Many Couples Saying 'I Don't' To Weddings During Pope's Visit
By Marcy Norton
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Planning on getting married next month? Chances are you won't be doing it in Center City on the weekend of the Papal visit.
The end of September is normally a popular time for brides and grooms to say "I do," but area wedding planners say that's not so this year.
Gina Sole, owner of "The Wedding Planner" in Rittenhouse Square, says she hasn't had a bride-to-be ask about the last weekend in September since way back in January, and that bride didn't even book:
"Events are not being planned, most of the ballrooms, unfortunately, are empty in the city, hotel room blocks are definitely at maximum capacity."
So what does this mean for wedding planners?
"Myself and a lot of my colleagues, we've spoken about it, and we definitely have a free weekend," Sole says.
Stephanie Fitzpatrick of EBE Talent says many of their clients have rescheduled or postponed weddings originally planned for that weekend, and some have chosen alternate venues:
"We have quite a few out on the Main Line, North Philly and Bucks County area, over the bridge into Jersey..."
For those, she says, the challenge is finding ways to get the company's talent routed to the events, considering the travel restrictions in place that weekend:
"Guests are gonna run late and it may end up putting the event behind for the evening."
But Fitzpatrick says they're reassuring nervous brides their events will go off without a hitch.
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