Couple uses area vendors for wedding

Feb 17, 2013 (The Dominion Post - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Take a bride, a groom, seven kids, family, friends and extraordinary local vendors, wrap them all up in a big wedding bow and what do you get An experience newlyweds Kristen and Perry Schweiss will never forget.

On Dec. 26, 2012, the couple was married on the roof of the Hotel Morgan in downtown Morgantown. Some couples may choose far-off destinations or solicit outside wedding planners and retailers.

Not Kristen and Perry. They decided to make their day both local and intimate.

"We considered taking the kids somewhere and doing it that way, but we both come from large families and all of our families are very close. So we decided to stay here and keep the wedding intimate," Kristen said.

The process of deciding to keep their nuptials local was far more taxing than the decision to use vendors located in Morgantown's downtown area. "We didn't specifically plan to use only downtown vendors," Kristen said. "It just kind of worked out that way because both of us are really more about experiences than anything else. When you go into the shops downtown you get a great, personalized experience." Daniel's, on High Street, provided the suits for Perry and his seven sons.

"The quality of service they provided was like going back in time. It was excellent," Perry said. "The way they treat you in there. You don't get that kind of service just anywhere." "There were seven boys ranging in age all the way down to 4 years old; it was wild," salesman Rusty Shoaf said. "We just accommodated Perry and the boys the best we could, and they were very appreciative of everything we were able to do." As the boys got suitedup at Daniel's, Kristen was living in a fairy tale across the street at Coni & Franc.

"This was my second wedding and I didn't want to feel silly. I wanted to wear a wedding dress, but I didn't want a 'wedding dress,' " Kristen said. "I wanted it to be special, and Connie and her girls made it happen. They were absolutely wonderful. Everything I needed for my body they provided. She was even thinking of me when I wasn't in the shop." Connie Merandi, coowner of Coni & Franc, said "Whenever all of our brides come in, we ask them what their vision is because we want to make all their bridal dreams come true. We're concerned with everything from the undergarments to the jewelry because it's not just about the dress, it's about how magnificent she looks and feels in it." During the planning process, Kristen and Perry also worked with Kuehn Sisters Jewelry, Slight Indulgence and Hotel Morgan and the Montmartre restaurant.

"Rob Rogers and his staff at the hotel were fantastic. We only met with them two or three times and they made every single thing we wanted exactly the way we wanted," Kristen said.

"Working with them was actually a wonderful experience," Rogers said of the couple. "They were so easy to collaborate with. The wedding was classic with modern influences, and it was the day after Christmas so everything was just beautifully decorated. Everything just fell into place. It was perfect." Local minister Kevin Cain with Kingdom Evangelical Methodist Church, and stylist David Steed with Tonique Trilogy, also had roles in the Schweiss' big day.

The couple believes using local vendors made their wedding special.

"We wouldn't change a thing because it was the preparation that made the entire thing that special," Kristen said. "I wasn't expecting it to be as great as it was. It was more spectacular than I dreamed it to be." ___ (c)2013 The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.) Visit The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.) at www.dominionpost.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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