Stressed-out brides-to-be around the country are fantasizing of their perfect day; them being embraced by the man of their dreams, vowing their eternal love for one another in front of the rolling surf, and their feet planted firmly in the sand. . .on South Padre Island.
There's plenty of money to be spent -- rooms to rent, Receptions to plan, Caters to hire, Flowers to buy, Photographers to hire and Limos to line up -- and plenty of money to be made.

South Padre’s resorts and hotels are increasingly looking to weddings as a big-ticket moneymaker -- and constantly seeking ways to make the market even bigger. Someday, if all of our marketing and promotions pay off as we hope, South Padre Island will be known as the destination for weddings all along the gulf coast (or at least the tropical tip of Texas).

In many ways, businesses argue, it already is. Some of our hotels; which are also sponsors on our weddings web sites, are reporting a banner year, and more local businesses are tailoring their services and goods to the beach wedding market.

"I know our business has really expanded because of beach weddings," said Jackie, a wedding consultant and photographer located on South Padre Island, "There are more and more people realizing that each wedding we book, brings guests and those guests translate into big dollars. There’s just no way to beat a package deal that brings 50-250 pre-paid bookings to your place of business be it a hotel, restaurant or beach related activity."

In other ways merchants say South Padre Island is missing out on a chance to make the beach-wedding industry even bigger by failing to market its Beach Weddings to out-of-state residents and by not being more aggressive in spreading the word.

Either way, there is a lot of money at stake. Weddings held on beaches and other resorts -- known as "destination weddings" -- account for nearly one-in-five weddings or 408,000 a year, according to "The Beach Wedding Report," which will soon publish its annual industry statistics. Their appeal is tied partly to couples' increasing affluence, said Jerry Wilson, director of the Southern Texas Tourism group. As couples marry later in life, disposable income rises, and "destination" locales gain allure.

For 2006, the average U.S. wedding is predicted to cost $27,573.00 -- not including all the money spent by guests. Weddings are expected to contribute $60.8 billion to the economy this year. All that potential profit creates formidable competition among destinations.

Web sites such as South Padre Weddings  and Beach Bride Guides aim to help brides -- and in turn, South Padre businesses -- by guiding them toward services. This last year, South Padre resident Jerry Wilson created the web guide called www.Southpadreweddings.com  for just that purpose. The response was so overwhelming that it prompted plans for two more Beach Bride related web sites to include an on line Beach Bridal Store.

"It's the first thing I've ever done where I had advertisers calling me after it came out and grumbling, 'Why didn't someone call me?' That just doesn't happen in advertising," he said.

The marketing efforts do strike their target among brides, who see the South Padre Island resort area as a wedding destination that's economically appealing, geographically well-situated and even romantically inclined, wedding planners and beach promoters say.

It’s a wonderful weddings destination and honeymoon location wrapped up in a family reunion fun spot that most invited guests can afford!

"It felt like home in a way to me," said bride-to-be Katie Wallace, a Far North Texas Resident whose wedding is set for Oct. 5 on South Padre. She has spent vacations there since childhood, and saw South Padre Island as a good "neutral" location for both families. "It's a very calming place. It's not as overwhelming a place as Florida or the Bahamas would be."

Even though the wedding phenomenon isn’t new on South Padre Island; merchants and innkeepers say that during normally busy summer months, it is becoming an increasingly important facet of business. “I’ll tell ya, July is a nightmare, “Erick an Innkeeper said, “I get calls every day for weddings and people needing help with resources.”

Some beach businesses specifically target the wedding market; however, the potential for profits at an array of beach businesses has caught the attention of the local chamber of commerce and tourist groups. "It just keeps trickling down," said Jackie of South Padre Weddings, whose group has invested heavily in promoting South Padre Island beaches as a premiere weddings destination.

 
Here's a quick breakdown of expenses, projected by the staff at Beach Bride Guides, a full-service bridal web site with national advertising:

Bridal attire and wedding party attire, including the flower girl - $2,000-$2,500.

Tuxedoes - $400-600.

Flowers for the wedding party and table at the reception hall - $500-1,500.

For an average wedding reception of 175 to 200 people, expect to pay $30-50 per person for food and drinks: about $10,000.

Limo - $300-600

Music DJ/live band - $500-700

Photography and Video $1500.00-3500.00

Invitations - $150-300

Engagement ring and jewelry - $2,000.

Wedding cake - $250-500.

Honeymoon: The sky is the limit, but plan on $3,000-5,000 for a weeklong getaway.

"Add those numbers up, it's $15,000 to $20,000 in expenses with maybe $5,000 coming back as presents," said Jerry Wilson, managing partner of Beach Bride Guides.

"The point is that this is money that's generated and spent in the South Padre Island market. That's not cake crumbs"

Do you promise to spend? 'I do!'
Virtually every planned wedding has this much in common:

It's an emotional and spiritual ceremony surrounded by dollar signs.

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