COVID-19 has ripped the proverbial rug out from under both couples and the vendors who help them pull off the ceremonies.
“This is typically when I build my nest egg for the summer,” Rose said. “Before it gets too hot for people to get married.”
During her 25 years in the business, Tara LaMontia — owner of Flour and Bloom Events, an event planning service in the Texas Hill Country — has never seen anything like the current slump.
“Like any business, there’s always an ebb and flow, but this has been devastating,” she said. “Not only financially, but emotionally.”
Ten couples LaMontia was working with have canceled or rescheduled ceremonies in the past two months. That’s created a ripple effect. Florists, waitstaff, bartenders, caterers, dry cleaners, musicians, photographers and venue maintenance staff are also affected by each cancellation.
“People don’t understand how far-reaching it is when they have to cancel,” LaMontia says. “To have to keep telling other vendors, ‘You know, I’m sorry, it’s just not happening,’ is emotionally draining.”
In interviews with five wedding professionals, the consensus was that the social distancing policies will lead engaged couples to consider smaller weddings instead of the pricy soirees that grew in popularity over the past few years. And they don’t expect that to change for the foreseeable future.
“The average wedding is $30,000,” LaMontia said. “People are realizing that that amount could be a sizable downpayment on a nice home.”
As with most industries affected by the pandemic,
wedding pros are unsure of what the new normal will look like. However, those who survived previous downturns say humans still crave the comfort of gathering together.
“After 9/11, weddings were still happening,” LaMontia said. “It was one of the most horrible things to have ever happened to the United States, but we were still able to get together and hug each other. Weddings are such a celebration of love, and when that’s taken away from us, we realize just how much we need it.”
LUMINARIA ARTIST FOUNDATION OPENS SECOND ROUND OF EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANTS
On the heels of a May 9 telethon fundraiser to support local creators, the Luminaria Artist Foundation has opened up a second round of Corona Arts Relief Grants.
After applications flooded in for the first round of the emergency grants in April, the organization had to close its submission window early. Now, local artists have another chance to apply for up to $600 in emergency funding, which is intended to make up for lost revenue during the pandemic and to provide opportunities for professional development.
Interested parties have until 5 p.m. on May 21 to submit applications at luminariasa.org/for-artists/#grants.
— Kelly Merka Nelson
Virtual Speed Dating Service Aims to Let San Antonians Connect During Social Distancing
BY STEVE HARGIS
Dating’s go¨ en more diffi cult in a socially distant world. Sure, restaurants — one of the most common locations for fi rst dates — have reopened, but there are still be a capacity limits, and many people still don’t feel safe venturing out.
One local speed-dating service sees that as opportunity and is off ering folks a way to mingle in a safe environment: on the web.
Speed San Antonio Dating is taking the traditional quick meet-and-greet model many are familiar with from movies and TV and taking it online. It hosts a series of online dating nights for people ages 25-39.
The Virtual Speed Dating Events require a mobile phone, a tablet or computer with camera and microphone. After checking in, a¨ endees wait in a virtual lobby as the other online daters arrive. A host will pair them off in private rooms to get to know each other. After each seven- to eight-minute date, users will be rotated into a diff erent room to meet a new person.
Throughout the night, daters make notes about whom they wish to see again, and send those choices to the host. If their selections reciprocate, a match notifi cation will go out via e-mail later the same evening.
Speed dating has come a long way since the late 1990s. Even so, studies suggest it’s got an imperfect record in building love connections. One study conducted by a pair of UK universities discovered that for every selection a woman makes, there’s roughly a 50% chance the man will see her again while for men there’s only a one-in-fi ve chance that the woman will want to reunite.
arts
Twitter : Skype
Antonio and Hollywood connections has splashed onto the scene.
Early this month, Spotify debuted Son of a Hitman, which delves into the story of Charles Harrelson, who was served a life term for the 1979 murder of U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr. in San Antonio.
Notably, Charles Harrelson is also the father of actor Woody Harrelson, whose debut on the beloved TV series Cheers came two years after the elder Harrelson was sentenced for Wood’s murder.
Hosted by journalist Jason Cavanagh, the 10-part series debuted its fi rst two episodes on May 5, with additional episodes dropping each Tuesday. The episodes feature new interviews with Harrelson family members, including Woody’s brothers Bre¨ and Jordan.
New Podcast Explores the Conviction of Woody Harrelson’s Father for Killing a San Antonio Judge
Anew true-crime podcast with both San
According to Entertainment Weekly, Woody Harrelson didn’t participate in the making of the podcast. Even so, Cavanagh was able to interview many others who crossed paths with the gambler and convicted killer, including “an FBI agent assigned to
However, the pandemic has forced people to get creative with things that would normally require meeting in public places, whether for work, school or, yes, dating.
The San Antonio Virtual Speed Dating event series will run through May 28. Information on reservations, available dates, times and pricing is available online.
Houston Police Department
MA still from an interview of Charles Harrelson.
the assassination case and a nephew of the drug kingpin who allegedly masterminded Wood’s slaying.”
The podcast is available to stream on Spotify. — Kelly Merka Nelson
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