Couples seeking unique options on where to say I do, as the phrase goes, will soon have another choice in the Pahrump Valley to host their venue.
A 30-acre property at 9381 S. Homestead Road, just south of Turner Boulevard, is being shaped into a venue called the Pink Chapel on a property that once housed equestrian and rodeo-type events, along with being used for agricultural purposes.
The location is equipped with a 5,000 square-foot gathering space, a large gazebo area for about 90 guests and other features including private quarters for the bride and bridesmaids to prepare.
Also, evidence remains of the heavy equestrian presence of the past with a 20-stable barn and a 0.9-mile, fenced horse track, shaped in a long oval, according to documents from the Nye County Planning Commission.
Pahrump resident and wedding photographer Stacy Frick is behind the project that she says has been a goal of hers for more than three years now.
Frick has invested $1.1 million in property costs alone, records from the Nye County Recorder’s Office show. That figure doesn’t include any updates, equipment or other things like tables, linens and centerpieces that Frick needs to get things on track to open in 2018.
A solid date to open hasn’t been set yet, but Frick’s first wedding is set for the spring, she said.
Frick also hopes to host other types of affairs on the property, including corporate team-building events, holiday parties, Quinceaneras and more.
Frick was approved for a conditional use permit at the start of 2017 from the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission, which allows for a public or private recreation area at the property.
Though she gained approval at that time, Frick purchased the property closer to October.
The venue
When the doors open to the new venue, guests can expect to find available space ranging from 50 up to 400 in some of the Pink Chapel’s venues. Some of the venues include a 5,000-square-foot indoor hall, courtyard area, gazebo and stable. A stadium area on the property can hold up to roughly 3,500 guests.
All the spaces vary in capacity, except the indoor hall, which can hold about 200, according to information on the Pink Chapel’s website. Many of the other areas have an indoor and outdoor option.
Weekday packages are the least costly.
A weekday package for use of a venue for a three-hour event, Monday through Thursday, with an ending time no later than 3 p.m., is $1,500. That price includes seating for up to 100 guests. Additional chairs and tables are available for rent through the Pink Chapel or outside vendors, Frick said.
Additional time, on a per-hour basis, is also available to add on, if scheduling permits. All setup and breakdown is included.
For an evening event during the week, which typically would start after 5 p.m., prices go up to $2,000 for three hours. All-day events for a venue, day and evening, run $3,000.
That all-day price goes up to $6,000 for a weekend day.
Those looking to keep things ultra-private can rent the entire property for the day for $12,000.
Use of the chapel space is included in the cost of an all-day event. With a half-day venue rental, a 50-percent discount is available. Full price rental rates on the chapel range from $300 to 800, depending on the day and time of the event hosted.
The chapel rental includes two hours of time in the Pink Chapel’s Ready-Room Bridal Suite, where parties can get ready. The fee also includes a wedding officiant, photographer, ceremony, music, basic flower décor and choice of podium.
The bridal suite is available for overnight rentals, which also contains space for bridesmaids, up to eight in shared quarters.
Frick is also working with several vendors for events that will be held on the property. Some of the options she is working on will run clients an estimated $25 a plate on top of the venue rental.
B With a Twist Catering is one option.
Julia Kasprick, account executive with B With a Twist, said she toured the property earlier this year and is hoping to work with Frick on upcoming projects.
Kasprick described B With a Twist’s offerings as “cuisine with a high-quality, personal touch to it – kind of comfort food with a twist is our motto,” she said.
Examples of the fall menu from B With a Twist’s website include a main course of beef bourguignon in red wine glaze with mushrooms and pearl onions, roasted butternut squash for a side and roasted acorn squash mousse, just to mention a small portion of the company’s options.
Kasprick said this is an expansion for B With a Twist outside Las Vegas.
“We are excited to expand and grow to new areas,” she said.
Frick has also been in contact with other Las Vegas event companies on potential connections to corporate events.
This is Frick’s first major venue, though she has worked close to the industry for the last several years as a wedding photographer. She is also the owner of Frick Photo.
Before that, Frick spent more than two decades working as a flight attendant. Some of that times could come into play at the new venue.
“I want them to come in here because it’s good food, it’s good service,” Frick said. “I’m all about customer service, being in the airline business for so many years. Customer service is what you can do above and beyond what everybody else can do.”
Business model
Frick is not only hoping to compete with local venues around Pahrump, including Nevada Treasure RV Resort, Mountain Falls and Sanders Family Winery, Frick sees her venue as competitive with those in Clark County.
“Being out here, obviously you have to be a little bit more competitive,” she said.
Marriage rates have been on the decline across the U.S. and in Nevada.
In Clark County, marriage license counts were at more than 81,000 in 2016. However, that number is down from a peak of 128,000 licenses issued in 2004.
That follows a trend in the U.S. with the national marriage rate falling from more than 8 percent per 1,000 people in the early 2000s to 6.9 percent through 2014, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The average age people get married in the U.S. has risen in the past several years.
Using the base of the year 2000 again, the average age for men to get married at that time was 26.8, and 25.1 for women, according to information from the U.S. Census Bureau. Leap to 2016, and the average age for men to get married jumped to 29.5, 27.4 for women.
That trend shows up in Nevada as well. In 2000, the CDC tracked a 72.2 percent rate per 1,000 people in the state. That number through 2016 fell to 28.4.
Nevada still leads the pack in the nation on marriage rates. The state with the second highest marriage rate is Hawaii at 15.6 percent per 1,000 population.
Contact reporter Jeffrey Meehan at jmeehan@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes