The Ultimate Guide to Weddings in Roanoke, Virginia
Congratulations, YOU are getting married!
What an awesome, exciting and joyful time in your life, I can tell you that there is a LOT of thought, planning and prepping in the months ahead.
While there are literally thousands of blogs on the subject of weddings and getting married, there is not a great guide that helps give you information about getting married in our region of SWVA Virginia, until now.
Carole and I will be updating this guide on a regular basis so if there is something missing that you would like to add, just connect with us and let us know.
Well, my wife and wedding photographer, Carole, and I have put together this extensive guide to help give you information, guidance, and a few tips along the way for your local wedding.
Sections in this article:
One of the things that I’ve done in my career as a wedding vendor is collect data and lots of it. While I’ve been a Roanoke wedding videographer and filmmaker for more than 23+ years, I started collecting local data and stats back in 2012.
In 2020, the commonwealth had just over 57,000 couples get married, that from the VA Department of Vital Records. In 2018, that number was roughly 55,200.
Of that number, the entire region of Southwestern Virginia had roughly 16,000 of those, about 28%.
We can look even further into some stats and the City of Roanoke saw just over 2,000 of those weddings.
In our region, the wedding industry sees on average, a little more than $55 million dollars in sales.
THAT’S a LOT of money and that’s JUST in Roanoke city and Roanoke County alone!
If you are a regular follower of us here on the blog, you’ll know that we do have a few secrets to share, including two that we’ve never mentioned beforehand.
First things first, before you do anything, before you meet with a venue, pick a date or even meet with someone like me, you NEED to have your wedding budget in order.
This will literally be your bible to the wedding itself. We have a wedding budget tool that can help give you an idea of what you need to spend for each vendor category.
Another wedding secret that no one will tell you is to book your wedding during off-peak and off-season time frames. This is typically Mid-October through Mid-March if possible in our area. You’ll save the most amounts of money during these times.
Hire a wedding planner for the long haul. Yup, hiring one during the entire wedding process can actually save you more money in the long run than DIY.
It’s a myth that the wedding venue will cost you the most, in fact it’s usually second in line. The most expensive part of your wedding are the guests. Catering, cake and alcohol will consume upwards of 40% of your entire wedding budget. Learn how to trim the fat and save money on your wedding catering.
It’s also a myth that you need to tip all your wedding vendors. While its nice to get a card, some cash or a gift, only a handful of wedding vendors should get a tip.
We have the smallest church in Virginia and it’s located at Silver Hearth Lodge just outside of Roanoke. They offer both traditional weddings and micro-weddings too.
Believe it or not, Roanoke is home to one of the most popular wedding band manufacturers in the entire United States. John C Nordt is located near the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional airport and they produce nearly 80% of our wedding bands.
If you’re a Star Wars fan, rejoice! The Kyle House is home to a chandelier once owned by Carrie Fisher’s mother, Debbie Reynolds. You can find it in the center of the barn.
Did you know that booking your wedding in SWVA will results in an average of 23% savings compared to other regions of Virginia?
In order to get a marriage license you need to head to your local courthouse.
Both parties must appear in person to receive the license.
The Office of the Clerk of Circuit Court in Roanoke County is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, Monday through Friday except holidays.
TIP: Get your certificate within 60 days of the wedding or you’ll have to do it again.
Each party must furnish the required information under oath or affirmation and falsifying any information on a marriage license could subject the parties to prosecution for perjury.
You shall be asked to furnish documentary proof (such as photo id) of certain information on the application (such as age or termination of previous marriage).
Roanoke City - 315 Church Ave., SW 3rd Floor Room 357 Roanoke, VA 24016 | 540-853-2000
Roanoke County - 305 E. Main Street Second Floor Salem, VA 24153 | Phone: 540-387-6205
Salem - 305 E. Main Street Second Floor Salem, VA 24153 | Phone: 540-387-6205
Vinton - 305 E. Main Street Second Floor Salem, VA 24153 | Phone: 540-387-6205
It’s a myth that you have to have witnesses for a marriage in Virginia, that according to the Virginia Department of Health’s website.
In the commonwealth of Virginia, you need to have an ABC banquet license if you plan on having any beer, wine or spirits at the wedding reception.
Fortunately in 2020, the state has an online application system that helps greatly improve the speed of getting it.
It costs about $55 and it’s well worth the cost if you want to legally have booze at the wedding, in fact most venues will require you to have it.
Other than the marriage license, you will need someone to officiant the wedding.
The rules have become somewhat relaxed in recent years on getting someone to be able to perform the ceremony, but any ordained minister can also do the job.
There are some rules and requirements to becoming ordained so you can perform wedding ceremonies, here is some great guidance that we’ve found that should help if someone other than an officiant or minister will be performing your ceremony.
There are plenty of people to choose from, although we recommend Laura Niece with Wedded Bliss or Casey Anderson, both are good friends of ours and are HIGHLY skilled.
When you compare our region of the Roanoke Valley to the rest of Virginia, we have lower pricing when it comes to vendors, products and services, about 23% less in fact according to 2022 data from Value Penguin.
The highest region in the state is Fairfax County near Washington, DC, followed by Charlottesville, Richmond, Tidewater, then SWVA.
The only exception in our region is Lynchburg, which tends to be higher priced and much more closed-knitted.
What is interesting is that most vendors in our area know that we are underpriced while most couples getting married believe we are high for the state.
There is a huge disconnect in pricing vs. value within the region and that’s one reason many vendors are booked outside the Roanoke Valley.
When it comes to costs, people tend to look at that national average from places like Wedding Wire and TheKnot, which hovers about $34,000.
