Cate Edwards, daughter of John and Elizabeth Edwards, marries Trevor Upham in Chapel Hill

Cate Edwards, daughter of John and Elizabeth Edwards, married her college boyfriend, Trevor Upham, at University United Methodist Church Oct. 22 on Franklin Street.

Edwards became one of many notable figures to marry in her hometown of Chapel Hill.

“The wedding went off without a hitch,” said wedding planner, Joy Renner. “It was wonderful.”

Like many brides, Edwards has personal ties with the town.

People who were once part of the UNC and Chapel Hill community are often driven to return to Chapel Hill when they get married, said Linda Ekeland, director of sales at the Orange County Visitors Bureau.

She credits some of Orange County’s growth in tourism this year to the wedding industry.

“I think a lot of our weddings are for people who went to UNC — people who, no matter where they are now, want to come back and get married in the place where they were molded for the rest of their lives,” said Heidi Werner, director of catering at the Carolina Inn.

The Carolina Inn is home to one of two AAA four diamond restaurants that benefits from the local wedding industry.

“There have been entire businesses that have come into existence because of the wedding market,” Werner said.

Anthony Carey, general manager of the Siena Hotel, home to the other AAA four diamond restaurant, said the hotel hosts small weddings and rehearsal dinners.

“Due to size, we can’t accommodate large receptions,” he said. “But we do house many of the guests that attend large weddings in the area.”

Both the Siena Hotel and the Carolina Inn have experience handling high-profile events in the community, especially weddings.

This month, the Carolina Inn will host the wedding of two-time Olympic gold medalist Heather O’Reilly, who played soccer for UNC.

“We do have a lot of children of political figures,” Werner said. “And some corporate heads of large companies, but we mostly see people from the UNC community.”

“We call ourselves the living room of UNC,” she said.

Every year, the Carolina Inn hosts an exclusive bridal fair, where roughly 600 brides are invited to browse the wares of nearly 85 vendors, including flowers, stationary and honeymoon packages. It is usually early in the year.

Werner said this show is often another reason that many brides choose Chapel Hill as the venue for their wedding.

But the main reason brides want to hold their weddings here is their ties to the University, she said.

“Many people will find asylum in the center of campus,” Werner said. “And they want to offer that same experience to their friends and family.”

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