UPDATED 12/10/20
Forget the long, drawn out wedding — Harry Williams couldn’t wait to get married to his girlfriend Charlotte back in the summer of 1964.
Williams asked his now wife if she wanted to marry him on a Monday, that Saturday, they said “I do.” But fifty years later they decided to return to their wedding site and exchange vows for the second time in the now little known Historic Little Wedding Chapel in Elkton, Maryland.
Thirty-nine percent of proposals occur between the months of November and February, while December poses as the most common month for engagements (16%). But the Williams couple was unique: They had little time, and little money to experience a grand wedding. Nowadays, couples pay an average of $4,000 for the engagement ring alone.
“He’s been an amazing husband,” said now 68-year-old Charlottle Williams. The couple recently took a private bus, packed in their closest family members and friends from New Jersey, and set out to Maryland to renew their vows.
The little town of Elkton was once considered the marriage capital of the East Coast, with more than a thousand couples tying the knot there each year due to Maryland’s lax marriage license laws. These days, New York City is the most popular East Coast City to get married in, with the average cost to get married there being $86,916.
At it’s peak, the town’s “Marriage solicitors” once greeted buses and trains as they came into the area; there were billboards advertising wedding services. However, in 1939, the state passed a 48-hour waiting period for couples wanting to marry, which resulted in the number of weddings held in the town to reduce drastically.
Today, the church the Williams couple was married in still stands, yet it is the only remaining chapel in town and sees around 200 couples get married every year. This may be due to falling marriage rates around the nation, which fell more than 5% during the recession. People are getting married at an older age now, or can’t afford to be married.
“People aren’t getting married like they used to,” said chapel owner and minister Rev. Frank Smith. “There’s not that pressure [to be married].”
Even though the ceremonies at the Historic Little Wedding Chapel are short, “we take weddings very seriously here,” said Smith. And the chapel and town of Elkton is still well known as a wedding mecca
While it can be exhausting trying to decide if you should get married or not your wedding does not have to cost you a fortune. A marriage certificate in Maryland costs you at most $85 while a simple bridal bouquet can cost as little as $65. There are many different all included wedding venues in Maryland it’s all about how simple or extravagant you want your celebration to be. The importance of marriage is still there however many couples are choosing or simply can’t afford to get married. On average 2.4 million people get married in the US per year and couples borrow an average of $16,000 to get married. Having a place that covers all the things you need for a wedding helps lower the stress of your special day. Get to know the all in one wedding shop near the wedding location you want, don’t be afraid to take the plunge. Remember a wedding ceremony you attended and take the simple pleasures from that wedding. Remember to keep your family and friends in mind and remember a wedding is about bringing people together and don’t forget about the couple from the little wedding chapel Maryland.
Getting married shouldn’t be an overly complicated thing to do. Going to a little wedding chapel is usually a low-stress way to plan and hold a wedding. The most important aspects of the wedding are the attire and the people who come to share the moment with you. The wedding rings are probably the most important jewelry of the event, but there are others that brides like to wear on their big day.
Before choosing your wedding jewelry, think about the many different kinds that you could choose from. There is rhinestone bridal jewelry, which can be fun and sparkly. There is rustic wedding jewelry, which is perfect for rustic weddings. There is also upscale jewelry that is usually right for an upscale wedding with many attendants. If you’re having trouble choosing your wedding jewelry, there are many online catalogs that you can look through to find just the right set for your taste. When you’re shopping for your pieces, don’t forget Amazon and eBay for jewelry that is reasonably priced. When you’ve chosen your wedding jewelry, you can feel confident that you will look great and that your jewelry will be a reflection of your personality and tastes.
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