RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Summer is the season for wedding bells and the Black Hills typically sees lots of white gowns and large celebrations. But the pandemic hit the wedding industry across the nation, causing couples to scale down to a handful of guests or postpone their plans.
With fewer COVID restrictions and millions of people being vaccinated, will the Black Hills be full of wedding bells again this summer?
For more than 50 years, the Chapel in the Hills has drawn in visitors, students taking prom photos, and even wedding parties. The chapel however felt the weight of the pandemic last summer as guests dwindled and weddings were canceled or rearranged.
“We did mainly outside weddings last year,” said Joyce Kringen, co-director for Chapel in the Hills. ”Basically, the weddings were about half last year and that was pretty much true with everything here at the chapel. We had about half the number of visitors that we usually do.”
Others in the wedding industry were hit too but one entrepreneur crossed her fingers and hoped 2021 wouldn’t be a mirror of 2020.
“I knew that people had delayed their weddings and figured this would be a big summer,” said Amy Sherer, owner of Black Hills Photo Bus. ”It was a gamble, buying it during a time when things were a little shutdown and a little bit of uncertainty but had to kind of trust that this wouldn’t be forever and the idea was too good not to take advantage of.”
Scherer bought the Black Hills Photo Bus in November 2020, with high hopes for 2021, hopes Kringen shares as more people book weddings and reach out for inquiries.
“I would probably say we’re about average right now,” said Kringen. “They will continue to come in as the summer goes along. The chapel is a place for people wanting to do something fairly small and intimate services.”
As far as weddings go, things feel like they’re returning to normal. And as the pandemic’s end seems to be drawing near, people are looking to celebrate more than just nuptials.
“We have about 16 bookings right now, mostly weddings, we do have a graduation and some people inquiring about reunions,” said Sherer. ”Just gauging from people that I talk to, I feel like a lot of people feel more confident going out now that they’ve had the vaccine, or they’ve had the virus and feel they have some sort of immunity. So, I’m seeing confidence in a lot of the people I talk to, in terms of feeling safer now.”
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