On a recent afternoon under an unforgiving Arkansas sun, Brian Hillerman and Crystal Wood wed in an intimate ceremony with just a select group of guests: their parents, siblings and more than 100 tigers, leopards, lions and bobcats. The bride wore an ivory gown, a nod to elephants’ tusks, and the groom wore a cream-colored suit. Unfortunately, one of the VIPs — Loretta, a 500-pound white Bengal tiger — didn’t seem to notice the wedding happening outside her cage, instead opting to nap and loll about in a shady area.
The self-professed animal loving couple, from Raytown, Mo., decided to marry at the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, a nonprofit that rescues abandoned and abused big cats, after hearing about it on a Kansas City radio station. “Instead of giving away our money, we were giving it back to something we believe in,” Wood said.
The couple is among those who flock to this eccentric Ozark hamlet, where hotel rooms outnumber residents and one in five people is an ordained minister. Tourism officials say offbeat weddings are on the rise, as couples who don’t want a traditional big ceremony seek out a more personal way to tie the knot.
Each year, more than 4, 000 wedding licenses are issued in Eureka Springs, population 2, 278. The self-proclaimed “Wedding Capital of the South,” Eureka Springs supports both a hippie community and a strong conservative Christian population — the town simultaneously boasts weekly gay events and a museum dedicated to creationism.
So it’s not surprising that many deeply religious people choose to get married at the Great Passion Play, an outdoor event that depicts that crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. A popular spot to exchange vows? In front of the Christ of the Ozarks, a seven-story statue overlooking the Ozarks.
“People love to be married at the foot of the Christ of the Ozarks statue, and they love the outdoor setting because you can see out over the valley,” said Kay Peterson, wedding coordinator for the Great Passion Play. “It’s a place that has been set apart unto the Lord, a special place to begin their marriage.”
Eureka Springs also boasts the Thorncrown Chapel, designed by architect E. Fay Jones. The American Institute of Architecture named Thorncrown Chapel the fourth-best design of the 20th century. Also of note in town is St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church, where guests enter via the bell tower.
Other spiritual — but not always Christian — couples choose to marry at Blue Spring Heritage Center, a 33-acre botanical garden with a spring considered a sacred site by many Indians. The spring, which pumps 38 million gallons of crystal-blue water daily, was a brief rest stop for Cherokees during their forced relocation to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears.
Carma Lewis, Blue Spring’s wedding coordinator, says brides of all kinds opt for the lush, picturesque setting at Blue Spring. “I have some of the coolest girls come out here to get married, and I’ve had some Bridezillas,” she said. Lewis tells of a half-Christian, half-pagan wedding performed by a nondenominational minister and finished up with a pagan broom-jumping. Other couples forego throwing rice, instead tossing fish food into the transparent lagoon, while some couples release butterflies. “When you go down in that garden, you get such a peaceful, serene feeling,” she said. Another couple plans to marry on Sept. 30 — when Blue Spring hosts its annual Red Star Ancestors Memorial Gourd Dance, a ceremony honoring Cherokee ancestors.
When Jackson took over as wedding coordinator at Turpentine Creek about a year ago, one of the first changes she made was to the refuge’s nuptials service. After too many obscene phone calls, “Exotic Weddings” became “Wildlife Weddings.”
“I have yet to have a very formal couple,” Jackson said, adding that many couples stop by the refuge with no advance notice and get married. “Most of the people who want to get married here are very laid back.”
Some couples request that a big cat serve as a ringbearer or attendant, but Turpentine Creek — whose highway marquee beckons, “Big Cats Love Bikers!” — won’t allow that for safety reasons. Instead, the ceremonies take place with tigers, lions, bears and the occasional badger in sight.
For Hillerman and Wood, the outdoor wedding on a steamy Wednesday afternoon was the perfect way to express themselves as they begin their lives together. The couple — who has five dogs, six cats and two hermit crabs, all indoor pets — knew a big traditional wedding wasn’t their speed.
“We were being ourselves today,” Wood said.