Darwen schools money spinning ideas
9:00am Tuesday 14th February 2012 in News
A SCHOOL has come up with a new money spinning initiative - Asian weddings.
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy hosted two weddings last year, and after their success, six more have already been booked for this year.
Assistant premises manager at the academy Pete Dewhurst said they have been extremely popular.
He said: “It is unbelievable really. They have proved really popular.
“All the people who have been have said they had a really good time. A lot who have come have been as a result of word of mouth.”
Weddings at the academy start at £2,500 for the day.
The facility offers two kitchens, three big areas and a stage for the ceremony.
Mr Dewhurst said: “We provide up to 10 members of staff, from car parking help to toilet attendants.
“We even give them a prayer room.
“We wait on them hand and foot. People say they have never had anything like it.
“They are moving away from places like King George’s Hall because we have lots of little advantages, like parking.
“We have all sorts of stuff, like IT so we can beam images from one canteen to another or to stream online for people to watch from abroad.”
Mr Dewhurst said he didn’t know what to expect at first.
He said: “It certainly is a spectacle and it is very rewarding.
“I’m a bit like a wedding planner. I show them round and book it for them, then I am there on the day for their every need.”
Mr Dewhurst said the idea to host weddings had been suggested while the school was at its old site, but it wasn’t suitable.
He said: “When I was at Holden Fold we had enquiries but we couldn’t do it because of space.
“The academy is a community facility that we don’t use on a Sunday and someone came down and asked, ‘do you do Asian weddings?’, and we thought, ‘why not?’.”
Comments(10)
Bat E Karen
says...
10:05am Tue 14 Feb 12
living the end times in BB1
says...
10:44am Tue 14 Feb 12
A Darener
says...
10:49am Tue 14 Feb 12
Because there is no bar!
happycyclist
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11:14am Tue 14 Feb 12
louderfasterlonger
says...
1:18pm Tue 14 Feb 12
happycyclist wrote:Think there's tentative plans to use it during jazz festival, it was also touted last year for a beer festival, people are beginning to realise what an asset the accademy is !
Good to see the Academy living up to its 'community' tag. It's a versatile space and they've hosted a wide range of events there. They should try it out as a music venue.
QuizOnMyFace
says...
2:05pm Tue 14 Feb 12
A Darener wrote:Fair Point
"Why only Asian weddings? Because there is no bar!
Viv
says...
6:15pm Tue 14 Feb 12
QuizOnMyFace wrote:Maybe no one else has asked them?
Why only Asian Weddings?? Bit racist of DACA
Or more likely, DACA isn't yet registered to hold civil ceremonies. With Asian weddings there are usually two elements; one organised by the bride's family and one by the groom's family - only one of these needs to be held in premises formally licenced for wedding ceremonies (the legal bit required by law), the other can be held wherever people want it to be.
A Local Lad
says...
8:03am Fri 17 Feb 12
pwei73
says...
7:19pm Fri 17 Feb 12
QuizOnMyFace says...
9:15am Tue 14 Feb 12
Bit racist of DACA