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Clifton cashes in on weddings
It's not a beach or a mountain resort, but with its quaint buildings and growing wedding industry, the tiny town of Clifton is casting its spell on dozens of brides and grooms every year.
Clifton's picturesque restaurants, parks, gazebo and barns attract a variety of couples preparing to exchange vows.
And that someone could walk from the florist, to the hair dresser, to a church, to a reception site and then to a bed and breakfast in 10 minutes, probably twice, might be an added bonus.
Clifton is a “one-stop place” for wedding planners, said Judy McNamara, owner of “A Flower Blooms in Clifton.”
Robin Graine got married in the town's park on July 12 for the same reasons she has lived in the town for seven years - “It looks and feels like a postcard.”
Tom Peterson, the town's mayor, officiated the ceremony.
Graine chose Clifton because she wanted to show the close-knit town to all her relatives, said. She picked the park because she is Jewish and the holiest place for a wedding ceremony, in her opinion, is outside. And Michael Evans, her new husband, loves the outdoors.
“It's eye candy” to see couples give their vows in the town's gazebo, or to see bridesmaids take pictures in the town with antique carriages, Donna Netschert, owner of Village Time Saver of Clifton, said.
During prime wedding season – spring and summer – it's not unusual for there to be a wedding in the town every weekend, Netschert said.
When that time hits, Netschert's “I'll do anything legal for money” motto has her picking up guests at the airport, arranging flowers or guarding wedding gifts.
Out-of-town couples tell Clifton Presbyterian Church secretary Jane King that Clifton's “quaint and intimate atmosphere” are attractive to them, she said.
King, who is in charge of booking weddings for the church, said the congregation increased the size of the building's sanctuary in part to accommodate all the wedding requests.
Shortly after the Civil War, Clifton – then known as Devereux Station – began to thrive with a post office, stores, and schools. It was established as a town in 1902 and, despite rapid growth in western Fairfax County, still has a population of fewer than 200 people, according to most recent Census data.
Many of the little business that line Main Street, including quaint restaurants, Lynne Garvey-Wark's Canary Cottage Bed and Breakfast and An Unforgettable Moment, make planning a wedding in Clifton convenient.
The Hermitage Inn Restaurant, with its balcony and conservatory, typically hosts several weddings a month, owner Serge Barbe said.
Travis and Suzanne Worsham opened their Heart in Hand Restaurant in 1982 as a one-room lunch and tea room in an antique building. It is now a popular restaurant managed by the Worshams' daughter Sherry Harlow and her husband Corey that offers a year-round garden terrace area and a catering service.
On a recent weekend, the Harlows hosted a wedding and three bridal showers, Corey Harlow said.
That's why Danyelle Ballard thought the wedding cake business she began when she opened The Pink Pantry coffee shop last year would do well, she said.
Town business owners with wedding and event services to offer may even form an offshoot of the Clifton Business Coalition called Clifton Celebrations to make the town's wedding industry an even bigger success, Netschert said.
“We definitely have a little wedding business going on in town,” Ballard said. “I think it's because it's historic and people here are so nice.”
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