Eco-engaged: More couples find the outdoors a nurturing environment for romance

Published January 10, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Romance has gone green -- at least among active, environmentally conscious couples.

Austin Grisham and Lindsay Morris had their first date on the Shelby Farms Greenline.

Although they both grew up in Memphis, they got to know each other about a year and a half ago over the phone. Morris was living in Portland, Ore., working as a teacher in an after-school community outreach program, and mutual friends suggested Grisham contact her, since he was considering a move to the area for graduate school.

"A month after I moved to Portland, a random guy contacted me about graduate school and Portland in general," Morris said. "We continued talking, and when I came home to Memphis for Christmas in 2010, we decided to meet," says Morris.

Grisham and Morris are both active cyclists and runners, and Grisham knew that Morris and her family often walked on the Greenline, so it seemed like a good place for a first date.

About a year later, it seemed like an even better place to propose.

"I started planning the engagement in August," says Grisham, who lives in Portland and is a recruitment specialist for an interpretation company.

Grisham had talked to Morris's dad and arranged for the whole family to take a walk over the Thanksgiving holiday break.

Grisham had secretly flown into town the night before the walk was to happen. Morris and her family were to walk east along the Greenline and Grisham would walk west.

Morris and her family walked for about 15-20 minutes, "then my dad stopped me and said, 'This is it.' " She looked up and saw

Grisham running toward her. He got down on his knee and proposed.

Their wedding will be at Hope Presbyterian Church, where Morris's dad is a minister, but they hope to have the rehearsal dinner at Shelby Farms Park.

Jen Andrews, the director of communications for Shelby Farms Park Conservancy says, "One of our taglines is 'Love the Park,' and we're happy to see people are taking it literally!"

The conservancy has seen an uptick in both inquiries about park weddings and people having their weddings and receptions there.

"We've gone from hosting a few a year to 18 weddings in 2011," says Andrews.

In addition to more weddings and receptions than ever, the conservancy is hearing more and more from people getting engaged at the park -- and now on the Greenline.

"Last year, a couple got engaged at our Off-Leash Dog Park. We had several people pop the question at Starry Nights. Marriage is a big deal, and we think more park and Greenline users than ever are interested in making this commitment at a place that's meaningful to them, surrounded by natural beauty," she says.

One of the ways the conservancy is able to earn money for the operations and maintenance needs is through facility rentals (indoor board rooms, outdoor picnic shelters, races and walks). "We've been working hard to increase facility rentals across the board, and they're very popular. We keep our prices fair and scale them according to the size of the event and number of guests, and we think people like knowing that the money they're going to spend to have their wedding goes back to help the park and Greenline they love," says Andrews.

The park conservancy hopes to continue its relationship with these couples forever. Andrews says, "We want to host the baby shower, bar mitzvah and 50th wedding anniversary."

Other scenic venues are also becoming more popular for weddings. Pat Vescovo, director of sales at the Memphis Botanic Garden, says, "We've shown an increase over the past couple of years in garden weddings, especially due to new areas we've added that are designed to create special backdrops for the ceremonies. Our Blecken Pavilion and Japanese Garden are two of the most popular spots for weddings."

Bobbie Baker, the special events coordinator at Lichterman Nature Center, says she has noticed an increase in the number of outdoor weddings as well.

"With the advent of social media websites like Facebook and smartphones, brides as well as their guests may share their wedding photos instantaneously. Today's brides are looking for something new, nontraditional and 'photo-worthy.' "

Baker believes outdoor weddings in a setting as lovely as Lichterman offer photo opportunities that no indoor structure may provide no matter how grand the architecture, and adds, "With a growing 'green' social consciousness amongst those under 30, couples are using their wedding ceremonies as a way to establish their commitment to the environment as they begin their lives together."