Well, don’t let the number scare you, in Virginia the price is much lower as the average is closer to $29,000 and that’s because of the pricing in Northern Virginia.
Even better, that average is even lower in south western Virginia at $25,700.
Many couples in our region can have their wedding for less money, although according to The Wedding Report data from 2021, most couples in our region spend under $10,000.
This is a commonly asked question and we’ve developed a handy little tool that will give you a rough estimate of how much you will need to purchase based on your wedding guest size and the length of the reception.
Carole and I developed another helpful tool that will breakdown how much alcohol you should purchase for your wedding reception.
In Roanoke, we suggest that you try and buy local if you can.
We’ll list a few vendors below that you should try when it comes to buying alcohol.
There are many others but these tend to have the better experience with couples getting married from what we’ve found. Some also offer discounts too, hint-hint.
Wedding venues come in all shapes, price ranges and styles, from new barn style venues that have popped up in recent years to try and get in on the industry, to hybrid venues like wineries and hotels to dedicated wedding venues, there is a huge range to pick from.
The list below is complied from various sources and represents a slice of them in the region. They are not any particular order.
Over the years, Carole and I have become great friends with several catering businesses in the region. Each has their own tastes when it comes to weddings and all of them truly work hard to bring their very best to your wedding.
Below are a list of ones that we’ve worked with before and would easily recommend.
If you’re simply looking for the cheapest route on food, try Olive Garden and their wedding catering pasta. You can get this DIY for about $13.00 per person.
Although you still need to take into account servers, dishes and the like, many times hiring local is your best best because of the added costs you don’t normally think about.
Again, these are not any particular order.
Carole and I have always been advocates for couples hiring wedding planners and NOT for just the ‘day-of’ your wedding either, but for the long haul.
They can save you a lot of money and even more so, save you a lot of stress and heartache.
In either case, here are a reputable list of planners that can help you with the wedding day.
:10 Second Survey
There are some great DJ’s in the region and many of them we’ve worked with over the years in Roanoke and the surrounding parts of Virginia.
Carole and I recommend hiring ones that have good experience and a great personality too. The better the personality, generally, the better performance they will be at your wedding and in return, the more enjoyable your wedding guests will be too.
Here are a list of wedding florists in Roanoke that we find reputable and a joy to work with! Florist help set the stage for your wedding colors, style and decor.
We recommend that when you sit down and meet with a florist that you have your colors with samples if you can as well as an idea of what types of flowers you like, oh and your overall budget too.
A great makeup artist is going to be able to take care of you and your bridesmaids. Many of them will bring along a variety of foundations, colors, eye shadows and highlights to the wedding venue. Below are some of the ones that we recommend that you check out.
A great onsite wedding hairstylist is going to be able to dazzle up your hair at the venue with style and efficiency.
Combined with a makeup artist, they are able to elevate you for the wedding. While there are many to choose from, we suggest you check out some of our favorites we suggest you connect with.
We have a good number of very unique wedding vendors in the Roanoke Valley and we are showcasing them on the blog today. From unique transportation, lighting, bar services and the like, these are great local companies that you can help support.
Bridal Shops in Roanoke
Roanoke is home to a handful of bridal shops where you can get a dress and rent the tux too. Here are a few of the ones below that you should check out.
Lighting Ninja
Brad, owner of the Lighting Ninja in Roanoke offers some very creative ways to enhance your wedding or reception. He has a full line of large and small lightning effects, from Gobo’s (those custom lights with designs, logos or text) to colored gels and even small lights for your wedding cake, they transform your venue into a more appealing way to have the wedding day!
Ride Source
While limo’s are great for the couples, there is a company right here in the Roanoke Valley that specializes in fleet transportation and they can handle a lot of people too.
Ride Source is a local company here in the Roanoke Valley that has many Mercedes vans that can accommodate all your guests. The new company offers 17 passenger vans and they can create a special priced based on the route or routes that you want to take you wedding guests.
Lexington Carriage Company
If you want to make a grand entrance to your wedding, we suggest you give Lexington Carriage Company a try.
Arriving in grand style in a horse-drawn carriage at her wedding and reception is the perfect way to make the fairy-tale come true!
The wedding carriage service may be utilized in many different ways, depending on individual needs, be it transport to the ceremony and/or the reception, a ride away from the reception, guest rides, shuttle service for the wedding party, or any combination of these things.
This is a truly unique wedding vendor in the region and if you are set on having the Cinderella entrance, this is for you.
When it comes to saving the most amount of money for your wedding, we have a few great tips and tricks for you to try. We suggest that when going the route of saving the most on your wedding, that you be open to flexibility on just about everything.
Flexibility is key.
Book during the week instead of a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Monday through Thursday is generally cheap for vendors if you ask.
Book during the off-peak season. In our region of Virginia that’s late October-Late March each year. Not all vendors will be open or available during this time just to note.
Limit the amount of wedding guests that you have. The lower the number, the cheaper your wedding will be.
Consider having a micro-wedding.
Look for used wedding decor on the Roanoke Something Borrowed, Something Blue Facebook page.
What Should We Do First?
That’s a great question!
First, we will tell you that the MORE you can educate yourself BEFORE you start, the more money you’ll save, the better you’ll be at keeping your budget on track and the less stress you will have.
Here are some first steps we highly recommend.
Create an overall wedding budget
Hire a wedding planner first
Follow our wedding blog
Stick to your budget
Keep the emotion out of decisions. Keep your transactions with a business like mindset.
Are you a vendor in the region that has a great tip to offer couples? Drop it in the comment box below and share with couples getting married!
If you don’t know where to start, we suggest that you reach out to Emma with our sister company, Roanoke Wedding Planner. She can help kickstart your planning, even if you don’t hire her for your wedding.