About 20 couples attended a bridal open house Sunday at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center.
Joseph and Bria Flowers met as freshmen at this university six years ago. By their sophomore year, they were dating. About a year after their 2010 graduation, they got engaged.
For these two former Terps, the choice of venue for their wedding was obvious, and in July, the couple stepped into the Memorial Chapel to exchange their vows on the campus where they first fell in love.
“We thought it would be great to have the wedding where it all started,” Joseph Flowers said.
Every year, dozens of brides and grooms like the Flowers opt to celebrate their nuptials on the university campus. The Memorial Chapel hosted 88 wedding ceremonies last year, while the staff at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center hosts about 30 ceremonies and countless receptions each year, according to staff members.
Amy Royle, a 2012 alumna, attended the Calvert Cotillion with her fiance just last year, and she now looks forward to returning to the alumni center for their wedding in the fall.
“Maryland has been a big part of my family. It has been a place of opportunity and also a place where we found love,” Royle said. “So I’m tying the knot in September 2013 at my school. It seems perfect.”
On Sunday, Royle joined about 20 other eager couples in crossing the threshold into the alumni center for the March bridal open house. The registrants were greeted by a wedding-esque sprawl and an expo of friendly wedding-related companies, including caterers, florists, limo services, jewelry and makeup sellers and photographers.
The companies’ reps all had the same message for the brides-to-be: they were there to make brides’ dreams come true.
“That’s what we’re all about – making it to be whatever you want it to be,” Sameeha Bricklemyer, owner and designer of The Inked Leaf stationery, told one future bride.
The alumni center hosts open houses in January, March and the fall, according to staff members. Depending on the number of guests, the center also offers several different wedding packages. Current students, faculty and staff can receive a 15 percent discount, while Alumni Association members receive a 5 percent discount.
However, the remaining price tag can still be a deterrent for some.
“In general, the cost might be higher than we expected,” 2007 alumnus Charles Chang said.
Charles and his fiance Monica Chang, who is also an alumna, plan to get married next spring. So far, they said, their biggest obstacle is finding a venue that fits within the confines of their budget.
“We just started [planning], and it’s already slightly stressful,” Monica Chang said.
While the couple has yet to decide, they said this campus would be their first choice for a wedding venue if they can afford it.
“We went to Maryland,” Chang said. “We met at Maryland. So it would be ideal, and it is such a beautiful venue.”
Joseph Flowers agreed, saying the experience of tying the knot at his alma mater was well worth the cost.
“It was magnificent,” he said of his wedding. “It was the perfect day.”
