NEWS

Wedding bells ring thanks to College Conference Services

Some alumni return to their roots for their wedding days

by Nicole Palmer

The Conference Services department may be conspicuously located in Stevenson Dining Hall, but it is advertised in Oberlin's web page as "Lorain County's Best Kept Secret" for one of the services it performs. It is little-known to the Oberlin community that Conference Services has been renting out wedding space for Oberlin alumni, children of faculty members and Oberlin residents for several years now.

Reverend Manfred J. Lassen thinks people choose to get married in Oberlin because of the scenery. "Fairchild Chapel is a very sought-after place for weddings because of its Romanesque style and lovely stained glass windows," he said.

Clark Bandstand, the Carnegie Root Room, Fairchild Chapel and the Asia House courtyard are among the most popular places to hold wedding ceremonies at Oberlin, according to Assistant Director of Conference Services Nanci Hardwick.

Amy de Jesus, daughter of Associate Professor of French Nelson de Jesus, was married in a quiet, civil ceremony away from the streets in the Asia House courtyard in July 1994. "They had a beautiful set-up. It was all done in a beautiful white-the tables, chairs and linens," de Jesus said. Chinese lanterns hung throughout the courtyard and added to the festivity.

The Oberlin Inn also provides couples with a full package that is customized to their needs and includes table decorations, dinner itself and cocktail services. This custom package was created 12 years ago with the arrival of Inn Catering Manager Stephanie Sedar.

Although the Inn uses Fairchild Chapel as a bad-weather backup for ceremonies held on the Inn's front lawn, Sedar recalls one wedding this past August that the bride and groom were determined to have outside come rain or shine. And rain it did.

"At five p.m. the ceremony started. The thunder was so loud that they could hardly hear the minister. It was quite a wild event and we weren't sure if we were going to have to evacuate the 160 guests," Seder said.

There had even been tornado warnings broadcast that afternoon, but they did little to deter the couple. "[The bride and groom] heard storms on your wedding bring you good luck," Sedar said, adding that everyone involved ended up having a wonderful evening.

Not all brides are so fortunate in the outcome of their weddings. Hardwick remembered an incident when one bride had bird seeds accidentally thrown into her ear and had to be taken to the hospital. "All the guests were waiting and waiting in the Root Room," Hardwick said.

To rent out the Root Room for a reception costs $500, which covers everything from setting up the tables to the custodial service. Fairchild Chapel can be rented for $200. Besides providing space, Oberlin also provides food through Marriott Food Services.

Catering Director, Manager and Chef Richard Panfil caters about two weddings a month during the summer and one every three months during the winter season. According to Panfil, people prefer the sliced roast beef and the honey ginger chicken for their wedding feasts. The menu, custom-designed for individual weddings, often includes a vegetarian option for guests.

The highlight of a wedding reception menu is the cake, which is baked in the bakery in the basement of South Hall. "There is always a fear of a falling [lopsided] cake," Sedar said in reference to possible cake-baking disasters.

When it comes to providing music for a wedding, couples often choose to hire Conservatory students. Hardwick commented that playing at weddings allows Conservatory students the opportunity to perform and earn extra money.

Mary Craig, OC '86 and daughter of Professor of Chemistry Norman Craig, hired the all-male a capella group the Obertones along with the now-defunct Oberlin Swing Band for her 1992 Halloween reception in the Root Room.

The date of the wedding was not chosen intentionally because of Halloween, but was the only time that her fiance's family could fly to the U.S. from their home in Europe. "The guests made jokes about coming in costumes," she said.

Her sister, Julia Lauten, held her 1989 wedding reception in Talcott Hall. Talcott had just been renovated that year, according to Craig.

Sedar said she has seen everything from very simple weddings to more elegant ones that at times include horse-drawn carriages. Couples who want pictures to remember their weddings by must hire their own photographer, however; the College package does not include one.

Amy de Jesus had her photos taken in Tappan Square. Other popular spots for photographs, according to Hardwick, include the Allen Art Museum, in front of the Memorial Arch in Tappan Square and in the lobby of Peters Hall.

Sophomore Candace Condry is one of many students who have seen weddings photographed around campus. "It's nice to remember there's a real world and people get married," she said.

Current students had a mixture of responses about whether they would return to Oberlin to get married.

"I don't have enough connections here. I have nothing other than friends who won't be living here in 10 years. It's a transient place," sophomore Rebecca Deeb said.

"If I was marrying someone from Oberlin I'd probably get married here. I think it would be a lot of fun," senior Ben Hellerstein said.

First-year Kathrine Roberts said, "Oberlin's a beautiful place. I'd love to get married here during the Spring."

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Copyright © 1997, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 126, Number 8, November 7, 1997

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