U.S. weddings at retail stores rising

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich., July 8 (UPI) -- U.S. experts said a planned wedding at a Michigan T.J. Maxx store is just the latest in a growing trend of retail weddings nationwide.

Rebecca Dolgin, executive editor of wedding Web site theknot.com, said the upcoming nuptials between Lisa Satayut and Drew Ellis at the Mount Pleasant, Mich., T.J. Maxx is the latest in a growing trend that has seen weddings held at locations including Home Depot, Taco Bell and other businesses, USA Today reported Thursday.

"Brides are obsessed with making their wedding different from anyone else's," Dolgin said. "In some cases, too, I think the economy might play into it, where people are really trying to be resourceful."

Home Depot spokeswoman Kathryn Gallagher said U.S. locations have hosted about a half-dozen weddings and the store does not charge couples for the service. She said materials used during the ceremonies, including wood for pews, can be returned to the shelves after the weddings.

Taco Bell spokesman Rob Poetsch said the fast-food chain hosts an average one wedding per year, most recently at an Illinois location in January. He said the restaurant does not charge for the weddings.